The moment you type “entrance exams for undergraduate courses in India,” Google curates a list of the most popular exams, including BITSAT, JEE Main, NEET, VITEEE, Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, JEE Advanced, CUCET, law entrance exams, NATA, etc. However, it does not show you which exam is for B.Tech and which is for B.Sc. This causes confusion for many parents trying to understand the difference between the two and which exam leads to which degree.

Here is a simple differentiation to help parents select the best option for their students.

1. BITSAT (Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test)

• Courses:
  • B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology)
  • B.Pharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy)
  • Integrated M.Sc. programs (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, etc.)
• Institutions: BITS Pilani, BITS Goa, and BITS Hyderabad campuses.

2. JEE Main (Joint Entrance Examination Main)

• Courses:
  • B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology)
  • B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture)
  • B.Planning (Bachelor of Planning)
• Institutions: National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). Also serves as the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced for admission to IITs.

3. NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)

• Courses:
  • MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery)
  • BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)
  • BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery)
  • BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery)
  • BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery)
  • B.V.Sc & AH (Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry)
• Institutions: Medical and dental colleges across India, including government, private, and deemed universities.

4. VITEEE (Vellore Institute of Technology Engineering Entrance Examination)

• Courses:
  • B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology)
• Institutions: Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) campuses in Vellore, Chennai, Amaravati (AP), and Bhopal (MP).

5. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)

• Courses:
  • M.Tech (Master of Technology)
  • M.E. (Master of Engineering)
  • Ph.D. in Engineering/Technology/Architecture
• Institutions: Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Science (IISc), and other premier engineering colleges. Some Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) also use GATE scores for recruitment.

6. JEE Advanced (Joint Entrance Examination Advanced)

• Courses:
  • B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology)
  • B.S. (Bachelor of Science)
  • Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech)
  • Integrated M.Sc. (Master of Science)
• Institutions: Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across India.

7. CUET (Common University Entrance Test)

• Courses:
  • Undergraduate programs across various streams (Science, Commerce, Arts, etc.)
• Institutions: Central Universities and other participating institutions offering a wide range of undergraduate programs including B.Sc, B.A., B.Com, and B.Tech (in some cases).

8. NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture)

• Courses:
  • B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture)
• Institutions: Architecture colleges across India.