Aspiring engineers in India today have a wide variety of options if they want to pursue a career in engineering and technology. Depending on their financial and social backgrounds, interests, location and career goals, several good and key alternatives are available to aspiring professionals.
Many states conduct engineering entrance exams, which are easier to crack than JEE Main and allow admissions across several reputed state government and private colleges. Some key ones to consider are -
MHT CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test)
WBJEE (West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam)
KCET (Karnataka Common Entrance Test)
Andhra PRadesh Engineering, Agriculture and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (AP EAMCET) and Telangana State (TS) EAMCET
These options are best for students wanting to live in certain locations/states and are keen to pursue private engineering colleges instead of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)/National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
Quite a few top private universities conduct their entrance exams, offering an alternative route for students who don’t want to rely on JEE Main scores. Some key ones to consider are -
BITSAT (Birla Institute of Technology & Science Admission Test) → For admission to BITS Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad.
VITEEE (VIT Engineering Entrance Exam) → For Vellore Institute of Technology, known as VIT.
SRMJEEE (SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Exam) → For SRM University in Chennai & other campuses.
MET (Manipal Entrance Test) → For Manipal Institute of Technology
SITEE (Symbiosis Institute of Technology Entrance Exam Engineering) - For Symbiosis Institute of Technology
SNUSAT (Shiv Nadar University Aptitude Test) → For Shiv Nader University. They also accept JEE Main, SAT, ACT, etc.
LPUNEST (LPU National Entrance and Scholarship Test) → For Lovely Professional Univerity
AAA (Asoka Aptitude Assessment) → For Ashoka University
These options are best for students targeting reputed private universities with a dependable placement record.
Students who are unsure about traditional B.Tech programs can explore tech-oriented alternatives without JEE Main -
Scaler School of Technology → Offers a 4-year offline (Bangalore) undergraduate program in Computer Science and AI with specialisations in new-age technologies and a future-ready curriculum designed by industry leaders. They have their entrance exam called the Scaler National Scholarship & Entrance Test (NSET).
Kalvium → Focuses on real-world readiness and offers courses in Software Product Engineering and AI in partnership with NAAC A+ universities. They have their entrance exam called the Kalvium National Entrance Test (KNET).
These options are best for students who want to pursue tech careers without traditional engineering degrees.
or students interested in global opportunities or interdisciplinary programs, these options offer an alternative to JEE Main.
SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) → Required for admissions to IIT Madras Data Science Program and some Indian universities accepting international admissions.
ACT (American College Testing) → Required for admissions to Universities in the US such as MIT, Stanford, NUS, etc.
IIIT-H SUGEE (IIIT Hyderabad Special Channel of Admission) → Direct admissions based on UGEE (Undergraduate Entrance Exam) for research-focused students.
CUET (Common University Exams) → Required for admissions to BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) programs
NEST (National Entrance Exams) → Required for admissions in BSc (Bachelor of Science) programs such as those in Data Science & AI offered by IIT Madras, Ashoka University, and ISI Kolkata, among others)
These options are best for students interested in international programs or interdisciplinary courses such as AI, Coding, Data Science, Bioengineering, etc.
