Engineering Entrance Exams in India 2027

JEE Main and KEAM are not the only ways into a B.Tech. There are 20 major engineering entrance exams in India, and each leads to a different set of colleges.

Only one 2027 date is out. The NTA has proposed January 22–24 and 28–30, 2027 for JEE Main Session 1. Every other date here is from the official 2026 schedule, so treat it as the usual window.

Three kinds of engineering entrance exam

National level engineering entrance exams are JEE Main and JEE Advanced, which lead to the IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, and the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) for the IISERs. Many state and private colleges accept JEE Main scores too.

University and private engineering entrance exams such as BITSAT, UGEE, VITEEE, MET, SRMJEEE, AEEE and KIITEE fill one university’s campuses, and COMEDK UGET fills about 150 private colleges in Karnataka. None has a residence rule.

State level engineering entrance exams such as KEAM, MHT-CET, KCET and WBJEE fill that state’s colleges. Here is the catch: being allowed to write a state exam is not the same as being eligible for its seats. Most state seats need domicile or local status.

Engineering entrance exam calendar 2027

Most BTech entrance exams in India land in April and May. Plan revision around that stretch.

Oct–Dec 2026

JEE Main Session 1 registration (expected Oct–Nov) · MET, VITEEE, SRMJEEE, AEEE open · BITSAT and GUJCET registration open

January 2027

2 exams

KEAM and KCET applications open

Jan22–24, 28–30

JEE Main2027Session 1 · NTA

Jan29–Feb 1

AEEEPhase 1 · Amrita

February 2027

No exams

JEE Main Session 1 result · MHT-CET, COMEDK, OJEE applications

March 2027

1 exam

BITSAT Session 1 and WBJEE applications close · IAT applications open (early March)

Mar29

GUJCETGSEB

April 2027

10 exams

UGEE applications close (early April) · IAT applications close (mid-April) · JEE Advanced registration (late April)

Apr2, 4–6, 8

JEE MainSession 2 · NTA

Apr11–20

MHT-CETAttempt 1 · State CET Cell

Apr13–14

METPhase 1 · MAHE

Apr15–16

BITSATSession 1 · BITS Pilani

Apr16–20

KIITEEPhase 1 · KIIT

Apr17–22

KEAMCEE Kerala

Apr23–24

KCETKEA

Apr24–29

SRMJEEEPhase 1 · SRMIST

Apr24–30

AEEEPhase 2 · Amrita

Apr28–May 3

VITEEEVIT

May 2027

11 exams

May2

UGEEIIIT Hyderabad

May4–5, 7–9

OJEEOJEE Committee

May9

COMEDK UGETCOMEDK

May9–11

CUSAT CATCUSAT

May9–11

TG EAPCETJNTU Hyderabad

May12–21

MHT-CETAttempt 2 · State CET Cell

May12–15, 18

AP EAPCETJNTU Kakinada

May17

JEE AdvancedAn IIT, by rotation

May23–24

METPhase 2 · MAHE

May24

WBJEEWBJEEB

May25–27

BITSATSession 2 · BITS Pilani

June 2027

3 exams

JEE Advanced result · JoSAA starts · KEAM rank list (late June)

Jun5–7

KIITEEPhase 2 · KIIT

Jun7

IATIISERs

Jun10–15

SRMJEEEPhase 2 · SRMIST

July 2027

2 exams

KEAM counselling · CUSAT allotments · CSAB

Jul3–4

KIITEEPhase 3 · KIIT

Jul4–5

SRMJEEEPhase 3 · SRMIST

Watch for clashes. In mid-April, MHT-CET, MET, BITSAT, KIITEE and KEAM fall within ten days, and in the second week of May COMEDK, CUSAT CAT and TG EAPCET share a weekend. BITSAT, MET, VITEEE and SRMJEEE let you book your slot, so book early and keep a gap before KEAM’s April 17–22.

Registrations close months ahead, so decide your list by December.

Entrance exams for premier institutes

Five exams lead to the IITs, NITs, BITS, IISERs and IIIT Hyderabad, and all are open to every state.

