Entrance tests for students of all pre-university streams to try

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) are the most popular entrance examinations that only science candidates are eligible to attempt. Here are some of the exams that can be enrolled for all 10+2/ XII/ PUC students of the science, humanities and commerce streams nationwide.

Common University Entrance Test (CUET): The National Testing Agency (NTA) will administer the CUET (UG-24) online test between May 15 and 31, 2024. The notification is expected to be out in the first week of February 2024. The CUET scores apply for undergraduate admissions in 44 central universities, more than a 100 private universities, deemed-to-be universities and other institutions. Those who have passed Class 12 can apply.

Under Graduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED): Admission to Bachelor of Design Programmes at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad and IIT Jodhpur are facilitated through the UCEED, conducted by IIT Bombay. Many private and deemed-to-be universities are subscribing to the UCEED scores list. All students who have passed XII or have appeared in 2024 Board Examinations for the first time are eligible to appear for the UCEED 2024 test.

Common Law Admission Test (CLAT): The CLAT is a national-level entrance test for undergraduate Integrated Law (LLB) programmes offered by 22 national law universities in India. Several affiliated universities, including BITS Pilani Law School, use the CLAT scores to select the new intake. The 2024 CLAT is more student-friendly. There are 120 questions of 1 mark each in a multiple-choice (MCQ) pattern with negative marks (0.25%). English language and current affairs are tested, along with general knowledge, legal reasoning, logical reasoning and quantitative techniques.

Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT): It is a national-level admission test for integrated management programmes offered by IIM Indore, IIM Ranchi, and other famous management institutes. The registration for IPMAT–24 starts in February/March 2024. Those XII students securing above 60% are eligible for the test. It is a two-hour online test with an MCQ pattern. IIM Indore is the conducting agency of this test.

Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT): The NTA has been authorised to conduct JIPMAT 2024. This test is for admission to 5 years integrated programme in Management at IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu. The JIPMAT-2024 comprises MCQs in quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, logical reasoning, verbal ability and reading comprehension.

National Council for Hotel Management: Joint Entrance Examination (NCHM JEE). The National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India that conducts hospitality management education in India. The Hotel Management institutes affiliated to NCHMT after BSc in hospitality and hotel administration courses, which many institutions/universities, including JNU, recognise the scores. 

Teacher Education Courses: These include BA.Ed, B.Sc Ed conducted by National Council for Teacher Education. This undergraduate programme is a four-year integrated course. Regional Institute of Education (RIEs) governed by NCERT, central / state universities and other institutes, including IITs, NITs and many autonomous colleges, refer to the NCTE scores for admissions.

National Defence Academy & Naval Academy (NDA and NA): The national defence entrance exam is conducted by UPSC in India. This entrance test is for recruiting persons in the Army, Navy and Air Force Wings of NDA. All unmarried youngsters (both genders) having XII pass certification are eligible for this test. This exam is conducted twice a year and has two stages, i.e., written and interview. NDA notification for 2024 intake is expected to be released in the second or third week of December 2023.

Integrated BPEd programme: Many central, state, private and deemed-to-be Universities offer integrated Bachelor of Physical Education programmes. The National Sports University is offering sports coaching courses. These are all four years of integrated BPEd programmes.

Besides the tests mentioned above, many universities such as MAHE, Azim Premji, CUSAT, Chanakya, Christ and PES conduct entrance tests for diversified and new-generation innovative UG programmes. Most of these higher education institutions are expected to release their admission notifications in the forthcoming days. (November 2023–March 2024)

(The author is the Principal of Coorg Public School & Pre-University College)

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