Competitive exams after Class 12 – What will you pursue after Class 12? This is one of the most common questions that every student who is appearing for or has passed Class 12 comes across. While most of you must have decided your career options, some of you might still be struggling with making a choice. In both the situations, you must know that a world full of opportunities awaits you. However, no matter what stream or field of study you select, you have to qualify various competitive exams after Class 12.
Which are the key competitive exams for Class 12 passed students? Who conducts these examinations? What is the mode of these examinations? How can students apply for them? What is the application fee applicable? How many times can a student appear for them? Get answers to all these questions in detail by reading further.
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Engineering
Engineering is considered as one of the most sought-after courses for students after Class 12. The students who opt for the PCM stream in Class 12, generally look up for Engineering courses at undergraduate level. These students need to sit for various national or state level entrance examinations to get admission into top engineering institutions. Some of the most prominent engineering entrance examinations include JEE (Main and Advanced), BITSAT, COMEDK, VITEEE, etc. Read further to know more about these examinations in detail.
Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main
JEE Main exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for Class 12 passed students who wish to pursue BTech/BArch/B.Planning courses at elite institutions like NITs, IITs, CFTIs, and others. It is an eligibility test for the coveted JEE Advanced test which is considered as the gateway for admission to IITs. The students fulfilling the eligibility criteria can appear for this examination for three consecutive years. For JEE (Mains) 2021, the examination will be conducted 4 times in a year.
JEE Main – Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For BTech/BArch/B.Planning aspirants |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed or appearing students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application Fee | Up to INR 1,300 (in India) and up to INR 6,000 (for Outside India) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Online (Computer-based Test) mode |
| 8. | Number of attempts allowed | 3 consecutive years |
| 9. | Exam date | 1st attempt – February (23, 24, 25, and 26 February 2021)
2nd attempt – March (15, 16, 17, and 18 March 2021) 3rd attempt – April (27, 28, 29, and 30 April 2021) 4th attempt – May (24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 May 2021) |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 3 hours |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
JEE Advanced
JEE Advanced is the second phase of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for Class 12 passed students who have qualified JEE Mains exam and are willing to get admission in one of the IITs. Candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria can appear for this exam. For 2021, the examination will be conducted in the month of July and there will be relaxation in the eligibility criteria, keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The table below provides a detailed overview of the exam for your reference.
JEE Advanced – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | JEE Advanced |
| 2. | Conducted by | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission into IITs |
| 4. | Eligibility | JEE Main qualified students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | Up to INR 2,800 |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Online |
| 8. | Number of attempts allowed | 2 consecutive years |
| 9. | Exam date | 03 July 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 3 hours |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
BITSAT
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) conducts its distinctive online examination BITSAT for admission into integrated first-degree programmes at one of its campuses. All the 12th passed and appearing students with a minimum of 75% aggregate marks can sit for the BITS Admission Test. The table given below highlights a detailed overview of the examination for your reference.
BITSAT – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | Birla Institute of Science and Technology Admission Test (BITSAT) |
| 2. | Conducted by | Birla Institute of Science and Technology |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission into undergraduate programme at one of the BIT campuses |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 3,300 (for male candidates) and INR 2,800 (for female candidates) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Online (Computer-based) |
| 8. | Number of attempts | Not Specified |
| 9. | Exam date | To be announced |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 180 minutes |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
COMEDK
The Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) conducts its separate undergraduate entrance test for admission into various undergraduate programmes in the state of Karnataka. It is an online computer-based entrance test conducted across various centres in Karnataka. While the admissions for BE/BTech courses are done through the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET), the admission for BArch courses are done through online counselling only. The table below provides a detailed overview of the COMEDK examination.
COMEDK – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | COMEDK UGET |
| 2. | Conducted by | Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission into various undergraduate programmes in Karnataka |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed or appearing students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 1,600 plus applicable convenience charges |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Online (Computer-based exam) |
| 8. | Number of attempts | No restriction |
| 9. | Exam date | To be announced |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
| 11. | Medium of exam | English only |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Medical
Students who aspire to kick-start their career in the field of medical and dental stream need to qualify the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination to get admission into undergraduate courses at premier medical and dental institutions in India. This is the only national-level entrance test conducted for medical stream students in the country.
NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET is a national level entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to undergraduate degree courses in medical or dental streams. Every year, lakhs of students appear for this examination to get admission in an MBBS/BDS course at the top medical and dental colleges in India. Students who are appearing for or have passed Class 12 examination are eligible for this scholarship. The table below highlights the detailed overview of the examination.
