Nayagam PP, career coach and founder of Edujob360, lists the top entrance exams, their timelines, syllabus and simple preparation tips to help you succeed.
Finishing Class 12 can be a huge turning point for every Indian student.
Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with the many options ahead -- engineering, medicine, arts, commerce, top universities and professional courses.
With a large number of applicants for limited seats in the best colleges, for most students, the answer lies in national-level entrance exams.
Nayagam PP, career coach and founder of Edujob360, offers a list of the top entrance exams, their timelines, eligibility criteria, exam patterns and preparation strategies to help you plan the year ahead.
Engineering Entrance Exams 2026
JEE Main 2026 (Joint Entrance Exam)
The gateway to premier engineering institutions across India, JEE Main conducts two sessions.
Session 1 will be held from January 21-30, 2026, while Session 2 is scheduled for April 1 to 10, 2026.
Registration for Session 1 took place in October-November 2025, with a November 27, 2025, deadline.
The exam is computer-based, testing mathematics, physics and chemistry with a mix of MCQ (multiple choice questions) and numerical questions.
The difficulty level is moderate to high, requiring a minimum of 12 to 15 months of focused preparation.
The exam duration is three hours per paper.
JEE Advanced
Following IIT-JEE Main, this prestigious exam determines admission into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The notifications will be out in May 2026, with exams scheduled for June 2026.
The exam pattern includes physics, chemistry and mathematics, with each paper lasting three hours.
Candidates must rank among the top 2.5 lakh students of JEE Main to be eligible.
BITSAT 2026 (Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test)
The Birla Institute of Technology's entrance test will be conducted in two sessions in May and June 2026.
Registration starts in January and closes around mid-April 2026.
This computer-based exam tests physics, chemistry, mathematics, English proficiency and logical reasoning.
The duration is three hours for 130 questions.
The difficulty level is moderate, requiring consistent subject mastery rather than mere memorisation.
VITEEE 2026 (Vellore Institute of Technology Engineering Entrance Examination)
The Vellore Institute of Technology will conduct its entrance exam in multiple phases.
The online application process started on October 24, 2025. March 31, 2026, is the last date to apply for the exam.
The test covers physics, chemistry, mathematics and English comprehension through 130 multiple choice questions.
This exam will last 2.5 hours and is important for students seeking quality engineering education with regular exposure to industry practices.
COMEDK UGET 2026 (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka-Undergraduate Entrance Test)
For engineering colleges in Karnataka and other southern states, the notification for COMEDK UGET will release in February 2026; the examination will be held in May 2026.
The registration window will be open between February and March 2026.
The test comprises 180 MCQs (60 each from physics, chemistry and mathematics) and will be conducted in three hours.
The difficulty level is moderate; the focus is on concept clarity.
State Level Engineering Entrance Exams
For students who have appeared/completed Class 12, there are various state-level engineering entrance exams like AP EAMCET (Andhra Pradesh), TS EAMCET (Telangana), KCET (Karnataka), MHT-CET (Maharashtra), GUJCET (Gujarat), WBJEE (West Bengal), KEAM (Kerala), CG PET (Chhattisgarh), ASSAM CEE (Assam), TJEE (Tripura), HPCET (Himachal Pradesh), and others.
Notifications for most of these exams will be out between January and February 2026; the exams will be held between April and May 2026.
The syllabus for state-level engineering entrance exams includes 10+2 physics, chemistry and mathematics.
The difficulty will be board-level to moderately above.
Admission to colleges will be via centralised counselling.
While preparing for your engineering career, do be aware that several states now prefer JEE Main and state counselling results instead of separate common entrance tests.
The duration for these exams -- which will primarily test you on board-aligned content -- will be three hours with questions in MCQ format.
Medical Entrance Exams 2026
NEET UG 2026 (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test -- Undergraduate)
The sole gateway to bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS), bachelor of dental surgery (BDS), bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery (BAMS), bachelor of Unani medicine and surgery (BUMS) and bachelor of homoeopathic medicine and surgery (BHMS) programmes across India -- NEET -- will be conducted on May 3, 2026 (first Sunday of May), with registration opening in February 2026 and closing in early March.
To be eligible, you have to be in class 12 in the science stream.
