Engg. Entrance

Engineering entrance examination is just another step in order for one to be accepted and be enrolled in one of the many major universities in the world. Almost all countries also have engineering entrance examinations in order to maintain a good quality of education and also students who will be recipient of such first class teaching form the school. Although the test is needed for those who want to enrol under the college of engineering, it does not mean that all the schools possess such examination. There are also schools which no longer require the test because all they need is for him to pass the generic test conducted in the same school.
Engineering entrance exam is conducted to ensure that the student prior to entering the college life of the engineering field is ready and has enough capability to absorb the knowledge which is to be imbibed to him. There are cases when no matter how eager the student is, still his mind may not have the capacity to understand things and subjects related to engineering. In a way, this is like to make sure that he get to understand the thing which will be taught of him. It should be understood that there should be no wasting of life and time for students who entered the university.
Entrance examination for Engineering is also another measurement of the possibility that he will also pass the board examination for engineers in the future or after he graduates from the college of engineering. IT is a way of checking if all the efforts of the teacher will be worth it after four or five years of teaching. The examination is the gauge as they often call it and this should not be wasted because there are a lot of eager and talented students who also want to have good learning under the college of Engineering.
Entrance exams of Engineering may vary according to countries and universities. The most common from many of them is that they have math and physics and yes, all the components of the difficult mathematics that one can think of. There is also the basic aptitude test which is not just about knowing the generic but also knowing the smartness of a particular student. The entrance examination can be of different format and nothing is really the same except that it will have mathematics and science as the two of the major parts in the exam.
List of the entrance exams for engineering offered by Engineering Institutes:

• All India Engineering/ Architecture Entrance Examination (AIEEE)

The All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), is conducted by the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) in India. This exam was introduced in year 2002. It’s a national level exam for admission to different under-graduate engineering and architecture courses. Institutes that accept the AIEEE score include 30 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and five Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs). The exam is conducted on the last Sunday of April and results are announced by end of May. Merit list is formed on an all-India basis and state-wise too. Thus, students have an All India Rank as well as a state rank.

The following candidates are eligible to appear in AIEEE:

• Minimum qualification is 10+2 with 50% minimum marks for general category and 40% for reserved categories.
• Those appearing in 10+2 can also appear in AIEEE on provisional basis
• For admission to B. E./ B. Tech., physics and mathematics are required as compulsory subjects in 10+2.
• The students who have completed 10+2 in the last two years or appearing in the current year can only apply for AIEEE.
• For AIEEE 2011, the candidates born on or after 1st Oct 1986 (1981 for SC/ST/PH categories) are eligible.

Students seeking admission to B. Tech are tested in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in an objective type paper with equal weightage to all the three sections. Students aiming for B. Arch. have to take objective type test in mathematics and aptitude and subjective type in drawing paper. The duration of the exam is 3 hours but the maximum marks and the number of questions asked keep on changing every year.

In year 2010, approximately 1,150,000 candidates appeared for AIEEE while in 2009, around 962,000 candidates took the AIEEE. It has 1460 centers in India along with the international centers at Dubai and Riyadh. Out of approximately one million students who take the exam every year, very few students make it to the the counseling. AIEEE has started off-campus online counseling, where all eligible students can participate from first week of June. This is quite convenient, as students don’t need to travel for the counseling.

As affirmed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), 50% of the seats in NITs will be reserved for AIEEE eligible candidates of states, and the remaining 50% will be open for students on all India Merit basis. On the other hand, IIIT’s will consider All India Merit to fill all their seats.

• Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers (AMIE) Examination

The Institution of Engineers India Limited (IEIL) conducts Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (AMIE) exam for admission to AMIE course. This degree is equivalent to B.E./B.Tech. and all major streams of engineering such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communication, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical etc are offered. An associate member candidate can take exams like GATE, GRE, Indian Engineering Services, Civil services etc, which makes him eligible for post graduate and higher courses. AMIE members can also work with government/private organizations in their field of specialization.

