Demystifying the Admission Process for Engineering Colleges : Tips and Insights

The first competitive exam for an Indian student is the Xth Std Boards - SSC, ICSE or CBSE. The number of teenagers these days that miss the perfect 100, scoring in the nineties, would make a Sachin Tendulkar proud.

But very soon do these children realise that their Xth marks which were a door to admission to their coveted college, are just a consolation win. Except for accolades at school and in society circles, they mean nothing. And that is because a reputed Junior college these days means nothing to an MBBS or BE aspirant.

So that would make one wonder - why have colleges lost their charm?

The answer is pretty obvious. With the surge in popularity of coaching institutes and private tutions, importance of colleges is merely a fulfilment of an attendance criteria. The ‘integrated’ system of education after the Xth, where the Junior college and coaching class is merged into one institute, has further reduced the colleges to a caricature, but is very productive for students who are ready for the grind.

I shall focus predominantly on the admissions to the B.E / B Tech courses here.

There are quite a few Coaching classes that enrol students for the integrated courses like Vidyalankar, PACE, Allen etc. You could also take private tutions / classes and college separately but that would be quite an exhaustive running around.

Let’s clarify which are the exams that a student needs to take to enter the Engineering faculty.

JEE MAINS- For All India Engg colleges which include IIITs, NITs and a few more on the panel

JEE ADVANCE - IITs

CET - State Engineering colleges

BITSAT - BITS Pilani colleges

And many other private colleges’ entrance exams like VITEEE, SRMJEEE, MET, etc.

XII th Boards - Compulsory for all streams

Calling oneself an IITian has always been a dream for most of the engineering candidates which is pretty much obvious from the figures. Most of the coaching centres thus focus mainly on JEE MAINS and ADVANCE, but whilst preparing students for these, also get them ready for the CET.

To be eligible to get admission to the IITs, one has to first crack the JEE MAINS with a score good enough to clear the cut-off for the ADVANCE.

In 2024, the cut-off for qualifying for the ADVANCE was a 93.2 percentile in MAINS.

Hey, just a heads up: You get 2 tries for the MAINS, and the better score out of the 2 will be considered.

Once, you have qualified for the ADVANCE, you have to now crack it with a score good enough to qualify for admission to the IITs. It is indeed a grind to clear these exams that no doubt needs intellect but I’d say a lot more sincerity and dedication for all of the 2 yrs after the Xth.

Forget about college life, parties, late night get togethers for these 2 yrs and you shall reap the benefits in your degree colleges.

Many students take a backseat once they realise that it isn’t their cup of tea. Options are aplenty but your priorities need to be correct.

Recommendation: If you are not prepared to spend the next 4-5 years away from home, focus exclusively on CET. For those aspiring to gain admission to a prestigious university, consider taking the JEE MAINS/Advance/BITSAT examinations.

There are various college rankings available across the internet, most popular being NIRF, not most reliable though.

A thorough research through Google, Quora and Reddit groups, etc will help students get a fair idea of how colleges are placed.

Another dilemma awaits many. Whether to select a high ranking institute irrespective of your faculty preference or accept a lower college but stick to your faculty. This probably is more of a personal choice, although I would on a personal note give more preference to the faculty rather than the college.

Most of these exams have an overlapping syllabus and are scheduled between Jan-June.

You have 2 attempts at JEE and BITSAT, while JEE Advance gives you only one shot at it.

All of them have their individual ranking systems. For eg JEE MAINS and CET have a percentile based scoring, while BITSAT has a marks system.

It is imperative that students study the nuances between the individual exams.

Tip: It's worth noting that BITSAT also offers bonus marks, which can significantly boost your overall score.

The other challenge that students may face could be the spacing of various exams. Since most of the competitive exams are concentrated in the months of May/June, it is important to prioritise. If you have qualified for JEE ADVANCE and feel that you are a serious contender for IIT, give the Advance your best shot.

The competitiveness of these exams can be gauged by these 2024 figures:

14,15,110 students appeared for JEE MAINS

1,80,200 appeared for ADVANCE

~ 3 Lakh appeared for BITSAT

2,95,577 appeared for MHT CET(PCM)

IIT may be a dream for most and may remain a dream for most, but careers don’t start and end at the IITs.

BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, NIT Trichy, and a host of other IIITs and NITs, VJTI, COEP, to name a few are also highly reputable institutes that have good teaching facilities and placement opportunities.

“Success in these exams is not just about mastering physics, chemistry, and mathematics; it’s about perseverance, dedication, and a strategic approach to problem-solving. It’s a journey of intense preparation that shapes not just your career, but your character.”