Entrance Exams After 12th in India (2025-26)

Engineering Entrance Exams

JEE Main: National exam by NTA for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Held twice (January and April). Syllabus: PCM Class 11+12. 90 MCQs + numerical questions in 3 hours. 1.2–1.3 million candidates annually.

JEE Advanced: Conducted by IITs for IIT admission. Only top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers are eligible. Significantly harder than JEE Main. Two 3-hour papers.

BITSAT: BITS Pilani's own entrance exam for Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses. Online computer-based test. Physics + Chemistry + Maths + English + Logical Reasoning. 130 questions in 3 hours.

VITEEE: VIT University entrance exam. Online, covers PCM and English. Large intake (12,000+ seats across campuses).

SRMJEE: SRM Institute's entrance exam. Online, large intake.

State Engineering Exams: MHT-CET (Maharashtra), KCET (Karnataka), TNEAMAT (Tamil Nadu — rank-based, no separate exam), AP EAMCET (Andhra Pradesh), TS EAMCET (Telangana), KEAM (Kerala), WBJEE (West Bengal), OJEE (Odisha), UPCET (Uttar Pradesh), BCECE (Bihar).

Medical Entrance Exams

NEET UG: The single national exam for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BSMS, BVSc and nursing admissions across all government and private medical colleges in India (and abroad for Indian students). Conducted by NTA. 720 marks (Physics 180 + Chemistry 180 + Biology 360). Around 2 million candidates. Date: typically first Sunday of May.

AIIMS and JIPMER: Previously separate, now merged into NEET — these institutes also admit through NEET scores.

AFMC Pune (Armed Forces Medical College): Separate written exam + SSB interview for MBBS at AFMC. Requires NEET qualification + merit. Bonds to serve in armed forces after graduation.

State AYUSH exams: Some states have separate entrance for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) programmes alongside NEET.

Law Entrance Exams

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test): National exam for BA LLB (5-year) and LLM at National Law Universities (NLUs). Consortium of NLUs conducts it. Syllabus: English, Current Affairs + GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques. 150 questions in 2 hours.

AILET: NLU Delhi's own entrance — separate from CLAT. NLU Delhi (Rank 1 NLU) admits through AILET. 150 questions, 1.5 hours.

LPU NEST, SLAT (Symbiosis Law Aptitude Test): Private law colleges.

DU LLB entrance: Delhi University's 3-year LLB entrance exam (for law after graduation).

MH CET Law: Maharashtra state-level for law colleges in Maharashtra.

Design and Fine Arts Entrance Exams

NIFT Entrance Test: National Institute of Fashion Technology admission test for B.Des, B.FTech programmes across 18 NIFT campuses. Three components: Creative Ability Test (CAT), General Ability Test (GAT), and Situation Test (for B.Des).

NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test): National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad and other campuses. Preliminary + Mains + Studio test. Highly competitive; tests creativity, observation and design thinking.

UCEED: Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design — for B.Des at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IISc. Part A (computer-based aptitude) + Part B (drawing). Admission to IIT design programmes.

CEED: Postgraduate equivalent of UCEED (for M.Des).

Pearl Academy Entrance: Private design college with own test.

MIT Institute of Design (Pune): Own entrance exam.

Management and BBA Entrance Exams

IPMAT (IIM Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test): For IPM — 5-year integrated BBA+MBA at IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak and other IIMs. Quantitative Ability + Verbal Ability. Highly competitive — IIM brand directly after Class 12.

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test): For students targeting universities in the USA and some Indian institutions.

JAT (Joint Admission Test) / BMS entrance: Colleges offering BMS in Mumbai (DU BMS is merit-based; Mumbai colleges have college-level tests).

IPU CET: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test for BBA and other programmes in Delhi/NCR.

DU JAT: Delhi University Joint Admission Test for BBA(FIA), B.Com Hons etc. Replaced by CUET from 2022.

Defence and Government Entrance Exams

NDA (National Defence Academy): For 10+2 pass students to join Army, Navy and Air Force as officer cadets after 3 years at NDA Khedakasla. UPSC conducts NDA exam twice a year. Written exam (Maths + GAT) + SSB interview.

Air Force Agniveer: Short-service recruitment (4 years) for technical and non-technical roles in the Indian Air Force. Written + physical + medical.

CDS (Combined Defence Services): For graduation-level candidates — only NDA is for Class 12 students.

Merchant Navy (IMU CET): Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test for B.Sc Nautical Science, B.Tech Marine Engineering etc. Science stream required.

Police (State exams): Constable and sub-inspector recruitment exams at state level — Class 12 pass is typically the minimum.

Railway (RRB NTPC, Group D): Class 12 eligible for many RRB posts.

Other Major Entrance Exams

Hotel Management (NCHM JEE): National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Exam for B.Sc Hospitality and Hotel Administration. Conducted by NTA. Any stream eligible.

JECRC / Architecture: JEE Paper 2 (B.Arch) for architecture admissions at NITs and other colleges. NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) for other architecture colleges.

CA Foundation: ICAI's entry test for Chartered Accountancy. Any stream eligible after Class 12. Marks-based, twice a year.

CS Foundation (CSEET): Company Secretary foundation. Any stream after Class 12.

CUET UG: For central university undergraduate admissions (DU, JNU, BHU and 250+ others). All streams. Replaced board-mark-based admissions from 2022.