List of Top Entrance Exams for 12th Science Students India

Top Entrance Exams for Class 12 Science Students: The journey after the board exams for Class 12 Science students can be exciting, as they can enrol in institutes that help them build their dream Science careers. Whether these students aspire to become engineers, doctors, scientists, researchers, or pursue careers in pure sciences, India offers a wide range of national and state-level Science entrance exams to help them secure admission to prestigious institutes.

If you want to learn about the top Science entrance exams in India for Class 12 Science students (national-level exams), you are on the right platform. This SciAstra article lists these exams and provides information about their exam pattern and other relevant details.

The objective here is to help Science students know the best Science entrance exams after Class 12 and career fields related to them. So, read on!

Top Science Entrance Exams After Class 12

To make your search easier, we have highlighted the key entrance exams for Class 12 Science students below.

Top Entrance Exams for Class 12 Science Students (Engineering)

Students pursuing Class 12 and those who have passed Class 12 can take JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT and VITEEE exams to become engineers. Find details about these exams below:

Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main

JEE Main is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to BTech, BPlan (Bachelor of Planning), and BArch courses offered by IITs, NITs, and CFTIs. Candidates need to note that they will have to clear JEE Advanced top scores after JEE Main for admission to IITs. Many private institutes also accept JEE Main scores for admission.

The exam is held twice a year, in January and April, in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across more than 300 cities in India and abroad.

The registration for JEE Main 2026 (Session 1) started on October 31, 2025. Candidates can fill out the registration form until November 27, 2025. To learn more about JEE Main, check the exam overview below:

Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Advanced

IITs (on a rotational basis) conduct JEE Advanced as the second phase of JEE Main for admission to IITs. It must be noted that only the top 2.5 lakh performers in JEE Main are eligible to appear for JEE Advanced. Candidates are allowed two attempts in two consecutive years. The registration for JEE Advanced 2026 will tentatively begin in April 2026 at jeeadv.ac.in. The overview of the JEE Advanced is available as follows:

Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT)

Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) conducts BITSAT, a national-level exam for admission to Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) courses offered by BITS Institutes. Every year, BITS Pilani conducts two sessions of the exam. Candidates who meet the exam eligibility criteria can appear for one or both sessions. If a candidate takes both sessions of the BITSAT exam, the best score will be considered for admission.

The BITSAT 2026 registration (session 1) is expected to start in the third week of January 2026 at bitsadmission.com. Check out the overview of BISAT below:

Vellore Institute of Technology Entrance Examination (VITEEE)

The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) conducts VITEEE for admission to BTech programmes offered at its campuses. This exam is highly popular among engineering aspirants, as VIT is one of the top institutes in the engineering domain, with an NIRF ranking of 16 in 2025.

VITEEE 2026 registration started on October 24, 2025, at viteee.vit.ac.in. The last date to fill out the registration form is March 31, 2026.

The most important details related to the exam are mentioned as follows:

Top Entrance Exam for Class 12 Science Students (Medical)

The primary gateway to quality education in the medical field is the NEET UG exam. It is one of the most challenging exams, as a large number of candidates appear in it. Check out the details about this popular Science entrance exam after 12 medical aspirants below.

Top Entrance Exam for Class 12 Science Students (Science & Research)

The most popular entrance exams for Science students after Class 12 are IAT and NEST. The SciAstra platform helps candidates prepare for the IAT and NEST exams.​

We also provide assistance for ISI and CMI preparation, paving the way for students aspiring to research careers.​​

To learn more about these research-orientated entrance exams, please read further.

IISER Aptitude Test (IAT)

IAT is conducted for admissions to the 5-Year BS-MS Dual Degree, 4-Year BS (IISER Bhopal & IISER Tirupati), and B.Tech (IISER Bhopal) programmes. The IISER 2026 application form will tentatively be released in March 2026 on the official IISER website – iiseradmission.in. The candidates interested in developing a career in the field of research must take the IAT 2026 exam. Check out all the important exam details below:

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST)

NEST is held for admission to the 5-year Integrated MSc programmes in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at NISER Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai – DAE CEBS, Mumbai.

The NEST 2026 application process is expected to begin in the third week of February 2026. The exam will likely be conducted in the third or fourth week of June 2026, as per the tentative schedule.​

Candidates who follow the right preparation strategy can score well in the exam. If you’re unsure how to prepare effectively, SciAstra’s IAT and NEST courses are designed to help guide your preparation.

If you have decided to pursue a research career, be sure to review the following key details about the NEST exam.

Prepare for IAT & NEST with SciAstra!

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Your pathway to top institutes begins here.

Top Entrance Exams for Class 12 Science Students (Architecture)

If gigantic buildings and well-planned infrastructure fascinate you, then NATA is the ideal entrance exam to help you get admission to undergraduate Architecture programmes.​

To know important details about the exam, read further.

National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA)

The Council of Architecture (CoA) conducts NATA for selecting candidates for admission to 5-year Bachelor of Architecture courses. It measures the aptitude of the applicant for specific field of study i.e. Architecture, through assessment of cognitive skills, visual perception and aesthetic sensitivity tests, logical reasoning and critical thinking ability, etc.

Check out the overview of NATA below:

Conclusion

Selection of the right entrance exam after Class 12 is the most crucial decision for a student pursuing Science, as it will shape their academic and professional journey. Whether you want to be an engineer, doctor, researcher, or architect, India has various reputed national-level entrance exams like JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, VITEEE, NEET UG, IAT, NEST, and NATA that open doors to highly reputed institutes and careers.

Students need to check the eligibility, pattern of the examination, and career paths available before deciding on an exam. Proper planning and focused preparation will help you crack the exam of your preference and get closer to building a successful career in the field of your choice.

In case you need more guidance to understand these exams or prepare for Science and Research pathways like IAT and NEST, our platform, SciAstra, can support you with expert-led preparation programmes.