The Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2025 began on April 15, as 1,958 candidates appeared for the Kannada language test for border region and overseas Kannadiga students, across five centres in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Vijayapura, and Belagavi.

The day marked the rollout of facial recognition-based verification — a first for the KCET, as reported by The Times of India.

This year, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered identity checks to curb impersonation and speed up verification, aligning the process with national-level exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).

Candidates entered centres by scanning the QR codes on their admit cards, followed by a facial recognition scan via a mobile app before gaining access to exam halls. The system was largely appreciated by test-takers.

“I really liked the facial recognition process. It’s faster and more efficient — no need to manually check Aadhaar or admit cards,” said Aadarsh Patil, speaking to TOI.

Even parents welcomed the upgrade. “Back when I appeared for CET, there was nothing close to this. The AI and digital systems have made the process seamless,” said Aparna Shyam, mother of a CET aspirant.

Minor glitches, smooth overall

Despite the largely smooth implementation, there were minor technical hiccups.

Puneeth Agasmath, one of the candidates, faced a delay due to a backend error that led to the absence of his photograph on the admit card, reported TOI.

“Even though I had uploaded the photo, it didn’t show up on the printed admit card. I had to wait about 15 minutes for them to verify my identity,” he said.

In some cases, QR codes failed to scan, but officials managed to identify the candidates using their registration numbers.

Meanwhile, the core CET exams for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology (PCMB) are scheduled for April 16 and 17. Approximately 2.6 lakh students are expected to take the PCMB papers, while 76,000 will appear for PCM.

KEA Executive Director H Prasanna confirmed that final preparations are underway. 

The exams will be conducted across 775 centres statewide, including 155 centres in Bengaluru. Webcasting and stringent security measures will be in place to ensure transparency and prevent malpractice.