Exams are conducted twice every year, in may/June and November/December. Dates and details are released in the Technicians journal. Institution of Engineers India Limited (IEIL) has framed AMIE program in two sections – Section A and Section B.

Section A is compulsory for all the candidates. In section B, a member has to choose a particular branch of engineering program. Sr. Tech members are eligible for diploma stream whereas tech members with a minimum one-year enrollment are eligible for non-Diploma stream.

Subjects in the Section A of the examination are:

Diploma Stream

• Society and Environment
• Material Science and Engineering
• Computing and Informatics
• Fundamentals of Design and Manufacturing

Non-Diploma Stream

• Engineering Drawing and Graphics
• Mechanical Science
• Electrical Science
• Engineering Physics And Chemistry
• Fundamentals of Design & Manufacturing
• Engineering Mathematics
• Computing and Informatics
• Society and Environment
• Material Science and Engineering
• Electronics & Instrumentation

Once a student passes Section A, he can appear for the Section B examination and once he has passed in at least five papers of section B, he will be allowed to appear for Laboratory experiments. Project Work consists of 10 papers of which six are compulsory and three are optional.

Each exam has duration of 3 hours. A candidate is allowed a maximum of four papers from section A, and four papers from section B. The time limit to complete Section A is 6 months for Diploma stream and 1.5 years for non-Diploma stream. The time limit to complete Section B is 1.5 years for both streams. The One can enroll for project and laboratory work only after he has cleared five subjects of Section B.

After a student gets his degree from AMIE, he can work in the industry of his specialization or can go for higher studies. Thus, this degree helps those students who can’t go for regular engineering courses to fulfill their dream of becoming an engineer.

• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)

GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is conducted every year at a national level. Total eight institutes including IIS Bangalore and seven IITs are responsible for jointly conducting this test on behalf of Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) of Indian Government. The representatives from all administering institutes form a GATE committee, which regulates the exam as well as the results.

The main purpose of this test is to identify brilliant students for admission to Master’s Programs in Engineering, Technology, Architecture and Pharmacy. Apart from Indian educational institutes, few institutes in Germany and Singapore also consider GATE score as an evaluation measure for admission to their Master’s Programs. GATE score is considered as a criterion for awarding government scholarships, fellowships and assistantships in engineering institutes.

The following candidates are eligible to appear in this exam:

• Bachelor’s degree holders in Engineering, Technology, Architecture and Pharmacy along with final or pre-final year students can apply.
• Master’s degree holders from any branch of Science, Statistics, Mathematics and Computer applications along with final or pre-final year students are also eligible.
• Students in the second, third or fourth year of four-year Integrated Master’s degree program or in the third, fourth or fifth year of Five-year Integrated Master’s degree program and Dual Degree program in Engineering and Technology are eligible.
• Those candidates who have got other qualification equivalent to B.Tech/B.E. (such as AMIE) from recognized professional institutes are also eligible.

The GATE exam contains 60 multiple-choice questions with four choices in each question. The duration of paper is 3 hours and maximum marks are 100. Negative marking is also there for wrong answers. There is one paper for every branch and a candidate can choose any one of them as per his discipline.

The result is declared in terms of actual marks, GATE score, Percentile and All India Rank. The GATE scorecard is valid for two years. The GATE score is in the range of 0 to 1000 and is calculated by using a special formula that considers average score and standard deviation of all candidates in current and the previous years. A score of 800 and above is considered as outstanding. In terms of percentile, 96 and above is considered a good score for applying to IITs. A percentile of 85-96 is good for admission to TOP RECs.

Thus, GATE is a mandatory exam for students who are aspiring to do specialization in a certain area. Various reputed R&D institutes require M. Tech and/or PhD as qualification criteria for their research positions. The opportunities in this sector are promising as many foreign companies are outsourcing their research activities to Indian institutes.

