The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala has started the first-phase (Round 1) allotment for MBBS and BDS admission under KEAM 2026. Candidates in the State Medical Rank List can now register their college and course options online. Option registration closes on 20 August 2026 at 12 noon. Separately, anyone who finds an error in the provisional category list must complain by 17 August 2026, 11 AM.
NRI quota seats are not part of this phase. NRI allotment begins only from Round 2.
Round 1 allotment schedule
- Option registration: opens 15 August, closes 20 August 2026 at 12 noon
- Rank-defect clearance for withheld results: by 3 PM on 19 August 2026
- Provisional allotment: 21 August 2026
- Final allotment: 22 August 2026
- Fee payment and admission: 23 August to 28 August 2026, 4 PM (excluding 26 August)
- College approval of admitted list on OAMS: by 28 August 2026, 5 PM
Provisional category list
CEE has published the provisional category list (except NRI) on the KEAM 2026 candidate portal. It covers category, community, nativity, income and special-reservation claims. If your category is shown wrongly, email your complaint with your KEAM application number and name to ceekinfo.cee@kerala.gov.in on or before 17 August 2026, 11 AM. Do not attach documents or certificates to the email. The NRI list has been withheld following the Kerala High Court order in WP(C) 26889/2026.
Fees and registration
Option registration needs a fee of ₹5,000 (₹500 for SC/ST/OEC and other eligible candidates). Government college fees are ₹23,150 for MBBS and ₹20,840 for BDS. In self-financing medical colleges the general (85%) tuition fee is about ₹8.1 lakh to ₹9.3 lakh per year, and the NRI (15%) fee is about ₹21.6 lakh to ₹22.7 lakh. For private dental colleges the general fee is ₹3,47,487. These self-financing fees are provisional 2025-26 rates and may change.
What to do now
- Register every option you are willing to join before 20 August, 12 noon. There is no fresh option registration in the next phase unless new colleges are added.
- Check your category in the provisional list and email any correction by 17 August, 11 AM.
- If your rank is withheld, clear the defect and release your rank before 3 PM on 19 August.
- Keep the allotment fee ready; you must pay and take admission between 23 and 28 August.
Before you set your option order, compare last year’s closing ranks on our Kerala MBBS cutoffs and Kerala BDS cutoffs pages, and see the full process in the Kerala counselling guide. Our college predictor can help you judge which colleges match your rank.
Official links
- KEAM 2026 MBBS/BDS Round 1 options notification, with fee details (PDF)
- KEAM 2026 provisional category list notice (PDF)
- CEE Kerala official portal (cee.kerala.gov.in)
Reviewed and edited by Sahil Kakad. Sahil is a second-year MBBS student and a member of the IMA Medical Students Network. This report was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the official CEE Kerala notifications before publishing.
Source: Commissioner for Entrance Examinations, Kerala — KEAM 2026 MBBS/BDS first-phase options notification and provisional category list notice, both dated 15 August 2026.