KSET 2026 Dress Code: With the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) 2026 scheduled for Sunday, October 11, candidates should take note of KEA's dress code and exam-day restrictions before heading to the centre. The test will be held in a single session from 10 am to 1 pm, covering both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has prescribed separate dress-code instructions for male and female candidates for the examinations it conducts. The emphasis is on simple clothing, minimal pockets and accessories, and footwear that does not create complications during security checks.
Male candidates should wear half-sleeved shirts; full-sleeved shirts are not permitted, while collarless shirts are preferred wherever possible.
Trousers without pockets or with minimal pockets are recommended. Jeans and kurta-pyjamas are not permitted, while clothing with zip pockets, large buttons, multiple pockets or elaborate embroidery should also be avoided.
Candidates cannot wear shoes inside the examination hall and are advised to opt for sandals or flat-soled slippers. Metal jewellery, including earrings, rings and bracelets, is also prohibited.
Female candidates have been instructed not to wear clothes featuring elaborate embroidery, flowers, brooches or buttons. Full-sleeved clothes and jeans should not be worn; half-sleeved clothing is prescribed.
Shoes, high-heeled slippers and high-heeled sandals are also not permitted. Candidates should instead wear thin-soled slippers or sandals.
KEA prohibits metal jewellery for female candidates, with the dress-code notice providing exceptions for Mangalsutra and toe rings.
Reach the KSET exam centre early
The latest KSET 2026 bell schedule makes following these instructions particularly important. KEA has directed that frisking and photo checking should be completed at least one hour before the first bell, which is scheduled for 9.30 am. Candidates will be allowed to occupy their seats after showing their admission ticket and valid identity card.
The exam begins at 10 am, and KEA has made it clear that candidates will not be permitted to enter or leave the examination hall after 10 am until the session is completed.
Don't carry these items
Mobile phones, electronic devices, Bluetooth devices, earphones, calculators, wrist watches, wallets and goggles are among the items prohibited inside the examination hall. Candidates should also not carry pencils, paper, scales, erasers, geometry boxes or log tables. Caps/hats and masks covering the face and ears are prohibited. A transparent drinking-water bottle, however, is allowed.
Candidates should carry their KSET admission ticket, valid government-issued photo ID and a blue or black ballpoint pen.
Another detail candidates should remember is that Paper 1 and Paper 2 will have separate OMR answer sheets. Answers for each paper must be shaded only on the corresponding OMR sheet. Paper 1 will have 50 questions for 100 marks, while Paper 2 will have 100 questions for 200 marks.
The examination ends at 1 pm, and candidates will not be allowed to leave until the OMR answer sheets have been collected. The candidate copy of the OMR sheet will then be returned along with the question booklet.