KCET Syllabus 2027: PCMB Chapter-wise Topic List

The KCET syllabus is built on the 1st and 2nd PUC curriculum of the Department of Pre-University Education, Karnataka, and it covers Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. If you are preparing for engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, veterinary or nursing admissions through the Karnataka Common Entrance Test, this page gives you the chapter-wise topic list and a practical order in which to cover it.

One honest note first. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) released the subject-wise syllabus for the 2026 cycle in late January 2026. It has not yet released a KCET 2027 syllabus, and no change has been announced. Until it does, the 2026 syllabus is the best working guide. The chapter names below are compiled from the PUC textbooks and reported copies of the KEA syllabus, so confirm the final list against the PDF on the official website: https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/

Table of Contents

• KCET Syllabus

• Key Points to Know Before You Start

• Syllabus by Course Group

• Physics Syllabus

• Chemistry Syllabus

• Mathematics Syllabus

• Biology Syllabus

• Which Chapters Carry More Questions

• Overlap Between KCET and 2nd PUC Board Preparation

• Kannada Language Test and Practical Test

• Common Syllabus Mistakes to Avoid

• How to Cover the KCET Syllabus

KCET Syllabus

Each subject has its own 60-question paper, and the course you choose decides which papers you write.

Key Points to Know Before You Start

• Both years are in scope: Questions can come from the 1st PUC and the 2nd PUC syllabus, so a student who prepares only Class 12 leaves marks on the table.

• The textbook is the base: The syllabus follows the PUC textbooks, which are aligned to the NCERT approach. Extra reference books help with practice, but the concepts tested come from the prescribed chapters.

• Practical skills are mentioned: The 2026 syllabus listed experimental skills for Physics under both years, and some reports mention similar practical content in Chemistry and Biology. Learn the basic experiments, readings and precautions, because they are asked as short theory questions.

• Older pages may differ: Some third-party pages list chapters that are no longer part of the syllabus, or leave out chapters that are. Communication Systems in Physics is one example where reports disagree, so check the official PDF before you drop or add it.

Syllabus by Course Group

You do not study the whole syllabus for every course. Use this table to see which subjects apply to you, based on the KEA 2026 information bulletin.

Students applying for pharmacy have a choice. If you are strong in both Mathematics and Biology, writing all four papers lets KEA use whichever combination gives you the better score. If you write only one, prepare that subject thoroughly.

Physics Syllabus

Physics rewards clear concepts and quick numerical practice. The 2nd PUC portion is larger and has more scoring chapters, but the 1st PUC mechanics base is what makes those chapters easy.

Start with Laws of Motion, Work Energy and Power, and Rotational Motion in the first year, then move to Current Electricity, Magnetism, Optics and Modern Physics in the second year. Add the experimental skills as a short, separate revision list.

Chemistry Syllabus

Chemistry is the most balanced paper. Physical chemistry needs numerical practice, inorganic chemistry needs steady memory work and organic chemistry needs reaction understanding rather than rote learning.

The 1st PUC organic chapters decide how comfortably you handle the 2nd PUC organic chapters, so revise them together. Treat Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Solutions and Coordination Compounds as formula-heavy and practise them with timed numericals.

Mathematics Syllabus

Mathematics has the heaviest time pressure, because 60 questions must be solved in 80 minutes. Speed comes from knowing standard results and formulas by heart.

Calculus, which includes Limits, Differentiability, Derivatives and Integrals, is the backbone of the paper. Coordinate geometry, vectors and 3D geometry come next, followed by algebra chapters such as Matrices, Determinants and Permutations and Combinations.

Biology Syllabus

Biology is needed for pharmacy (PCB route), agriculture, veterinary and nursing courses. It is a memory-plus-understanding paper where NCERT-style diagrams, tables and one-line facts matter.

1st PUC Biology

• Diversity of life: The Living World; Biological Classification; Plant Kingdom; Animal Kingdom.

• Structural organisation: Morphology of Flowering Plants; Anatomy of Flowering Plants; Structural Organisation in Animals.

• Cell: Cell: The Unit of Life; Biomolecules; Cell Cycle and Cell Division.

• Plant physiology: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants; Respiration in Plants; Plant Growth and Development; Mineral Nutrition; Transport in Plants.

• Human physiology: Digestion and Absorption; Breathing and Exchange of Gases; Body Fluids and Circulation; Excretory Products and Their Elimination; Locomotion and Movement; Neural Control and Coordination; Chemical Coordination and Integration.

2nd PUC Biology

• Reproduction: Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants; Human Reproduction; Reproductive Health.

• Genetics and evolution: Principles of Inheritance and Variation; Molecular Basis of Inheritance; Evolution.

• Biology and human welfare: Human Health and Disease; Microbes in Human Welfare.

• Biotechnology: Biotechnology: Principles and Processes; Biotechnology and its Applications.

• Ecology: Organisms and Populations; Ecosystem; Biodiversity and Conservation.

Some reported copies of the Biology list show only part of the syllabus, so use the official PDF to confirm that every chapter above is included for your cycle.

Which Chapters Carry More Questions

KEA does not publish a chapter-wise weightage. The figures below are third-party estimates built from past papers, so treat them as a guide to priority and not as a guarantee. In these estimates, roughly 70 per cent of the questions come from the 2nd PUC portion and 30 per cent from the 1st PUC portion.

Use these numbers only to decide the order of revision. A chapter with two expected questions still matters if it is your weak area, because there is no negative marking and every correct answer adds a mark.

Overlap Between KCET and 2nd PUC Board Preparation

For engineering and farm science, the qualifying exam marks carry equal weight with the CET marks, so board preparation and KCET preparation are not separate jobs. The table shows how to plan the overlap.

Kannada Language Test and Practical Test

Two other assessments sit beside the subject papers, and neither has a topic-wise syllabus in the KEA bulletin.

• Kannada language test: This is meant only for candidates who claim government-seat benefits under the Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga categories. In 2026 it was a 50-mark test at fourth-standard level, and 12 marks were needed to qualify. Basic reading, grammar and comprehension from early school Kannada is enough preparation.

• Agriculturist quota practical test: Candidates applying under the agriculturist quota take a practical test that carries a large share of the merit weightage, and a minimum score is required. The bulletin lists the test fee and gives the details of the quota, so read the conditions before applying.

Common Syllabus Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the 1st PUC chapters: Many students treat Class 11 as finished. A fair share of the KCET paper comes from it, and it supports the 2nd PUC chapters.

• Following an outdated list: Chapter lists on older pages may not match the current KEA PDF. Download the latest syllabus once and use it as your master checklist.

• Ignoring Biology or Mathematics by guesswork: Check which papers your course needs before you decide what to drop.

• Studying only by weightage: Weightage is a third-party estimate. It should change the order of revision, not remove chapters from the plan.

How to Cover the KCET Syllabus

A phased plan keeps the syllabus from feeling endless. Adjust the weeks to the months you have left.

1. Weeks 1 to 8, concepts: Finish one full pass of the 1st and 2nd PUC chapters for your subjects. Make a one-page formula or fact sheet for each chapter.

2. From week 6, chapter tests: After each chapter, attempt 15 to 20 MCQs. Note the topics where you guessed.

3. From week 10, subject tests: Take 60-question tests in 80 minutes. Compare your score and your time in each paper.

4. Final phase, full mocks and revision: Attempt full-length practice tests in the exam order, review every wrong answer the same day, and revise your error log and formula sheets.