KEAM 2010 : Frequent doubts and answers

By Our Entrance Exam Expert

Dec 17 , 2009 : Here are some of the major doubts raised by students about the Kerala professional courses entrance examination (KEAM 2010) , the completed application of which is to reach the office of CEE on or before 6th January 2010. Doubts related to Keralite status, reservation, eligibility, income and so on are clearly answered here.

1. I have done my school studies in Kerala from Class VIII to Class XII. But this was done in two schools. From whom should I get the certificate of study from Class VIII to Class XII in order to get the ‘Keralite’ status?

The Certificate can be given only be one person. Since you had studied in two schools between Class 8 and Class 12, you can get a certificate from the Head of the Institution where you studied initially (ie from Class 8 onwards) and submit it to the Head of the Institution where you are now studying in Class 12, who should issue the certificate of study from Class 8 to Class 12 in schools in Kerala. 

2. I belong to Muslim category. Annual Income of my family in 2009-10 is Rs.5,00,000/- now. It was 4,30,000/- last year (2008-09).  Will I get the benefit of SEBC reservation based on the income after retirement of my father?

The income being reckoned for SEBC reservation for 2010 admissions is that of 2008-09 as per Clause 5.4.2 (a) of Prospectus 2010. Since your family income in 2008-09 was below Rs.4,50,000/-, you will get the benefit of SEBC reservation subject to production of necessary certificates from the Revenue authorities.

3. I have passed the Higher Secondary Examination with less than 50% marks for Mathematics. I plan to improve my result in the next examination to be held in March 2010. Can I apply for Kerala Engineering Entrance? Am I eligible for admission? I do not have any reservation.

As a General candidate, you should have 50 % marks in Mathematics to become eligible for admission to the Engineering course in addition to other conditions. But this requirement need be satisfied only at the time of admission. As a candidate who is expecting to get an improved mark by appearing again for the qualifying examination, you can provisionally apply for the Entrance Examination. However, if you fail to get the required marks at the time of admission, you will not become eligible for admission to the Engineering course.

4. My father belongs to Muslim Community and mother to Ezhava Community. I am eligible for reservation under SEBC under both categories. Can I apply under both categories as I am not in a position to ascertain as to which reservation is more beneficial. Will I get reservation benefit under both communities?

You cannot apply under two reservation categories under SEBC. If you are interested to be considered under ‘Ezhava’ category, you can choose that. If you are interested in reservation under ‘Muslim’ category, you have the freedom to choose that. The category under which reservation is sought has to be specified in the application which in your case should be either ‘Ezhava’ or ‘Muslim’ and not both. The pattern of admissions in the two categories in previous years can be verified by going through the last rank details of the respective years. But remember that it will be only indicative and that the same pattern need not continue this year also.

5. I belong to OEC category. Should I apply in the General form or in the form for SC/ST?

OEC applicants have to apply in the General form. OEC candidates have to submit the community certificate and the Income certificate from the revenue authorities in the application form itself, if they are to be considered against the un-availed seats of SC/ST category.

6. I belong to OEC Category. MY annual family income exceeds Rs.4,50,000/- and so am not eligible for OEC benefits. Should I submit the Community and Income Certificates in the application form?

Although you are not eligible for OEC benefits, you are eligible for exemption from payment of fee at the Centralized Allotment Process as a candidate belonging to the OEC category. So if you want this benefit, you will have to produce the Community Certificate from Revenue authorities in the application form. If not you will have to remit fee at CAP. If you are interested in any concessions that may be announced by Govt later , based on income, you may give the Income Certificate also in the application from (See Clause 7.5.5 of Prospectus 2010).

7. I have appeared for the B.Sc Examination held in September 2009. Results are yet to be declared. If my result does not come by the last date for applying, can I submit the application and give the results when it comes?

Those applying for the Medical Entrance based on their B.Sc Degree should be qualified at the time of submission of the application and necessary documents in support of this will have to be submitted along with the application. You will have to give copies of your Degree (or Provisional Degree) certificate, mark lists of all parts of the B.Sc, mark list of the Plus Two etc., along with the application.

8. I would like to apply for admission to Architecture course only for 2010. The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations is not conducting any aptitude test. Should I apply now or can I submit the application later?

It is true that the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) is not conducting any aptitude test in Architecture. But if you are interested in being considered for admission to B.Arch Course, you have to apply by purchasing an application form and submit the same to the CEE duly filed up with all necessary documents on or before the last date prescribed now, as in the case of candidates seeking admission to Engineering or Medical or both Courses. Mark lists can be given later before the date prescribed in the Prospectus (5.6.2010 as per Clause 9.7.9 of Prospectus 2010).

