Concerned about your child’s performance on college entrance exams? Cracking a competitive examination isn’t just about putting in hard work but also studying smart, starting preparations at the right time, implementing the most effective strategies, and performing your best on the day of the exam. Read on to find the list of stream-wise competitive examinations for intermediate students below. Also, discover tips on how to prepare for any entrance exams.
Major Competitive Exams After Grade 12
| Stream | Examination Details | Objective |
| PCM (Engineering) | 1. Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main
2. JEE Advanced
3. BITSAT entrance exam for admission to Birla Institute campuses 4. State-level eng. entrance exams 5. Independent college entrance exams |
Screening exam for JEE advanced entrances
For admission to B. Tech., B.E., B. Arch., etc., in IIT & NIT colleges For pursuing UG eng. & sci. Studies at campuses in Hyderabad, Pilani &Goa E.g., Karnataka CET For B.Tech. courses at AMU, IPU, Manipal University, VITEEE, etc. |
| PCB (Medical) | 1. NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)
2. COMED-K (in Karnataka) |
For admission to MBBS & BDS colleges
For admission to dental, medical & eng. colleges |
| PCB (Biotech & Research)
PCM with Biotech |
1. AIBTCET by Dr. DYP Uni., Pune
2. CUBEB for admission to central universities 3. Exams conducted by independent universities |
For enrolling in B.Tech., B.Tech. Medical & M.Tech Integrated courses
5-year integrated biotechnology courses For admission to Annamalai & Jamia Milia University. |
| PCM/PCB (For scientific research) | 1. KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana)
2. NEST (National Entrance Screening Test) for UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai, NISER Bhubaneswar & ISERC |
Scholarship to pursue basic science programmes
For admission to various undergraduate science programmes |
| PCM (For defence & navy services) | 1. NDA (National Defence Academy & Naval Academy)
2. TES (Technical Entry Scheme) for Indian Army 3. INBES (B.Tech. Entry Scheme) by Indian Navy 4. IMU CET (common entrance test for merchant navy) for government colleges |
For defence training
For technical courses in the army For defence engineering courses For graduation in nautical science or marine engineering |
| PCM (Design, Architecture & Fashion) | 1. AIEED (All Indian Entrance Examination For Design)
2. NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) 3. NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) by NIASA 4. NID (National Institute of Design Admissions) 5. UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design) 6. CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology) |
For enrolling in a 4 yr. UG level Design programme.
Fashion designing courses at NIFT campuses For UG architecture courses in colleges For design courses at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, etc. For design courses at IIT-B, IIT-G, and IIITDM Jabalpur. For design & env. Planning course in Gujarat |
| Commerce | 1. DU-JAT by Delhi University
2. NMIMS-NPAT by Narsee Monjee Inst. of Management Studies 3. SET by Symbiosis University, Pune |
For BBA, BMS (Management) & BA (H) in economics
For enrollment in B.Sc. or BBA (Finance) courses For various management courses |
| Law | 1. CLAT (common entrances for law colleges)
2. AILET (All Indian Law Entrance Test) for govt. colleges |
For honours law and commerce courses (B.Com., B.A.-LL.B, BBA-LL.B, etc.)
For L.L.M., B.A. & LL.B.(H) courses |
| Arts (Humanities) | 1. HSEE (by IIT Madras)
2. BHU entrance exams 3. TISS-BAT for humanities & social science courses |
For SST UG-level courses
For B.A. courses For enrollment at TATA college campuses |
Besides these, there are other exams conducted by independent colleges for mass media, hotel management, and business administration courses.
Tips To Crack An Entrance Exam
- Know Everything About The Exam
Gather as much information as you can from newspapers, official college or government websites, teachers, career counsellors, or seniors to be aware of the chosen field, its scope, and eligibility criteria. It helps you prepare an effective study plan for the exam.
- Set Up A Schedule
Make a plan highlighting your short-term & long-term goals (e.g., topics you wish to cover on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis), the number of study hours (including self-study & coaching), and breaks. It’s also important to have a dedicated study space to avoid distraction. If you find yourself getting astray, make sure you revisit your original objective of taking the exam.
- Organise Study Material
Collect study materials that are relevant to your goals, like books, reference guides, mock test papers, notes, etc. Thoroughly study the basic concepts and make crisp notes, flowcharts, flashcards, etc. for last moment revisions.
- Practise Deliberately
Solve as many questions as you can and practise answer-writing as you finish each chapter. The initial focus should be on strengthening the concepts you’ve learned, not on getting maximum marks. Practising mock test papers in a time-bound manner would increase your speed & accuracy and eliminate last-moment pressure or exam fear. Regular practice will automatically boost your score.
- Focus On Your Mental Well-being
Being dedicated towards study doesn’t mean you’ve to compromise on your lifestyle and social commitments. Do remember to make room for leisure, exercise, and self-reflection in your schedule. It’s important to connect with friends, have family discussions, and participate in celebrations to unwind and relax. Balancing studies with ‘me time’ and healthy recreation will help you achieve goals faster.
We, at Ekya Schools, believe in creating a stimulating, and nurturing environment where students ‘live their lessons’ every day inside classrooms and gain valuable insights from experiential learning. Our initiatives like career camps, alumni interactions, work exposure programmes, college and career guidance, etc., are designed to prepare students for their future. Read more about college and career guidance at Ekya.
