List of All India Entrance Exams After 12th 2026

Which entrance exams after 12th cover commerce, management and finance?

For B.Com (Hons), BBA and integrated BBA-MBA, you can take CUET UG, IPMAT or state-level exams.

• CUET UG 2026: Introduced by UGC, it replaces many university-level exams. You can choose up to 10 domain subjects; each paper is 45 minutes. For commerce streams, Accountancy, Economics, Business Studies and Mathematics are popular choices. Eligibility is Class 12 pass. Over 250 universities, including DU, JNU and BHU, accept CUET UG.
• IPMAT 2026: Conducted by IIM Indore for its 5-year Integrated Programme in Management. The test has two sections: Quantitative Ability (MCQ and SA) and Verbal Ability (MCQ). Total questions are 100 in 2 hours. Eligibility is Class 12 pass with ≥60% (55% for SC/ST). Around 150 seats are offered.
• SAT India 2026: Accepted by Ashoka University, UPES and some private universities for UG admissions. The digital SAT is 2 hours 14 minutes with Reading & Writing and Math sections. You can take it up to 3 times a year; scores are valid for 5 years.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover arts, humanities and social sciences?

For BA programmes in humanities and social sciences, CUET UG is the main gateway. For fine arts, entrance tests vary by institute.

• CUET UG 2026 (Arts/Humanities): You can select subjects like History, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Geography and Languages. Each paper is 45 minutes; total duration depends on the number of subjects chosen. Eligibility is Class 12 pass. Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and many central universities use CUET UG scores.
• JNU Entrance Exam 2026: For BA (Hons) in foreign languages and some MA programmes. It is a 3-hour offline exam with descriptive and objective questions. Eligibility is Class 12 for BA programmes. Around 1,000 seats are offered across languages and social sciences.
• Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) 2026: For BA Liberal Arts, Mass Communication and other programmes at Symbiosis International University. It is a 1-hour online test with 60 MCQs. Eligibility is Class 12 pass with ≥50%. Around 1,200 seats are offered.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover agriculture and veterinary sciences?

Agriculture and veterinary streams have their own national and state-level exams. ICAR AIEEA-UG is the main national exam.

• ICAR AIEEA-UG 2026: Conducted by NTA, it is a 2.5-hour online test with 180 MCQs covering Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Agriculture. Eligibility is Class 12 pass with ≥50% aggregate (40% for SC/ST). Around 1,500 seats are offered in 11 Bachelor degree programmes across ICAR institutes.
• ICAR AIEEA-PG 2026: For MSc and MTech in agriculture and allied fields. It is a 2-hour online test with 120 MCQs. Eligibility is Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or allied subjects with ≥60% (50% for SC/ST).
• State-level exams: Many states like Maharashtra (MCAER CET), Karnataka (UGCET) and Tamil Nadu (TNEA) conduct separate exams for agriculture and veterinary seats in state colleges.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover pharmacy and paramedical courses?

Pharmacy programmes accept national (GPAT, NIPER) and state-level exams. Paramedical courses are mostly state-level.

• GPAT 2026: For MPharm admissions. It is a 3-hour online test with 125 MCQs. Eligibility is BPharm pass. Around 24,000 seats are offered in AICTE-approved institutes.
• NIPER JEE 2026: For MPharm, MS (Pharm) and MTech (Pharm) at NIPER institutes. It is a 2-hour online test with 120 MCQs. Eligibility is BPharm or equivalent with ≥60%. There are 8 NIPERs offering 800+ seats.
• State-level pharmacy exams: Examples are Maharashtra (MAH B.Pharm CET), Karnataka (KEA UGCET) and West Bengal (WB JEEM Pharmacy). Each exam has its own eligibility and syllabus.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover hotel management and hospitality?

For BSc in Hospitality & Hotel Administration, NCHM JEE is the national-level exam.

• NCHM JEE 2026: Conducted by NTA, it is a 3-hour online test with 200 MCQs covering Numerical Ability, Reasoning, English, General Knowledge and Aptitude for Service Sector. Eligibility is Class 12 pass with English as a subject. Around 12,000 seats are offered in 74 IHMs and other affiliated institutes.
• IIHM eCHAT 2026: For hotel management programmes at IIHM campuses. It is a 60-minute online test with 50 MCQs covering English, Reasoning, General Knowledge and Service Aptitude. Eligibility is Class 12 pass.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover arts, fine arts and performing arts?

Fine arts institutes like College of Art Delhi, MS University Baroda and Rabindra Bharati University run their own exams.

• College of Art Delhi Entrance 2026: For BFA and MFA programmes. The exam has a written test (objective and subjective) and a practical test. Eligibility is Class 12 for BFA and Bachelor’s degree for MFA. Around 80 seats are offered across streams.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi exams: For diploma and certificate courses in music and dance. Exams are held annually; eligibility varies by level and stream.

Which entrance exams after 12th cover science and research programmes?

For integrated MSc programmes at IISERs, IIST and NISER, IISER Aptitude Test is the main exam.

• IISER Aptitude Test 2026: For BS-MS dual degree at IISERs. It is a 3-hour online test with 60 MCQs covering Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. Eligibility is Class 12 pass with ≥60% aggregate (55% for SC/ST). Around 1,500 seats are offered across 7 IISERs.
• IIST Admission 2026: For BTech in Aerospace Engineering and Avionics at Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. Admission is based on JEE Advanced rank. Around 200 seats are offered.

How to choose the right entrance exam after 12th?

Match your exam to your goal stream, syllabus comfort and career path. If you aim for IITs or NITs, prepare for JEE Main and Advanced. For MBBS, NEET-UG is mandatory. For law, CLAT or AILET opens NLUs. For design, take NIFT or NID DAT. For commerce, CUET UG or IPMAT can lead to DU or IIM Indore. Check each exam’s eligibility, syllabus and seat intake on the official sites.

• Check syllabus overlap with your Class 12 subjects.
• Compare exam dates; some overlap in May–June 2026.
• Decide if you want national exams (CUET, NEET, JEE) or state exams (KEA UGCET, TNEA).
• Factor in attempt limits; NEET allows unlimited attempts until age 25, while JEE Advanced allows only two consecutive attempts after JEE Main.

What is the timeline for entrance exams after 12th in 2026?

The typical window runs from November 2025 to August 2026. Registration starts 2–3 months before the exam; results are declared 4–6 weeks later. Below is a sample timeline.

How to prepare for entrance exams after 12th?

Start early, use NCERT textbooks for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and practice previous years’ papers. For JEE Main, solve at least 10,000 MCQs; for NEET-UG, focus on Biology diagrams and Physics numericals. For CLAT, read newspapers daily and solve legal reasoning sets. Use online mocks, analyse weak areas, and keep revision notes. Coaching is optional; many students crack these exams with self-study and free resources.

• Set a daily target: 4–5 hours on weekdays, 6–8 hours on weekends.
• Use apps like Unacademy, Vedantu, BYJU’S or Khan Academy for video lessons.
• Join peer study groups on Discord or Telegram for doubts and mock tests.
• Simulate exam conditions by taking full-length mocks every 15 days.

Where to find official information and notifications for 2026 exams?

Always check the official exam websites for accurate dates, syllabi and eligibility. Below are the primary sources for major exams.

• JEE Main – https://jeemain.nta.nic.in
• NEET-UG – https://neet.nta.nic.in
• CLAT – https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in
• CUET UG – https://cuet.samarth.ac.in

For state exams, visit your state’s higher-education or exam board website. Bookmark the pages and enable notifications to get updates as soon as they are released.