Which Entrance Exam Should You Take After Class 12? UG Admission Guide for India.

Are You in Class 12? Know Which Entrance Exams You Need for College Admission in India

Choosing a college entrance exam can feel confusing when every course seems to have a different name and application process. The first thing to know is that there is no single entrance exam for all college admissions in India. The exams you may need depend on your Class 12 subjects, the course you want to study, the college and its admission rules.

Some universities use national entrance tests, some use state-level or university-level exams, and some offer admission based on Class 12 marks or another selection process. So before filling out an application, shortlist your course and colleges first.

Start with your course and Class 12 subjects

• PCM: Engineering, architecture, planning, some science courses, and maritime programmes.
• PCB: Medicine, dentistry, AYUSH, pharmacy and some science courses.
• Commerce or any stream: Many arts, commerce, law, management and general undergraduate courses. Some programmes have specific subject requirements.
• Any stream with a creative portfolio or aptitude: Design and fashion programmes may have their own tests and further selection stages.

These are starting points, not universal eligibility rules. Always check the latest course prospectus for the subjects, marks and age requirements.

Entrance exams by course

Engineering and technology

• JEE Main: Used for admission routes to many engineering colleges and for qualifying to appear for JEE Advanced. Paper 2A is for B.Arch and Paper 2B is for B.Planning.
• JEE Advanced: The entrance route for IIT undergraduate programmes. Students must first meet the JEE Main qualification rules.
• GUJCET: An important Gujarat entrance route for eligible engineering and pharmacy admissions through the applicable state process.
• Other institute or state exams: Depending on the college, students may also consider BITSAT, VITEEE, SRMJEEE, MET, COMEDK UGET, KIITEE, AEEE, MHT-CET, KCET, KEAM, AP EAPCET or TS EAPCET.

Medicine and health sciences

• NEET UG: The national entrance exam used for MBBS and several other medical and AYUSH undergraduate admissions. Check the current official bulletin for the courses covered, eligibility and counselling rules.

Arts, commerce, science and other general degrees

• CUET UG: Used by participating central, state, deemed and private universities for selected undergraduate programmes. Universities decide which subjects and eligibility rules apply to each course.
• University admission: Some colleges may use Class 12 marks, their own application process, an interview or a separate entrance test. Check each university’s admission page.

Law

• CLAT UG: The entrance test for undergraduate law programmes at participating National Law Universities and other institutions that accept CLAT.
• AILET: The entrance route for selected law programmes at National Law University Delhi.
• SLAT: Used for law programmes at participating Symbiosis institutes. Check the current selection process with the institute.

Management and business programmes

• IPMAT Indore and IPMAT Rohtak: Entrance routes for the respective five-year integrated management programmes.
• JIPMAT: Used for integrated management admissions at participating institutes, including IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu.
• NPAT and SET: Options for selected undergraduate management and other programmes. Eligibility and selection stages vary by course and campus.

Architecture and planning

• NATA: An entrance route for B.Arch programmes at participating institutions.
• JEE Main Paper 2A: For B.Arch admission routes that accept the paper.
• JEE Main Paper 2B: For B.Planning admission routes that accept the paper.

Design and fashion

• NIFT/NIFTEE: For selected undergraduate fashion and design programmes.
• NID DAT: For undergraduate design programmes at participating NID campuses.
• UCEED: For B.Des admission at participating institutes. Check the current participating-institute list and eligibility rules.

Science and research

• IISER Aptitude Test (IAT): For undergraduate science and research programmes at IISERs and other participating institutions.
• NEST: For integrated science programmes at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS.
• ISI Admission Test and CMI Entrance: Specialised options for students interested in mathematics, statistics, computer science and related subjects.

Other specialised courses

• NCHM JEE: For participating hospitality and hotel management programmes. Check the English and other eligibility requirements.
• IMU-CET: For selected maritime programmes. Some courses have medical fitness requirements.
• Agriculture: Some universities use CUET or a notified ICAR admission route. The process differs by university and admission year.
• NDA & NA: UPSC’s defence entry exam for eligible candidates. Subject requirements differ across Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Academy routes, and selection includes further stages.

What should you do now?

1. Choose two or three courses you may want to study.
2. Write down your Class 12 subjects and check each course’s eligibility.
3. Make a shortlist of colleges and check which exams each one accepts.
4. Note application deadlines, exam dates and counselling steps in one calendar.
5. Apply only through the official exam or university website, and recheck notices before submitting a form.

Important for the 2026–27 admission cycle: Dates in entrance-exam planning sheets may be estimates. For example, the official CLAT 2027 instructions list the exam on 6 December 2026 and an application deadline of 31 October 2026. Other exam dates and rules can differ by authority and may be updated, so use the official notification for the exam you plan to take.

Official exam links: JEE Main | JEE Advanced | NEET UG | CUET UG | GUJCET | CLAT 2027 | AILET | SLAT and SET | NATA | NIFT | NID | UCEED | IISER Admissions | NEST | UPSC.

Updated 3 October 2026. This guide introduces major entrance routes listed in the GEG UG Entrance Exams 2026–27 workbook. It is not a complete list of every college-specific test. Confirm current eligibility, exam pattern, dates and admission procedures with the relevant official authority.