The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has opened the Karnataka DCET 2026 Round 1 option entry process for eligible candidates on July 21, 2026, through the official website cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Candidates submit their preferred colleges and courses for the first round of seat allotment during the option entry window, which runs until July 24, 2026. After the window closes, KEA releases a mock seat allotment result on July 24 at 6 PM. Based on the mock allotment, candidates get an option modification period to revise, add, delete, or reorder their choices before the final results.

KEA schedules the final Round 1 seat allotment announcement for July 27, 2026, after 6 PM. After the final allotment, candidates proceed with the subsequent steps listed in the counselling schedule, including downloading challans for fee payment and reporting to the allotted colleges by the stated deadlines. Both outlets also note that competition for popular engineering branches, particularly Computer Science and Information Science at top colleges in Karnataka, is expected to remain high. Official eligibility and instructions are provided on the KEA portal.