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KCET 2025 Dress Code: The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is set to conduct the Karnataka Undergraduate Common Entrance Test (UGCET) 2025 from April 15. The exams will begin today and go on till April 17, and will be held in two shifts, from 10:30 am to 11:50 am, and 2:30 pm to 3:50 pm.
This year for KCET, 3.31 lakh candidates are eligible to appear, across 775 centres in Karnataka, KEA officials announced. On the first day, the KEA will conduct the KCET Kannada language test from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. The KCET physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology papers will be conducted on April 16 and 17 in two shifts.
Earlier the KCET 2025 admit cards were issued on April 6, candidates can download their hall tickets from the candidate portal available on the official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced a number of changes in the examination procedure, in order to curb unfair practices by candidates. This includes a new dress-code on the lines of National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), monitoring of live streaming of examination halls and more. Here’s what is new this year for KEA UGCET 2025:
For the first time webcasting and CCTV surveillance will be used in all exam centers. Every candidate will be monitored live. The entire examination process will be monitored through CCTV surveillance, mirroring the protocols followed in major recruitment exams, the Board director said.
A facial recognition QR code system will also be in place. The QR code is printed on the hall ticket. When scanned it shows the candidates photo and full details.
Security will be further strengthened with the deployment of police and Home Guard personnel at each centre. They will carry out thorough security checks before allowing candidates to enter the exam halls.
District-level officials, including Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats, have been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the security and smooth functioning of the examination at the ground level.
A facial recognition QR code system will also be in place. The QR code is printed on the hall ticket. When scanned it shows the candidates photo and full details. According to the Board, the objective is to eliminate any possibility of impersonation, facial recognition technology and QR code verification will be used to authenticate each candidate’s identity.
A dress code has also been introduced similar to NEET exams. Full sleeve clothes are not allowed. Wearing watches is banned. Further for the convenience of students, each exam room will have a wall clock for timekeeping.
According to the official NTA guidelines on dress-code for NEET, students are advised to avoid wearing heavy or long-sleeved clothes. If someone comes in cultural or traditional dress, they must reach the center at least one hour before the last reporting time, which is 12:30 pm.
Footwear rules are also specified by NTA. Candidates can wear slippers or sandals with low heels, but not shoes. If a student needs to wear something different because of a medical reason, they must get special permission from the exam authorities before the admit card is issued.
Additionally, for exams begin conducted by NTA, candidates who wear religious or customary items like turbans, scarves, or other faith-based accessories are advised to report two hours early. This is aimed at giving the staff enough time to complete the frisking process smoothly.
These kinds of measures aren’t new; back in 2023, KEA had already made similar changes for other recruitment exams held in Karnataka. That year, caps and any head coverings were banned inside exam halls to stop the use of hidden Bluetooth devices. Masks were also not allowed. Basic stationery like pencils, erasers, log tables, and geometry boxes were restricted too.
Women were not allowed to wear clothes with heavy embroidery, flower designs, or ones that had buttons. Full-sleeved clothes, jeans, and high-heeled footwear were also on the banned list. Except for a ‘Mangalsutra’ or ‘Kalungura’ (toe rings), no metal jewelry was permitted.
Male candidates had to wear half-sleeved shirts only. Full sleeves were not allowed. Plain trousers were suggested, while jeans and traditional outfits like kurta-pajama were not considered suitable for exam day.
