What are the Top 5 Science Entrance Exam Apart From CUET PG?
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After completing graduation from science streams students look for career options in science streams. In this article, the Top 5 Science Entrance Exams Apart from CUET PG are discussed on various parameters such as eligibility criteria, exam pattern, duration of exam, marking scheme, and number of candidates who appeared in the exam.
Students who pass the graduation from a science background often search for the top 5 science entrance exams apart from the CUET PG exam. Science courses are in much demand among applicants. Students who wish to pursue their higher education in Science streams can check for the top 5 Science entrance exams apart from CUET PG. IIT JAM, GATE, NEST, JEST, and ICAR AICE JRF/SRF exams are some of the popular competitive exams one must be aware of if they are planning to prepare for one.
Applicants can check about the top entrance exams and their eligibility, course fees, duration, number of applicants who appeared in the exam, etc. Read the complete article about the top 5 Science entrance exams apart from the CUET PG exam.
- Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Eligibility Criteria
- Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Duration
- Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Exam Pattern
- Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Number of Candidates
- Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG FAQs
Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Eligibility Criteria
The top 5 science entrance exams, apart from CUET PG, offer different specialisations for the students to pursue their careers. Hence, the eligibility criteria vary from one course to another. By knowing the educational as well as age-wise eligibility criteria, applicants can prepare in advance and eliminate the chances of rejection of their application form.
| Exam |
Eligibility Criteria (By Age) |
Eligibility Criteria (By Education) |
|---|---|---|
| IIT JAM |
No age limit |
A Minimum of 55 per cent aggregate marks in graduation for Gen/OBC/EWS and 50 per cent marks for SC and ST candidates. |
| NEST |
General and OBC category candidates born on or after August 01, 2004 |
Pass the 12th standard board exam in the science stream in the year 2025 or 2026 or appear in 2026 from any recognised Higher Secondary Education Board in India And Secure at least 60per cent in aggregate marks in the 12th standard board examination. For SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates, it is 55 per cent. |
| JEST |
No age limit |
Participating institutes have different eligibility criteria; hence, applicants need to check them before applying for the exam. |
| No age limit |
Must have UG degree in BE/BTech, BPharma, BArch, BSc (Research)/BS, Professional Society Examination (equivalent to BE/BTech/BArch), MSc/MA/MCA or equivalent, Integrated ME/MTech, Integrated MSc/Integrated BS-MS, Integrated ME/MTech or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2) |
|
| ICAR AICE JRF/SRF |
For JRF - 19 years For SRF - Age should not exceed 30 years |
For JRF - 60 per cent marks for the General category For SRF - 55 per cent marks for the General category |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
IIT JAM exam was conducted for 100 marks. The question paper comprises 60 questions. Students need to obtain 75+ marks to qualify for the entrance test.
Though good score varies for each stream and colleges, score of 270 out of 300 is considered good enough to get top colleges in CUET PG exam. Students who score 200 to 250 also get colleges of their choice. Students should aim to score at least 200 to get admission in CUET PG exam.
The NEST entrance exam is one of the toughest exams among all the science entrance exams according to the previous years' exam analysis. Candidates should invest a minimum of six months of NEST Preparation to score well in the NEST exam. However, if the candidate preparation strategy is really good then 2 to 3 months would be sufficient.
Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Duration
Apart from CUET PG, the exam time can differ from one course to another. If the students know about the exam timing for the top exam, they can make a better preparation strategy to qualify for the exam. The duration of the top 5 science entrance exams is mentioned below.
| Exam |
Exam Duration |
|---|---|
| IIT JAM |
3 hours or 180 minutes |
| NEST |
3:30 hours or 210 minutes |
| JEST |
3 hours or 180 minutes |
| GATE |
3 hours or 180 minutes |
| ICAR AICE JRF/SRF |
2 hours 30 minutes or 150 minutes |
Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Exam Pattern
Students should be aware of the exam pattern & marking scheme of different exams if they are planning to appear in any of the top 5 science entrance exams apart from the CUET PG 2026 exam. Students can achieve their goals faster than others if they are well-versed with the marking scheme & exam pattern.