NEET – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test) |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to undergraduate (UG) degree courses in medical or dental streams |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed/appearing students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 1,500 (for General category), INR 1,400 (for General EWS and OBC-NCL category), and INR 800 (for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender students) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Pen and paper-based (multiple-choice questions) |
| 8. | Number of attempts | Not specified |
| 9. | Exam date | To be announced |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 3 hours |
| 11. | Medium of exam | Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada, Odia, Tamil and Telugu |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Law
Law is yet another prominent career option for students after Class 12. In the recent years, there has been a surge in the demand of skilful law graduates considering the increase in the employment opportunities (including both private and public sector jobs). If you too aspire to pursue a career in the field of law, you have to crack various national, state and university level entrance examinations such as CLAT, AILET, LSAT, etc. Read further to know more about these law entrance examinations.
CLAT
CLAT or Common Law Admission Test is one of the most popular national level law entrance tests conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes offered by 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) nationwide. Additionally, the scores of CLAT examination are also accepted by 43 other educational institutions for admission to their UG programme. The table below provides a detailed insight about the CLAT exam for the academic year 2020-21.
CLAT – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) |
| 2. | Conducted by | Consortium of National Law Universities |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to Undergraduate (UG) or Postgraduate (PG) law degree courses |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed/appearing students and graduate students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 4,000 (for General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates) and INR 3,500 (for SC/ST candidates) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Offline |
| 8. | Number of attempts | Not specified |
| 9. | Exam date | 13th June 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 2 hours |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple-choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
AILET
Conducted by the National Law University (NLU), Delhi, the All India Law Entrance Test allows the students to seek admission to its BA-LLB (Hons.), LLM and PhD degree programmes. Every year, this examination is conducted to fill 123 seats at undergraduate level, 81 seats at postgraduate level and 15 seats at PhD level. The table below provides a detailed overview of the examination for the academic year 2020-21.
AILET – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | AILET (All India Law Entrance Test) |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Law University (NLU), Delhi |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to BA-LLB (Hons.), LLM and PhD degree programmes |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed, graduate and postgraduate students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 3,050
INR 1,050 (for SC/ST/PwD students) No fee (for BPL applicants of SC/ST categories) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Offline (subject to revision) |
| 8. | Number of attempts | Not specified |
| 9. | Exam date | June 20, 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
DU LLB
The National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of the Faculty of Law, Delhi University, conducts the DU LLB entrance test for students who wish to seek admission in Bachelor of Law degree at one for the three centres namely Campus Law Centre (CLC), Law Centre I and Law Centre II. Candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in any stream are eligible to appear for this examination. They are also required to fulfil the set eligibility conditions. Check out the table given below to get a detailed overview of the DU LLB entrance examination.
DU LLB – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | DU LLB Entrance Exam |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Testing Agency |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to LLB programme at University of Delhi |
| 4. | Eligibility | Students having graduate/postgraduate degree in any discipline |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 750 (For General/OBC students)
INR 300 (For SC/ST/PwD students) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Computer-based Test (CBT) mode |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English |
| 9. | Exam date | To be announced |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
LSAT
LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is conducted by LSAC (Law School Admission Council) for admission into 5-year UG law, 3-year UG law and one-year PG law programmes. Its scores are accepted across more than 85 law colleges in India. The examination is conducted twice in a year as a remote proctored test. Students who have passed Class 12 examination can appear for this examination. For more details regarding the LSAT India exam, please refer to the table given below.
LSAT – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | Law School Admission Test (LSAT) India |
| 2. | Conducted by | Law School Admission Council |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law courses |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed/appearing student and graduates |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 3,800 |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Online |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English |
| 9. | Exam date | 25th March 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 140 minutes |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Fashion and Design
Do you have an inclination towards Fashion Technology and Designing? If yes, you may opt for an undergraduate degree in Fashion Technology and Designing streams after Class 12. Some of the popularly known institutions offering courses in these streams include the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID) and others. The admissions to these institutions require you to qualify their respective entrance examination. Among all, the NIFT entrance examination is one of the most popular national level examinations for fashion and design streams.
NIFT
The National Institute of Fashion Technology conducts its entrance examination for admission to its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Designing, Fashion Technology and Fashion Management streams. The students who qualify the entrance examination get admission in any of the 16 NIFT campuses across India. The exam is conducted in three phases namely, Written Test (including GAT and CAT), Situation Test and Group Discussion/Personal Interview. Students who have passed Class 12 or graduation can appear for this exam. The table below highlights a detailed overview of the NIFT entrance examination for the academic year 2020-21.
