ICAR Exam: Difficulty, Preparation Tips, and Success Strategies

Cracking the ICAR AIEEA exam needs a smart preparation strategy along with dedication, as it is one of the highly competitive examinations. In this Shiksha article, the candidates will be able to learn about some important tips to boost their confidence and improve their performance in the ICAR Exam. 

The exam conducting authority of ICAR AIEEA PG and ICAR UG is the Indian Council for Agriculture Research. These exams are conducted for all those students who wish to study both UG and PG courses in the Agriculture field. Both the exams for Undergraduate and postgraduate courses are held through offline (OME) mode. 

Only those students who qualify through ICAR AIEEA PG and ICAR UG will get the opportunity to get admission to some of the top universities to study agriculture-related courses in India. 

Eligibility Criteria for the ICAR Exam

• Aadhar card is mandatory as ID proof for these exams
• The candidate must be a citizen of India
• For the UG exam, the candidates must have passed the XIIth standard or must be appearing for the exams
• For the PG exam, the candidates must have a bachelor’s degree completed after the graduation pattern

Application Procedure

Students need to visit the official website to submit their application form to be able to appear for the ICAR PG and UG exams in online mode. Once submitted, students are advised to keep a hard copy and a soft copy of their application form for the further admission process. Only after a candidate submits their application fee, their application form be considered submitted successfully. 

It is suggested to always review all the important details mentioned in the application form, including the photographs and important documents uploaded, before submitting. In case they miss correcting a mistake, they can edit their application form during the application correction window.  

ICAR Exam Syllabus

The subjects tested for the ICAR UG exam are mentioned below:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Maths
• Biology
• Agriculture

The subjects the candidate needs to prepare for the ICAR PG exam are:

• Plant Biotechnology
• Physical Science
• Horticulture
• Animal Sciences
• Veterinary Science 

ICAR Exam Pattern

Mode: Both the AIEEA UG and PG exams will be conducted in online mode via OMR.
Duration: The exam time will be 150 minutes for the UG exam and two hours and thirty minutes for the PG exam.
Language: The language for testing will be English only.
Questions: The questions will be multiple-choice and objective type.
Marking: For the UG exam, four marks will be granted to the applicants for the right response, and one mark will be deducted for the wrong response.
In the Postgraduate exam, for every right answer in the multiple-choice section, candidates earn four marks, and for a correct answer in the cross-matching section, candidates earn five marks. For each wrong answer, one mark is subtracted for multiple-choice questions, and 0.2 marks are subtracted for cross-matching questions.

Tips to Prepare for ICAR Exam

The ICAR preparation is quite stressful for most students, but with proper preparation, it can be a smooth ride. The following are a few tips to prepare for the ICAR exams:

Make a plan: Plan your study schedule by making a timetable and sticking to it. Balance out the subjects and make maximum use of available study time.

Study with concentration: Whatever study time you have, use it to the maximum by studying with concentration and sincerity. Only then will you be able to cover all topics.
Revision: You will need to allow time to revise what you studied to know where you stand.
Devise strategies for the ace exam: It is necessary to formulate strategies to approach each subject in the exam to perform your best on it. Prioritise the topics that need more time and attention and focus on them.
Stay healthy: Lastly, to have a healthy mind, a healthy body is needed. Take care of your health, watch your diet and do relaxation exercises daily.

Is the ICAR exam in comparison to other competitive entrance exams?

ICAR exams are not as difficult as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) or the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), attaining a high score is necessary for admission into a top university in India. To secure a seat, candidates must focus on getting an ICAR Rank within the top 500. Although, admission to the best colleges needs a rank within the top 150. The final selection process comprises the counselling process.

Since ICAR is a competitive exam, dedication and constant efforts are critical to achieving the set goal. The following books and study materials can help in candidates preparation for the ICAR Exam:

• ICAR AIEEA Guide for UG and PG by R Gupta
• Physical Chemistry by O P Tandon, A S Singh
• Mathematics by R D Sharma
• BSc Agriculture Exam by Arihant
• General Agriculture for ICAR exams by M S Rathore