PGCET exam to proceed on June 22 despite clashes with university exams, students stressed

MANGALURU – Thousands of students across Karnataka are facing uncertainty and stress as the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has decided to go ahead with the PGCET (MBA/MCA) entrance exams on June 22, despite repeated requests for a date change due to clashing university exams.

This year, 33,475 MBA and 18,743 MCA aspirants are scheduled to appear for the exam. However, end-semester exams are currently ongoing at over 65 state universities, including Bangalore University, Mangalore University, and the University of Mysore, creating a scheduling conflict for many final-year undergraduate students.

KEA Executive Director H Prasanna defended the decision, stating, “There is no change in date. Exams are happening throughout the year across Karnataka. We are conducting the PGCET on Sunday, June 22.”

Students had launched an online signature campaign on Change.org requesting a postponement, citing overlapping exam dates and the difficulty of managing two distinct syllabi. A final-year BCA student expressed concern: “I don’t know whether to prepare for PGCET or my degree exams. Both are important.”

At Bangalore University, BCA exams end on June 16, BBA on June 30, and BCom on June 27. At Mangalore University and other institutions, several UG exams run as late as July 15.

Another student noted: “The PGCET syllabus is entirely different from our degree syllabus. Managing both at the same time is overwhelming.”

Despite mounting pressure, KEA remains firm on its schedule, leaving students to juggle priorities under mounting academic pressure. Calls for better coordination between university schedules and competitive exams continue to grow louder.