Exam	Leads to	Who can write	When (2026)	Attempts
JEE Main	NITs, IIITs, GFTIs	Class 12 PCM	January and April	2 a year, for 3 years
JEE Advanced	IITs, IIST	Top 2.5 lakh in JEE Main	May 17	2 in total, consecutive years
BITSAT	BITS Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad	75% in PCM, 60% in each	April and May	2 sessions
IAT	IISERs (BS-MS, BS)	Class 12 science, 60%	June 7	1
UGEE	IIIT Hyderabad dual degrees	Class 12 PCM	May 2	1, then an interview

JEE Main and JEE Advanced

JEE Main, run by the NTA, is the exam for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, and the qualifying test for JEE Advanced. Only the top 2.5 lakh can write JEE Advanced, the one route into the IITs. Both are allotted through JoSAA. For an NIT, IIIT or GFTI seat you also need 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.

BITSAT

BITS Pilani’s own computer-based test fills its Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses. You can sit one or both sessions, and board toppers are admitted directly.

IAT (IISER Aptitude Test)

The IAT is the entrance exam for the five-year BS-MS and four-year BS programmes at the seven IISERs, including IISER Thiruvananthapuram. In 2026 it had 60 multiple-choice questions, 15 each in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology, for 240 marks in three hours. You need Class 12 science from the last three years with 60% (55% for SC, ST and PwD). Applications ran from March 5 to April 13, 2026.

UGEE (IIIT Hyderabad)

UGEE is IIIT Hyderabad’s exam for its dual-degree programmes, a B.Tech plus an MS by research. It has two parts: a Subject Proficiency Test (SUPR) on PCM and a Research Aptitude Test (REAP) on reasoning and problem solving. Shortlisted students are then interviewed. In 2026 the exam was on May 2, and applications closed on April 5. IIIT Hyderabad’s single-degree B.Tech seats go through JEE Main instead.

Engineering entrance exams for Kerala students

Looking for exams other than KEAM? Twelve have no residence rule, so Kerala students compete on equal terms. Other states’ exams let you write them but keep most seats for their own students.

A common plan is KEAM + JEE Main, plus one or two university exams that match your target colleges and budget. For KEAM itself, see how to prepare for KEAM effectively and how to crack KEAM.

Which engineering entrance exam should you write?

Start from the college, not the exam. The premier institutes above each have one route. For a college in Kerala, KEAM covers government, aided and self-financing colleges, CUSAT uses CUSAT CAT, and Amritapuri uses AEEE. For VIT write VITEEE, for Manipal MET, and for a private college in Karnataka COMEDK UGET. See the Kerala colleges ranked by closing rank or try the KEAM college predictor.

Eligibility for engineering entrance exams after 12th

Every exam needs Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics, and almost all need Chemistry (the IAT takes any three of PCMB). Minimum marks vary: BITSAT asks for 75% in PCM, VITEEE and the IAT 60%, COMEDK 45%. JEE Main accepts you in the year you pass Class 12 and the two years after, and JEE Advanced allows two attempts in total. State seats add domicile rules, such as 10 years in West Bengal for WBJEE. Always read the counselling rules as well as the exam brochure.

Keep your Class 10 and 12 certificates, photo, signature and ID ready, plus any category, domicile or income certificates.

Frequently asked questions

What are the major engineering entrance exams in India?

JEE Main and JEE Advanced (national), BITSAT, VITEEE, MET, COMEDK, SRMJEEE, AEEE, KIITEE and CUSAT CAT (university), and KEAM, MHT-CET, WBJEE, KCET, AP EAPCET, TG EAPCET, OJEE and GUJCET (state).

What are the engineering entrance exam dates for 2027?

Only JEE Main 2027 Session 1 has proposed dates: January 22–24 and 28–30, 2027. The rest are expected in their usual windows, mostly April and May.

What exams can I write apart from KEAM?

JEE Main (and JEE Advanced if you qualify), BITSAT, VITEEE, MET, COMEDK, SRMJEEE, AEEE, KIITEE and CUSAT CAT have no residence rule on their seats.

What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?

JEE Main leads to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs and qualifies you for JEE Advanced. Only the top 2.5 lakh can write JEE Advanced, the exam for the IITs.