Engineering & Tech — Exams, Dates & Prep Guide

Key Exams

Always confirm exact dates on the official site before applying — schedules shift.

After Class 12

National Testing Agency (NTA) Two sessions — January & April each year

Gateway to NITs, IIITs and other centrally-funded technical institutes. Also the qualifying stage for JEE Advanced.

Official site

JEE Main qualifiers only

One IIT, on a rotating basis Late May, after JEE Main results

The only route into an IIT or IISc. Only the top ~2.5 lakh JEE Main rankers are eligible to attempt it.

Official site

After Class 12

BITS Pilani Typically May-June

Entrance for BITS Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses — a strong private alternative to the IIT/NIT system.

Official site

Final-year/graduate engineers

IIT Madras (2027 cycle) Registration Aug-Oct 2026; exam early February

For M.Tech/PhD admissions and direct recruitment into PSUs (ONGC, BHEL, NTPC and others).

Official site

What actually helps, and what quietly wastes your time.

Master NCERT concepts before touching reference books — most JEE questions are conceptually rooted there.
Solve at least the last 10 years of previous papers under timed conditions.
Take a full mock every week and actually review every wrong answer, not just the score.
Give Chemistry equal attention — it's the easiest of the three to score high in with consistent NCERT revision.
Revise formulas in short daily bursts rather than one long cramming session.

Don't jump into advanced reference books before your NCERT foundation is solid.
Don't skip mock test analysis — the review matters more than the attempt.
Don't obsess over Physics/Maths while neglecting Chemistry's easy marks.
Don't compare your rank predictor score with friends mid-preparation — it changes nothing and only adds stress.
Don't sacrifice sleep in exam week — fatigue costs more marks than one extra revision round gains.

Official sources only — no third-party "sample paper" sites.