Exam Pattern
KEAM Exam Pattern
Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical 2026 (Engineering)
Mathematics is half this paper and Chemistry a fifth. Seventy-five of the 150 questions carry 300 of the 600 marks, against 45 questions for Physics and 30 for Chemistry, so a revision plan divided three ways gives the deciding subject a third of what it is worth. The options matter here too. KEAM sets five per question rather than four, which its own prospectus states, and that moves the arithmetic: with 4 marks for a correct answer and 1 deducted, break-even sits at 20%, and a blind guess across five options returns exactly 20%. Guessing at random gains nothing on this paper. Ruling one option out is what makes an attempt pay.
KEAM 2026 Engineering
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 150 |
| Total marks | 600 |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 75 | 300 |
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 30 | 120 |
The KEAM 2026 Engineering exam pattern is 150 questions carrying 600 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 72 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Mathematics carries the most, 300 marks of the 600 or about 50%, against 120 marks for Chemistry. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
KEAM 2026 Engineering marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 4 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1 mark; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly what a blind guess between five options returns, so guessing at random neither gains nor loses marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 120 of the 150 questions and get 90 right and 30 wrong, and you score 330 out of 600.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 72 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free KEAM mock test to see where your time actually goes.
KEAM exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in KEAM?
KEAM deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in KEAM?
KEAM has 150 questions. That leaves about 72 seconds per question in KEAM.
What are the total marks in KEAM?
KEAM is out of 600 marks, which works out at 4 marks a question.
How long is the KEAM exam?
KEAM runs for 180 minutes.
Does KEAM have a sectional time limit?
No. KEAM runs every section on one composite timer of 180 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.