• ISAT Admission Test (IIST, Thiruvananthapuram)

ISAT Admission Test (IIST, Thiruvananthapuram):

ISAT (Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Admission Test) is conducted by IIST, Thiruvananthapuram, which is Asia’s first Space University to offer courses in Space Science and technology for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. It offers B.Tech. degree courses in Aerospace Engineering, Physical Sciences and Avionics. Score attained in the ISAT is considered as a major criterion in Admissions to these courses. The ISAT – 2011 was conducted on 16th April 2011. It has duration of three hours and the online registration began from 1st November 2010. Students can also visit the official website at www.iist.ac.in for detailed information.

The students after completion of their degree, on the condition of a minimum specified academic score are absorbed in ISRO as Engineers/Scientists. Students are also offered an assistantship during their B.Tech degree to cover the cost of education, boarding, lodging and healthcare. Eligibility criteria for students appearing in ISAT are as follows:

• The candidate should be an Indian citizen.
• Candidates must have attained a minimum age of 16 years in case of general category and 21 years in case of OBC categories
• A candidate who has passed the QE (qualifying examination) for the first time, in the year 2010 or 2011, provided the results are available by 1 July 2011.
• Candidates belonging to general and OBC category must obtain at least 70% marks in aggregate in their Class X, while those belonging to reserved categories must obtain at least 60% marks.
• Candidates belonging to general and OBC categories must ob at least 70% marks in aggregate in their Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) papers in their 10+2 exam, while those belonging to reserved categories must obtain at least 60% marks in aggregate in their PCM papers.

To apply for the test, the candidate has to register online on the website of the institute. Candidates have to fill submit the application form online. A nominal fee of INR 600 for general category and INR 300 for reserved category is payable at any State Bank of India (SBI) or Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch by using a triplicate form downloadable through their official website of IIST.

The career opportunities thereafter are nothing but the best. Moreover, students are exposed to the best in space technology and research. The aspiration of being a space scientist propels the best Indian brains to compete for the few available seats at IIST.

• Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)

The Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE or just JEE) is the most coveted annual college entrance examination in India. It is conducted by the Seven old IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) in a round robin way. About 456,000 students took this test in JEE 2010 and only 10,035 got admission.

The seventeen colleges that choose JEE as the sole criterion for admission include the seven old and eight new (Formed in 2009) Indian Institutes of Technology. IT-BHU Varanasi, ISM Dhanbad, IISERs, IIST, Indian Institute of Maritime Studies and RGIPT Raebarely (U. P.) are also taking admissions based upon rankings of the candidates in the JEE (Extended Merit List).

The eligibility criteria for IIT_JEE 2010 are as under:

• The Candidate should be born after 1 October 1986 (25 yrs) for general category and there is a relaxation of 5 years i.e. 30 yrs is the maximum age limit in case of reserved category.
• A minimum of 60% marks in their QE (qualifying examination) for general students and 55% for the reserved category.
• A candidate can appear only twice in JEE for two consecutive years.
• Candidate must show his original certificates at the time of admissions.
• A valid physical fitness certificate from a registered Medical practitioner must be submitted.

The entrance exam is conducted in a high scrutiny environment. One of the old IIT’s conducts it based on round robin methodology. The JEE Committee makes sure that the content of the question papers is original and multiple sets are prepared. Only five individuals know the actual set used on the exam day.

IIT-JEE is the toughest nut to crack as you are competing with India’s most brilliant and promising students. It has a selectivity of 1 in 35. The tenure of the degree varies from four to five years. The exam pattern comprises of two objective type papers, each containing mathematics, physics and chemistry sections. The pattern of questions in JEE is kept variable. As it is objective type questions, optical mark recognition answer sheets have been adopted.

During the placement season, the fortune 500 companies offer the most lucrative pay packages to the students. Numerous top companies visit their campuses for placements in search of the brightest grey matter that India has to offer. Top MNCs around the world have IIT’s alumni in their top-level management positions and a good percentage of their workforce is that of us INDIANS.