9. I have studied Computer Science at Plus Two. I have not studied Chemistry at Plus Two. Can I write the Engineering Entrance Examination?

Those who have studied Computer Science along with Mathematics and Physics at Plus Two level are eligible for admission to Engineering courses. You are eligible for admission to the Engineering Courses, subject to the minimum mark stipulation for that. However, there will not be any questions from Computer Science for the Entrance Examination. There will be 48 questions from Chemistry in Paper I of the Engineering Entrance Examination along with 72 questions from Physics. Here too it is not mandatory that you should attempt questions from Chemistry.

10. I wish to apply for Medical Entrance Examination. I am interested in BAMS course. I have not studied Sanskrit at Plus Two. Am I eligible for admission to BAMS Courses?

Those who have not studied Sanskrit are also eligible for admission to BAMS Course. However, those who have studied Sanskrit as second language at Plus Two, and have submitted proof for it along with the application, will get a weightage of 10 marks while preparing the rank list for admission to BAMS course. This will be added to their marks in the Medical Entrance to arrive at the revised marks for ranking. In case of those who have not studied Sanskrit, their marks in the Medical Entrance alone will be considered for preparing the Ayurveda Rank list.

11. I am planning to write the Medical Entrance. If I do not attend both papers, will I get a rank?

An applicant for the Medical Entrance as well as Engineering Entrance has to attend both papers of the concerned Entrance to become eligible for ranking. Moreover, a candidate (except those belonging to SC/ST categories) has to score a minimum of 10 marks in each paper to become eligible for ranking. There are other stipulations related to marks in Entrance for being considered for MBBS/BDS admissions.

12. I want to write the Engineering Entrance and Medical Entrance. I would also like to apply for admission to the Architecture course. How many applications should I submit?

You should submit only one application. You can show your choices in the ‘Courses Applied’ item in the application. There you can put ‘X’ mark against Medical, Engineering and Architecture. You should also show your choices in the appropriate place in the OMR Sheet.

13. Is DA included in calculation of annual family income for SEBC reservation?

In case of employed persons, Basic Pay and Dearness Allowance will be taken into account for the calculation of annual income. However, HRA will not be considered in the computation of annual income.

14. As per the Prospectus, applicants for admission to B.Arch course should attend NATA and submit the score sheet to the CEE. When does NATA start? How should we apply for that? Is there any examination centre in Kerala?

All these details are given at www.nata.in. You can go through that. NATA for 2010 will be held from 1st March 2010. There will be a Pre- Registration form which is available at the site mentioned. You can download that, fill it up, go to an examination centre of your choice, remit the fee by way of cash/DD as accepted at the test centre, book your date for examination and attend the test. List of Examination Centres in Kerala will also be available in the website. Practice Tests are also available in the site.

15. I am eligible for Reservation under ‘Persons with Disability’ category. But the disability certificate with me is very old. How can I get a new Certificate before submission of the application?

For Medical Courses such as MBBS/BDS, for claiming reservation under ‘Persons with Disability’ category, the applicant has to submit a Medical Certificate of the District Medical Board, obtained within three months prior to the date of submission of the application for Entrance. If your certificate is outdated, you will not get the benefit of this reservation for those courses, for which the date is applicable, if you apply with this certificate. Usually, Director of Medical Education convenes the meeting of the District Medical Boards before the closing date for the submission of applications for Entrance. If so, you can attend that and get a fresh certificate. Anyway, contact the District Hospital or the Director of Medical Education and make a representation at the earliest.

16. What is corroborative evidence? What are the documents accepted in this category?

It is a supporting document to establish the correctness of a claim made. The applicants for KEAM 2010 can get the ‘Keralite’ status on the basis of the place of birth in Kerala of father or mother of the applicant. If an applicant uses this provision, the applicant will have to attach a supporting document along with the application to prove that the birth certificate submitted is that of father or mother of the applicant. No specific documents are identified in the Prospectus which is treated as corroborative evidence. But any document of the Government/Examination Bodies etc., which contains name of father/mother and the applicant showing the relation ship with the applicant, would do. For example, the passport of the applicant shows the names of father and mother of the applicant. This is a corroborative document. The certificate issued by Examination Boards in Class X generally contains the names of father and mother of the applicant and that of the applicant. This can be submitted. 