| Exam |
Exam Mode |
Exam Pattern |
Marking Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online |
60 Questions of 100 Marks 7 Test Papers of JAM will be of a fully objective type, with three different patterns of questions (i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and (iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. Section A - 30 questions, Section B - 10 questions, and Section C - 20 questions |
Section A: One-third weightage of the total marks will be deducted for each wrong answer Section B & C: There is no negative marking in this section |
|
| Online |
68 Questions of 200 Marks Questions will be of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Multiple Selection Questions (MSQs) type |
For MCQs- 2.5 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer For MSQs- 4 for each correct answer and no negative marking for incorrect answer |
|
| Offline |
50 Objective-type MCQs of 300 Marks Part A and Part B each section has 25 questions in the exam. |
Section A: +3 and -1 for correct and incorrect answer Section B: +9 and -3 for correct and incorrect answers |
|
| GATE |
Online |
65 Questions for 100 marks The distribution of different questions is different, hence marks allocation varies accordingly |
one-third weightage of total marks, negative marking is applicable |
| Online |
For JRF - 120 Questions for 480 marks |
For JRF - 4 marks for correct and -1 for incorrect answer For SRF - |
Also Read: MBA After BSc: Eligibility, Specialisations, Syllabus, Salary, Career Options, Admission, Fees
Commonly asked questions
The National Entrance Screening Test is generally tougher than NEET, but some sections in NEET, like Biology, are more challenging due to the vast syllabus coverage and competition. Based on last year's analysis for NEET, the difficulty level was very high. Compared to the NEET, last year NEST was easier.
Students can crack the IIT JAM exam 2026 on their first attempt by planning a proper preparation strategy. Follow IIT JAM exam syllabus to identify the important topics for the paper they are appearing for. Solving the previous year question paper will help to identify the most important topics and get familiar with the exam difficulty level. Students can practice the IIT JAM mock test for self-assessment.
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Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG: Number of Candidates
GATE: Around 5 to 6 Lakhs appeared last year
IIT JAM: Around 55000 appeared last year
ICAR AICE JRF/SRF: A total of 33828 students appeared for the tests, including 24948 for PG and 8,880 for PhD exams last year.
NEST: Around 39000 appeared last year
JEST: No of candidates appearing in this exam is around 25 to 30k.
It can be tough to choose one out of many entrance exams in India. To make a better decision, it is good to measure various aspects of it like eligibility criteria, fees, course duration, career opportunities in future and syllabus. Knowing about these things helps students make a well-planned decision based on their requirements. Students who are preparing for some of the top science entrance exam apart from CUET PG should go through all the aspects before they plan to get admission. The science entrance exams, apart from cuet pg is a way to endless opportunities for those students who look forward to an excellent academic journey to securely kickstart their professional journey.
Also Read:
- Government Competitive Exams After 12th Science
- Top BSc/MSc Entrance Exams in India
- How to prepare for top MSc entrance exams?
Top 5 Science Entrance Exam apart from CUET PG FAQs
Which science entrance exam is best after graduation?
Many entrance exams for science streams can help applicants to make a better career some of them are IIT JAM, GATE, NEST, and JEST. All the courses have different eligibility, specialisations, fees, and duration, and accordingly, applicants can make their career in the field in which they have taken specialisations.
What are the three toughest exams of Science in India for PG candidates?
The top 3 toughest exams from the Science category for PG applicants are GATE, IIT JAM, and NEST. Applicants who want to appear in any of these exams are advised to check eligibility first and then appear by checking the previous year's question papers.
What exams should I apply for, if I want to pursue Science at a higher level?
There are many exams for applicants who want to pursue Science at a higher academic level. Some of them are IIT JAM, GATE, NEST, ICAR AICE JRF/SRF, and JEST, etc. You can read about eligibility, duration of exam, specialisations, type of exam, and previous year's question paper before applying for it.
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