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The KEAM engineering exams in Kerala this year (2026) will be conducted using the revised normalization formula, which is modeled on the system used in Tamil Nadu.
The reform is being re-introduced after facing strong opposition last year because it was introduced after the entrance exams had already been held. Subsequently, the Kerala High Court directed the state government to revert to the previous formula after observing that the sudden change could adversely affect students from the CBSE and ISCE streams.
Under the new framework, equal weightage (50:50) will be given to the standardized score of the entrance exam and the marks obtained in the final year of the qualifying exam.
Government sources point out that the normalization of the entrance score is necessary to ensure that candidates do not get undue advantage or disadvantage due to differences in the difficulty levels of questions in different sessions. In addition, it is estimated that the marks obtained by state board students dropped by up to 35 points during the normalization process under the previous formula, even for those who scored full marks.
The move comes in the backdrop of computer-based tests being conducted in multiple sessions on different days from 2024 for engineering and pharmacy courses, resulting in less variation between question patterns in different sessions.
An internal committee found that the existing standardization policy did not sufficiently justify the differences in grades between students who studied similar curricula.
It is also pointed out that the syllabi followed by CBSE, state boards and other recognized boards are largely based on NCERT textbooks and there is generally no significant difference in academic preparation between students. In such a context, it was found that current standardization practices create unnecessary marks of difference and can potentially affect the principles of equality in education.
Cabinet approval
The State Cabinet accepted the committee’s recommendations and approved the revised standardization model.
Admission will be regulated on the basis of merit calculated as an index mark out of 600 with equal weightage of the standardized score of the entrance examination and the marks obtained in the final qualifying examination (both out of 300).
For the part of the qualifying examination, the grades in mathematics, physics and chemistry will be combined in the ratio 5:3:2 (translated from mathematics: 150 points, physics: 90 points and chemistry: 60 points).
In cases where the candidate has not studied Chemistry, marks in Computer Science will be considered. If both chemistry and computer science have not been studied, the marks in biotechnology will be taken into account, and in case they are not missing, the marks in biology will be taken into account.
The relevant provisions in the KEAM 2026 prospectus will be amended accordingly to include the revised methodology.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 14:30 IST