Guide for class 10 students
Entrance Exams and Scholarships to Know in Class 11 and 12
You don't need to sit any of these in class 10. This page is a map of the main entrance exams and scholarships you will hear about in class 11 and 12, and roughly when each happens, so nothing surprises you.
A typical year at a glance
January
JEE Main, UCEED, NID DAT
February
NIFT entrance
March
NATA
April
JEE Main, NDA and NA, NATA, NCHM JEE
May
JEE Advanced, BITSAT, NEET UG, CUET UG, NATA, NCHM JEE
June
JEE Advanced, BITSAT, CUET UG, NATA
September
NDA and NA
December
CLAT (UG), AILET, NID DAT
The exams, one by one
JEE Main
National Testing Agency (NTA)B.Tech / B.E. at NITs, IIITs and many other colleges, B.Arch (Paper 2), and the first step to JEE Advanced. Needs PCM.
Usually two sessions, in January and April.
Official site: jeemain.nta.nic.in
JEE Advanced
The IITs (a different IIT runs it each year)B.Tech and other courses at the IITs. Only students who do well enough in JEE Main can sit it.
Usually in May or June, a few weeks after JEE Main.
Official site: jeeadv.ac.in
BITSAT
BITS PilaniB.E. and other courses at the BITS campuses. Needs PCM (or PCB for B.Pharm).
Usually between May and June.
Official site: bitsadmission.com
NEET UG
National Testing Agency (NTA)MBBS, BDS, AYUSH courses (BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS), veterinary science and some nursing and allied courses. Needs PCB.
Usually in early May.
Official site: neet.nta.nic.in
CUET UG
National Testing Agency (NTA)Undergraduate courses at central universities and many state, private and deemed universities. Open to every stream.
Usually between May and June.
Official site: cuet.nta.nic.in
NDA and NA
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)Officer training at the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy. You can apply while in class 12. The Army wing accepts any stream; the Air Force and Navy wings need Physics and Maths.
Twice a year, usually in April and September.
Official site: upsc.gov.in
CLAT (UG)
Consortium of National Law UniversitiesFive-year integrated law courses (such as BA LL.B) at the National Law Universities and others that use its scores. Open to every stream.
Usually in December of class 12, for admission the next year.
Official site: consortiumofnlus.ac.in
AILET
National Law University DelhiLaw courses at NLU Delhi, which runs its own test instead of CLAT.
Usually in December.
Official site: nludelhi.ac.in
NATA
Council of ArchitectureB.Arch admissions. Needs Maths in class 12.
Several attempts a year, usually between March and June.
Official site: nata.in
UCEED
IIT BombayB.Des at several IITs and other institutes that use its scores. Open to every stream.
Usually in January.
Official site: uceed.iitb.ac.in
NID DAT
National Institute of DesignB.Des at the NID campuses. Open to every stream.
The first stage is usually in December or January.
Official site: admissions.nid.edu
NIFT entrance
National Institute of Fashion TechnologyB.Des and B.F.Tech at the NIFT campuses. B.Des is open to every stream; B.F.Tech needs Maths.
Usually in February.
Official site: nift.ac.in
NCHM JEE
National Testing Agency (NTA)B.Sc Hospitality and Hotel Administration at the Institutes of Hotel Management. Open to every stream.
Usually in April or May.
Official site: exams.nta.nic.in
Professional courses like Chartered Accountancy (icai.org) hold their entry exams more than once a year, and many states run their own engineering, medical and other entrance tests.
Olympiads (for students who love a challenge)
The Indian Science and Maths Olympiads are optional, and many students take part just for the fun of hard problems. They are run with the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, and the first stages are usually in the second half of the year: the maths stage around September and the science stages around November. See olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in.
Scholarships to know about
- National Scholarship Portal: one place to apply for many central and state government scholarships, including ones for class 11 and 12 and for college. Applications open for a few months each academic year: scholarships.gov.in.
- NMMSS (National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship): students are selected in class 8. If you already have it, it can continue through class 12 when you renew it each year on the National Scholarship Portal.
- INSPIRE scholarship (SHE): for students who do very well in class 12 and go on to study the basic and natural sciences: online-inspire.gov.in.
- Your state: most states have their own scholarships for school and college students. Ask your school office or check your state's scholarship portal.
Exams you may hear about that are not running
- NTSE (National Talent Search Examination): not held since 2021. Check ncert.nic.in for any update, and ignore sites that charge to “register” you for it.
- KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana): discontinued in 2022 and merged into INSPIRE.
Questions students ask
- When should I start preparing for entrance exams?
- Class 11 is a good time to find out which exams fit your plans and read their syllabus. Most of these exams are taken in class 12 or just after it, and much of the syllabus is what you study in school anyway.
- Is NTSE still held?
- No. NCERT has not held the National Talent Search Examination since 2021 while the scheme is reviewed, and has not announced its return. Any news would appear on ncert.nic.in.
- What happened to KVPY?
- The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana was discontinued in 2022 and merged into the Department of Science and Technology's INSPIRE scheme, which supports students who study the basic and natural sciences.
- Do I need an agent to register for an exam?
- No. Register only on the exam's official website, and pay fees only there. Be careful with sites or people who ask for money to register you or promise a seat.