As the calendar flips to January, a wave of academic opportunities surges forth, especially for class 12th students in India. January month begins with the commencement of registrations for various national and state-level entrance exams, for admission in to various streams such as engineering, medical, pharmacy & other UG/PG courses.
Here’s a roundup of important entrance exams for which registrations will start in January 2024 that you wouldn’t want to miss:
Medical Entrance Exams:
NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is India’s largest and only entrance for enrolling in to medical courses to become doctors. All admissions in medical and dental colleges in India for Ug and PG courses are offered through NEET entrance followed by the seat allotment counselling.
Moreover, NEET Ug scores are also considered for various other ug medical courses by colleges / universities and state level seat allotment authorities.
NEET UG 2024
The National Testing Agency will hold the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) – 2024
— the single largest medical entrance examination for medical aspirants for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH Courses. According to the academic calendar released by NTA, the NEET UG 2024 examination will be conducted on May 5. The registration process is likely to begin by the end of January 2024. However, NTA has not announced the exact registration date and time.
| Full Exam Name | NEET Ug (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate) |
| Acronym | NEET (UG) |
| Administered by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Year started | 2013 (except 2014 & 2015, when AIPMT was conducted instead.); Preceded by AIPMT |
| Purpose of Exam | For admission counselling for ug courses leading to doctors degree |
| Offered | Once a year |
| Courses Covered | MBBS / BDS / BAMS / BHMS / BNYS / BUMS / BSMS |
| NEET Ug Application Dates | To be announced |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam dates | 05-May-2024 |
| Application Fees | ₹ 1700 for general candidates, ₹ 1600 for EWS, and ₹ 900for candidates from other categories. |
| Official Website | https://neet.nta.nic.in/ |
| Official Brochure | Download Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2024 |
| Number of applicants in 2023 | 2087462 |
| Number of qualified candidates in 2023 | 1145976 |
NEET PG 2024
The National Board of Medical Sciences (NBEMS) will conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test- Postgraduate examination tentatively on March 3, 2024. Going by the last year’s trends, it’s anticipated that NEET PG 2024 registration will likely commence in the first week of January 2024. However, the date mentioned here is tentative and no official has confirmed it
| Full Exam Name | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate |
| Acronym | NEET (PG) |
| Administered by | National Board of Examinations In Medical Sciences (NBEMS) |
| Year started | 2013 |
| Purpose of Exam | For admission counselling for PG medical courses post MBBS |
| Offered | Once a year |
| Courses Covered | MD, MS, Post MBBS DNB, PG Diploma, and NBEMS diploma |
| NEET PG Application Dates | To be announced |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam dates | 03-Mar-24 |
| Application Fees | ₹ 4250 for General / OBC / EWS Category Candidates, ₹ 3250 for SC / ST & PwD candidates |
| Official Website | https://natboard.edu.in/ |
| Official Brochure | Download Information Bulletin NEET (PG) 2024 |
| Number of applicants in 2023 | 2,08,898 |
| Number of qualified candidates in 2023 | NA |
CUET PG 2024
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the Common University Entrance Test (CUET 2024) registration and exam dates for postgraduate (PG) courses. The NTA will close the CUET application by January 24, 2024.
Students can explore all the PG courses and specializations offered under 197+ Universities via CUET PG 2024 counseling in their official site.
| Full Exam Name | Common University Entrance Test Post Graduate |
| Acronym | CUET PG 2024 |
| Administered by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Year started | 2021 |
| Purpose of Exam | Admission in the Central Universities (CUs) or other participating institutes (including State Universities, Deemed and Private Universities) |
| Offered | Once a year |
| Courses Covered | MBA, MCA, M.A, M.Com, M.Sc, MSW, M.Ed & other PG courses |
| CUET PG 2024 Application Date | 26 Dec 2023 to 24 Jan 2024 |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Exam dates | 11 March to 24 March 2024 |
| Application Fees | ₹1200 for General category, ₹1000 for OBC/EWS, ₹900 for SC/ST category candidates |
| Official Website | https://pgcuet.samarth.ac.in/ |
| Official Brochure | Download CUET PG 2024 Information Bulletin |
| Number of applicants in CUET PG 2023 | 4,58,774 |
Interesting facts about CUET PG:
Let’s take a look at some interesting facts of CUET PG exam conducted previous year.
