Top Exams for IITs: JEE Main & Advanced, UCEED, GATE, JAM & CAT

For many students in India, getting into the Indian Institute of Technology is a dream due to its world-class education, cutting-edge research, and strong career opportunities. IITs offer a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in the fields of engineering and technology, science, and management.

 

For undergraduate programs like B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Sc., students appear for the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main and Advanced. If candidates are planning for postgraduate courses such as M.Tech, M.Sc., MBA, or Ph.D., there are other specialised exams: GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) for M.Tech and Ph.D. admissions, JAM (Joint Admission Test for M.Sc.) for science-related programs, and CAT (Common Admission Test) for MBA courses offered at IITs. Students can get detailed information about each Top Exam for IITs.

JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main

Overview: This is the first exam for students planning for undergraduate engineering programmes (like B.Tech/B.E) in IITs, NITs, IIITs and many other institutions. Clearing JEE (Main) is typically the first step before you might appear for JEE (Advanced) if you want IITs.

Eligibility:

• Candidates should have passed (or be appearing in) their Class 12 (or equivalent) exam with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics as subjects.
• There might be specific passing year, attempt, and board-related criteria (check the latest brochure for your year)

Dates:

Given below are the important dates related to JEE Main 2026 exam:

Event	Dates
Session 1 Registration	October 31 to November 27, 2025
Session 1 Exam	January 21 to 30, 2026
Session 2 Registration	February to March 2026
Session 2 Exam	April 2 to 9, 2026
Result Declaration	After each session

Courses Offered:

Level	Courses
Undergraduate	B.Tech, B.E., B.Arch (via NITs, IIITs, and eligibility for IITs through JEE Advanced)

JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced

Overview: This is the next level if students want to get into IITs (for B.Tech/B.E). Only candidates who qualify for JEE Main and satisfy other eligibility criteria can appear. It is very competitive.

Eligibility:

• Must be among the top 2,50,000 (across all categories) in JEE (Main) Paper 1 to qualify for JEE (Advanced).
• Age limit: For JEE (Advanced) 2025, candidates should have been born on or after Oct 1, 2000; SC/ST/PwD candidates get a 5-year relaxation. Number of attempts: Maximum two attempts in two consecutive years.
• First appearance in Class 12 (or equivalent) in specific years (for example, for 2025: first time in 2024 or 2025).

Dates:

The tentative schedule for JEE Advanced exam is provided below for students’ reference:

Event	Tentative Dates
Registration	April 2025
Exam Date	May 2026
Result Declaration	June 2025

Courses Offered:

Level	Courses
Undergraduate	B.Tech, B.E., Dual Degree Programs (B.S./M.S.), and some special programs in IITs

 

Read More: Exam Cutoffs

UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design)

Overview: If candidates are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Design (B.Des) programme at an institute such as an IIT, the UCEED is the national‑level exam you’ll typically need. It’s especially meant for creative, design‑aptitude pathways rather than traditional engineering streams.

 

Eligibility:

• Candidates must fulfil three criteria: age, number of attempts, and qualifying examination.
• Age limit: For UCEED 2025, General/EWS/OBC‑NCL candidates must be born on or after 1 Oct 2000; SC/ST/PwD candidates on or after 1 Oct 1995.
• Number of attempts: A candidate can attempt UCEED a maximum of two times, and only in consecutive years.
• Qualifying examination: Candidates should have appeared for their Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in either the year before or the year of the exam. For UCEED 2025 for example, the first appearance must be in 2024 or 2025. Students from any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts & Humanities) are eligible.

Dates:

The online registration for UCEED began on October 1, 2025, and the last date to register with a late fee was November 10, 2025. UCEED 2026 Exam Date is January 18, 2026. For more details, refer to the table below:

Event	Dates
Online Registration Begins	1 October 2025
Last Date for Registration (Regular Fee)	November 5, 2025
Late Registration Window	November 10, 2025
Exam Date	January 18, 2026 (9 AM to 12 Noon)
Result Declaration	March 6, 2026

 

Courses Offered:

 

Level	Courses
Undergraduate	Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in participating institutes through UCEED score

GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)

Overview: If candidates are planning to pursue postgraduate studies (M.Tech, M.E), or even PhD, in engineering/technology at IITs and other top institutes, GATE is key.

Eligibility:

• Candidates should have an undergraduate degree in engineering/technology (or be in the final year) OR a master’s degree in relevant science subjects.
• No specific age limit in most cases.

Dates:

The registration for GATE 2026 started on August 28, 2025. The exam dates are February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. Refer to the table below for more dates:

Event	Dates
Registration Start	August 28, 2025
Last Date to Apply	October 13, 2025
Exam Dates	February 7, 8, 14 & 15, 2026
Result Declaration	March 19, 2026

Courses Offered:

Level	Courses
Postgraduate	M.Tech, M.E., Ph.D. in engineering/technology

JAM (Joint Admission Test for Masters)

Overview: For those who want to pursue postgraduate science programs, like M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.- Ph.D., and M.Sc.(Tech), at IITs and other institutions, IIT JAM is the entrance exam.

Eligibility:

• Candidates who have completed, or are in the final year of their undergraduate degree, are eligible.
• For specific subject programs (e.g., MSc Physics, MSc Chemistry), students may need that subject as part of their undergraduate curriculum.

Dates:

IIT JAM 2026 Exam is going to be held on February 15, 2026. Find out more important dates related to this exam in the table below:

Event	Dates
Registration Start	September 5, 2025
Last Date to Apply	October 25, 2025
Exam Date	February 15, 2026
Result Declaration	March 2026

Courses Offered:

Level	Courses
Postgraduate	M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.–Ph.D., M.Sc.(Tech) at IITs

CAT (Common Admission Test)

Overview: If students aim for an MBA or management programme at IITs (which do offer MBA or PGDM), then CAT is often the required exam. Though CAT is more widely used for IIMs and other B-schools, some of the IIT management campuses accept CAT.

Eligibility:

• A bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) or equivalent with minimum required marks (at many IITs: 60% or CGPA 6.0/10 for General category; slightly relaxed for SC/ST/PwD).
• Final-year students of a bachelor’s degree may also apply (subject to fulfilling the degree requirements by the time of admission).

Dates:

CAT 2025 Exam will be conducted on November 30, 2025. The detailed CAT dates are presented in the table below:

Event	Dates
Registration Start	August 1, 2025
Registration End	September 13, 2025
Exam Date	November 30, 2025
Result Declaration	January 2026

Courses Offered:

Level	Courses
Postgraduate	MBA, PGDM, Management Programs at IITs and other B-schools

 

Final Thoughts

Candidates who are planning to appear for the Top Exams for IITs require the right plan, strategy, and consistency. Whether students are dreaming of a BTech, an MTech, an MSc, or even an MBA from IIT, they must follow the right path, which is JEE Main & Advanced for UG programs, GATE and JAM for postgraduate Engineering & Science programs, UCEED for design courses, and CAT for the management programs. Each exam comes with its own syllabus, challenges, and competition. Hence, students should not only focus on their hard work but also work strategically and stay motivated throughout their preparation journey.

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Read Also : Top Exams for IITs: JEE Main & Advanced, UCEED, GATE, JAM & CAT