17. I am an OEC candidate. How many seats are reserved for OEC for MBBS?

OEC category candidates do not have any reservation benefits as such. However, they will be allotted seats lying vacant due to the non-availability of candidates from SC/ST categories for a course. You will have to submit the documents asked for in the Prospectus to be considered for this benefit, along with the application.

18. I was born outside Kerala. But my mother was born at Trivandrum. Her original name is Alice. After marriage, she changed her name as Alice Mathew. Her SSLC shows her name as Alice while in my Passport her name is shown as Alice Mathew. I am applying for ‘Keralite’ status based on my mother’s SSLC but the name in the supporting document to show my relation with her gives her name as Alice Mathew. Will it create any problem?

It might create some problems for you since there is a difference in the name of your mother in the SSLC which is the basic document and copy of the relevant page of Pass Port which is the corroborative evidence to show your relation with her. In this case, it would be better to provide some official evidence with the same name in both- the main document and the corroborative document. If that is not possible, try to get a certificate from the Revenue authorities in Kerala certifying that the person ‘Alice’ in the SSLC and ‘Alice Mathew’ in the Passport (specifying the details given in both documents to identify them) is one and the same person and submit it along with the application.

19. There was news in media that the marks in the qualifying examination will also be counted for determining the rank in the Entrance Examination. Is it being applied this year also?

It is true that such a proposal was made by a committee constituted by the Government to suggest changes in the Entrance Examination system in the state. But no decision on this has been taken so far. This has not been implemented so far. So ranking in KEAM 2010 will be based on marks in the Entrance Examination only.

20. If I get 150 marks in Paper I of the Engineering Entrance and 5 marks in Paper II, will I get a rank?

Try to get the maximum marks for both the papers. You need to get at least 10 marks in each paper to be included in the concerned rank list. So even if you get full marks in a paper, minimum of 10 marks is needed in the other paper also to become eligible for ranking.

21. I had applied for KEAM in 2007,  2008 and 2009.  Can I apply this year also?

There is no limit on the number of chances a candidate can apply for KEAM now. So you can apply this time also.

22. I have applied for KEAM 2010. How can I know if my application has been received in the office of the CEE?

One way of knowing it is through the Acknowledgement Card you would get from the CEE office if you have sent the application with Acknowledgment Due Card. Usually, CEE publishes in the official website, the applications that have been received in the office. This may start when the rush of applications start. So wait for some time. You can expect the details in the website.

23. My father belongs to Scheduled Caste and my mother belongs to the Ezhava category. Will I get SC reservation or Ezhava reservation?

The provision related to the grant of SC status to children of Inter-Caste married parents is governed by various sub- clauses under Clause 5.4.3  in the Prospectus 2010. The competent authority to issue the community certificate will examine the admissibility of the claim and do the needful. In case you are not eligible for SC reservation, you will be granted Ezhava reservation benefit based on the Inter-Caste marriage certificate you submit from the revenue authorities (See Clause 5.4.2).

24. I did my schooling outside the country. Certificate from the Institution attended for the qualifying course is to be submitted in the application form. It may be difficult to get the certificate since I am now in Kerala. Is there any solution to this?

Prospectus conditions are binding on all applicants. So it is the responsibility of the applicant to submit the documents called for as per the rules. You will have to find a solution for this.

25. I have not filled up certain items under ‘Statistics’ in the OMR Application form. Will there be any problem?

All columns are to be filled up as each one is intended for a specific purpose. But then it does not have a direct bearing on the eligibility of a candidate or the claims of a candidate. So there may not be a problem just because of this. But it would always be better to give all the details called for.

26. Can I get the question papers of Kerala Entrance of previous years?

Question Papers of Kerala Entrance are not being sold from any agency or from the Office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations. But the question papers will be available with students who have taken the examination, since the question papers are returned to the students after the examination. If you can get in touch with your friends who had attended the Kerala Entrance in previous years, you can get the question paper from them. State Institute of Educational Technology has prepared the ‘’Entrance Top Winner CDs’. Engineering/Medical CDs based on the question papers of previous years are being sold by them. The Show room can be contacted over 0471 2301249. This portal also carries old question papers.

27. If I apply for both Engineering and Medical and write only the Engineering Entrance, will I be disqualified for Medical?

If you attend only the Medical Entrance and qualify in that you will be included in the Medical Rank list.

28. How much mark will be lost if a question is not answered correctly?

As per Clause 9.4.4 of Prospectus 2010, it is given as half a mark. But this has been changed to 1 mark subsequently. So if the answer given by you to a question is not correct, you will lose one mark.