NIFT – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | NIFT Entrance Exam |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Institute of Fashion Technology |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to UG and PG programmes |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed/appearing student and graduates |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 2,000 (for General/OBC (Non-Creamy) students)
INR 1,000 (for SC/ST/PwD students) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Pen and Paper mode |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English/Hindi |
| 9. | Exam date | 14th February 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 120 minutes (for Design courses)
180 minutes (for Fashion Technology and Fashion Management courses) |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple-choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Hotel Management
Hotel Management is also one of the promising career options for students. It covers a wide array of services such as Accommodation, Catering and Food Services. Many students choose to pursue an undergraduate course in Hospitality and Hotel Administration after their Class 12 examination. One of the most popular institutions amongst many include the Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs). To get admission in one of the IHMs, the students are required to qualify the NCHMCT JEE examination, one of the most important national-level entrance exams in India.
NCHMCT JEE
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the NCHMCT JEE (National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology Joint Entrance Examination) every year to offer admission to students in hospitality and hotel administration programmes at undergraduate level across 71 participating institutions. The students who have cleared the Class 12 or equivalent examination are eligible to appear for this exam. For more details, please refer to the table given below.
NCHMCT JEE – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | NCHMCT JEE (National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology Joint Entrance Examination) |
| 2. | Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to Undergraduate programme in Hotel Management |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed/appearing student |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 1,000 (for General/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) students)
INR 700 (for General EWS students) INR 450 (for SC/ST/PwD and Transgender candidates) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Computer Based Test (CBT) Mode |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English/Hindi |
| 9. | Exam date | 12th June 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 180 minutes |
| 11. | Nature of questions | Multiple-choice questions |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Defence, Navy and Marine
Students who aspire to serve the nation can join the Defence, Navy and Marine services after their Class 12. There are various national-level examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for students to get into the defence services that include NDA and NA examination, CDS examination, and others.
NDA
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy (NDA & NA) exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year for recruitment into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). The examination takes place in two stages that includes the written examination and SSB interview. Any student who has passed Class 12 examination and fulfils all other eligibility conditions, can appear for this examination. The table given below provides a detailed overview of the NDA examination for your reference.
NDA – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | NDA and NA (National Defence Academy and Naval Academy) Examination |
| 2. | Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 100 for OBC and General category students (No fees is applicable for SC/ST candidates/sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Offline |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English/Hindi |
| 9. | Exam date | 18th April 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | Five hours |
| 11. | Frequency of exam | Twice a year |
| 12. | Exam stages | Written Test and SSB Interview |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
CDS
CDS or Combined Defence Services exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment of commissioned officers in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Conducted twice a year, this examination is meant for students who are graduates. Every year, lakhs of students appear for this examination. Furthermore, to know more about this examination, please refer to the table below.
CDS – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | CDS (Combined Defence Services) Examination |
| 2. | Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | For selection of Commissioned Officers in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force |
| 4. | Eligibility | Graduates |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 200 |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Offline |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English/Hindi |
| 9. | Exam date | 7th February 2021 |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | Two hours |
| 11. | Frequency of exam | Twice a year |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
Competitive Exams After Class 12 – Otaher Examinations
Besides the competitive examinations given above, the students who have passed their Class 12 examination can also appear for examinations like SSC, Railway Recruitment Exam, etc. The tables given below provide a detailed overview of different competitive examinations after Class 12.
SSC CHSL – An Overview
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Name of the exam | SSC CHSL (Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level) |
| 2. | Conducted by | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| 3. | Purpose of the exam | To fill vacancies for the post of Lower Divisional Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant, Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant and Data Entry Operators in various Government departments |
| 4. | Eligibility | Class 12 passed students |
| 5. | Application mode | Online |
| 6. | Application fee | INR 100 (There will be no application fee for SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/Women candidates) |
| 7. | Mode of exam | Computer based test (for Tier 1)
Pen and Paper based test (for Tier 2) |
| 8. | Medium of exam | English/Hindi |
| 9. | Exam date | To be announced |
| 10. | Duration of the exam | 1 hour (for both Tier 1 and Tier 2) |
| 11. | Type of questions | Objective type questions (for Tier 1)
Descriptive test (for Tier 2) Skill/Typing test (for Tier 3) |
*The details mentioned above are applicable for the current academic year
| 1. | Explore Scholarships for Class 12 Passed Students  |
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