The offline (pen-and-paper) exam has 180 questions (90 biology, 45 physics, 45 chemistry) to be answered in three hours.
The difficulty level is moderate to high, with high competition due to the approximately 15-16 lakh aspirants competing for a limited number of seats. Negative marking applies (-1 mark per incorrect answer).
AFMC Examination
The Armed Forces Medical College entrance is merit-based; admission depends on your NEET scores. Candidates must be Indian citizens, physically fit and medically cleared. The exam has a moderate difficulty level, focusing on core medical science concepts.
Law Entrance Exams 2026
CLAT 2026
The Common Law Admission Test provides entry to 24 national law universities (NLUs). Notification for the exam is expected in July 2026. The application window will be closed in October 2026.
The two-hour CLAT will be held in December 2026 in offline mode; those taking the exam will have to answer 120 MCQs.
The difficulty is moderate; the exam will test you in English, legal aptitude, numerical ability, reasoning and general knowledge.
AILET 2026 (All India Law Entrance Test)
The National Law University Delhi conducts this exam independently.
The notification for AILET will be out in June 2026.
Interested and eligible students can apply between August and November 2026.
The exam will tentatively be held in December 2026. The test format is similar to CLAT with slightly different subject emphasis.
The duration of the exam is 90 minutes.
SLAT (Symbiosis Law Admission Test)
The SLAT provides entry to Symbiosis Law Schools across multiple cities.
Registration typically begins August-September 2026, while the exam will be held in October 2026.
The duration of exam is two to three hours.
There will be 150 MCQs.
The difficulty is moderate, with balanced emphasis on legal thinking and English language skills.
Management Entrance Exams 2026
The All India Management Association Under Graduate Aptitude Test (AIMA UGAT) 2026
It offers admission to BBA, BCom and integrated MBA programmes across various reputed institutes.
UGAT assesses general knowledge, numerical skills, English proficiency and logical reasoning.
The exam is conducted annually, with registrations typically opening in late December and exams held mid-year.
Other notable UG management entrance exams include NMIMS-NPAT (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies' National Test for Programmes After Twelfth), IPMAT (Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test,) for integrated programmes at certain IIMs like Indore, Rohtak, Ranchi, Jammu and Bodh Gaya and DU JAT (Delhi University Joint Admission Test) for Delhi University-affiliated colleges.
CUET UG 2026
The Common University Entrance Test provides admission to undergraduate programmes across 200+ central and state universities including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The notification for CUET UG 2026 will be issued in February 2026.
Registration is March 2026 and the exam will be held between May and June 2026.
The test comprises three sections (language, domain subjects, general aptitude) with 50 questions each, conducted in three-hour slots across three sittings.
Each correct answer scores five marks, with 1-mark deduction for incorrect responses.
The difficulty level is moderate for this computer-based exam.
CA Foundation (Chartered Accountant)
Registration for the CA exam will begin February-March 2026; the exam that will be held in May 2026.
The duration of the exam is two hours per paper (four papers total). This foundational course is essential for anyone pursuing chartered accountancy.
How to prepare for entrance exams
1. Create a strategic timeline. Mark all notification dates, application deadlines, exam dates and result declaration dates. Plan your preparation backwards from exam dates.
2. Download official syllabus documents. Understand the weightage of each topic. Create subject-wise study schedules allocating time proportional to topic weightage.
3. Develop clarity of concepts. Rather than memorising, focus on understanding fundamental concepts. Solve conceptual problems before attempting competitive exam questions.
4. Take regular mocks. Take practice tests weekly, mimicking actual exam conditions. Analyse performance, identify weak areas and revise accordingly.
5. Focus on time management. Practise speed without sacrificing accuracy. Most exams reward completing maximum questions correctly within the given timeframe.
6. Maintain consistent sleep (seven to eight hours). Exercise regularly. Practice meditation or yoga to manage examination anxiety.
7. Join coaching programmes or online courses from recognised educators to clarify doubts promptly.
8. Study past papers to understand question patterns, difficulty trends and commonly tested topics.
9. Allocate 20 to 30 per cent preparation time for revision. Build a personal formula sheet or notes for quick review.
10. Maintain consistency. Success in entrance exams is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistent daily effort yields superior results compared to irregular intense bursts of studying.
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