- The Common University Entrance Test PG 2023, was organized by the National Testing
- This test was taken on computers and was attended by around 4,58,774
- A total of 877,492 tests were
- A significant number of universities, totalling 197, participated in CUET (PG) –
- These include Central Universities (39), State Government Universities (45), Government Institutions (10), and others like Private and Deemed Universities (103).
- Candidates applied for 4,597 different courses, and these were assessed under 157 Question Paper Codes.
- There were a total of 396 Question Papers with 45,875 questions used over 23 days and 60.
- Besides being conducted in 272 cities across India, CUET (PG) – 2023 also took place in 7 cities outside India, including Doha, Dubai, Manama, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, and Bagmati.
- About 1,200 subject experts and 400 translators were involved in preparing the Question Papers for CUET (PG).
BITSAT
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, recognized as an “Institution of Eminence” by Ministry of Education, Government of India. It is India’s leading Institute of Higher Education and a deemed to be university, with an illustrious legacy, modern campuses and eminent alumni in leadership positions across the world. Admissions to all the Integrated First-Degree programs of BITS Pilani for its Campuses at Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad for the academic year 2024-25 will be made on the basis of a Computer based Online Test conducted by BITS Pilani. The registration process for BITSAT is likely to begin in January.
| Full Exam Name | Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test |
| Acronym | BITSAT 2024 |
| Administered by | BITS Pilani |
| Year started | 2005 |
| Purpose of Exam | Admission to first-degree in BITS Campus at Pilani, Hyderabad, and K K Birla Goa Campus |
| Offered | Twice a year (Tentatively in May and June) |
| Courses Covered | B.E., B.Pharm., M.Sc. |
| BITS Entrance 2024 ApplicationDate | To Be Announced (Tentatively in January last week) |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Exam dates | To Be Announced (Tentatively from May 2024) |
| Application Fees | ₹ 3400 for male candidates and ₹ 2900 for female candidates per session |
| Official Website | https://www.bitsadmission.com/ |
| Official Webinar | Webinar on BITS Pilani Admission Process |
| Avg. Number of applicants for BITSAT | Around 120000 |
KCET 2024
KCET, or Karnataka Common Entrance Test, is an entrance test organized by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). KEA entrance is a state level exam for domicile students who wants to get into different undergraduate courses under state quota (Govt seats) in various Private and Govt. colleges.
Students in Karnataka who wish to pursue professional courses such as Engineering, Pharmacy, Agriculture, and related fields can submit applications for admission through KEA (Karnataka Examination Authority).
KEA has announced the dates for KCET 2024, which is scheduled for April 20 and 21, with registrations commencing on January 10. The examination will include subjects like Biology, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, each carrying 60 marks. Additionally, a Kannada language test is scheduled for August 19 Detailed information for aspiring candidates will be available in the KCET 2024 brochure on the official website.
| Full Exam Name | Karnataka Common Entrance Test |
| Acronym | Karnataka KCET 2024 |
| Administered by | Karnataka Examination Authority |
| Year started | 1994 |
| Purpose of Exam | Admission for Govt seats for ug courses |
| Offered | Once a year |
| Courses Covered | B.Tech, BNYS, B.Pharm, Pharm.D, B.Sc Agriculture, Farm Science, B.Sc Veternary Science |
| KCET Entrance 2024 Application Date | To Be Announced (Tentatively in Jan 2024) |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Exam dates | 20th and 21st April 2024 |
| Application Fees | ₹ 500 for Karnataka Origin Candidates (Gen & OBC), ₹ 250 for SC/ST candidates and all female candidates of Karnataka, ₹ 750 for candidates from outside Karnataka state |
| Official Website | http://kea.kar.nic.in/ |
| Number of applicants for KCET 2023 | 261610 |
As you step into January 2024, it’s not just another month; it’s like standing at a big intersection where different roads lead to different futures. As you start this journey in education, knowing why each entrance exam matters for your chosen field will help you decide which way to go. Good luck on your adventure of learning and growing!