• National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA)

he National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) is a national level examination conducted by National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture (NIASA), an academic unit formed by the Council of Architecture, New Delhi. NATA scores serve as a major criterion for admission to undergraduate courses in Architecture during admission in many universities and institutes together with the state level universities.

Based on its results, students are admitted to the first year of a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) degree. The Central Government hosts the National Aptitude Test in Architecture in order to impart scholarship to the poor candidates. Students from the rural area get benefited from this exam. The acceptance ratio is less, as the number of students is very high as compared to the seats available.

NATA is conducted from 1st January to 30th September each year at authorized testing centers across India. Students have to fix his appointment before hand and they can appear for NATA multiple times, if required.

Eligibility criteria:

• Students with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in 12th and having studied mathematics as a subject are eligible. In addition, candidates with a diploma from a recognized institute with at least 50% aggregate marks can apply.
• Students who have International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks and having Mathematics as a subject can also apply.
• The students must be resident of India and should have a minimum age of seventeen years as on 01st of July in the year of the entrance test.
• Students should be physically and mentally fit.

How to Apply?:

Students have to fill a pre-registration form available at the NATA website www.nata.in. The form is also available at authorized test centers. Students are then required to fix a prior appointment with the test center by paying the test fees. Students are given receipt cum appointment voucher mentioning the date and time given by the Test Center.

The test has two sections. First section is a paper based Drawing test having 3 questions. Test duration is two hours and total marks are 100. Second section is an online computer based test having questions on aesthetic sensitivity. This is also a 100 marks test and duration is one hour. The minimum marks required for qualifying are 80 out of 200.

After the completion of degree, enormous opportunities await the candidates in the field of Architecture.

• Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET) Examination

Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET), which is a Deemed-to-be-University, formed by Government of India through Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in order to provide technical education in areas of Engineering and Technology, conducts SLIET Entrance Test (SET). SLIET was established in 1991 in the memory of late Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, and is a fully funded organization.

Great emphasis is given on imparting practical training in related industry and it fulfills the technical work force requirements of various levels by following a concept of modular system. The educational programs of this institute are practical oriented and innovative.

SLIET offers direct admission to all Indian candidates who are living abroad in undergraduate engineering courses through Direct Admission of students Abroad (DASA 2011-12 ) .

There is a provision for certificate students to enter to diploma & diploma students to degree courses.
The university provides diploma certifications, degree courses and even PhD degree courses. SLIET was the first university, which offered B. Tech degree courses to diploma students thus opening newer career prospects for them. It also offers its students to upgrade from certificate to diploma courses and from diploma to degree courses. It also offers M.Tech and MBA courses.

The various disciplines of B.Tech degree offered are:

1. Computer science and Engineering
2. Electronics and communication Engineering
3. Electrical and instrumentation Engineering
4. Chemical technology with specialization in Polymer technology.
5. Food Technology
6. Instrumentation and control Engineering
7. Mechanical Engineering with specialization in welding technology
8. Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Manufacturing Technology
9. Information Technology

SLIET Entrance Exam has two papers. Paper-I consists of English, mathematics, General Knowledge, Physics, chemistry, and Mental Aptitude, while Paper-II consists of Basics of Engineering.

Eligibility criteria for appearing in SET are as under:

• All candidates having Diploma degree in any discipline from SLIET or from any other polytechnic approved by All India Council for Technical Education are eligible to take SET for degree courses.
• Candidates having a minimum qualification of 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from a recognized University or a Certificate holder from SLIET are also eligible to take SET for Diploma courses.
• The candidates, who have studied Biology, Biotechnology instead of mathematics at 10 + 2 level are also eligible.

SLIET has introduced the practice of upgrading degrees, which has helped many students to go for higher studies and earn a degree that they have desired!