How to Get Admission into IITs With or Without JEE

Content Creator : Prabhjot
11-10-2024

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are among the most prestigious educational institutions in India, renowned for their world-class engineering and technology programs. Every year, thousands of students aim to gain admission into IITs, and it has become synonymous with high-quality education, innovation, and high-paying job opportunities. While IITs are best known for their Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programs, they also offer a variety of other courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.

If you're wondering how to get admission into IITs, especially after completing 12th grade, this detailed guide will take you through the process, eligibility criteria, and alternatives to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for different courses at IITs.

IIT JEE Main Exam: The First Step to IITs

The IIT JEE Main exam is the first step for those aspiring to pursue a B.Tech from IITs. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), this exam is held online (computer-based) and serves as the qualifying test for JEE Advanced, which is the final gateway to IITs.

Key Points about JEE Main:

Mode of Examination: Online (computer-based)
Eligibility:
- Candidates must have passed their 12th board exam (or an equivalent qualification) with subjects like Physics, Mathematics, and either Chemistry, Biology, or Biotechnology.
- For general category students, a minimum of 75% marks is required, while SC/ST candidates need at least 65%.
- Alternatively, candidates must be in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards.
- Candidates are eligible to take the JEE Main exam for up to three consecutive years, beginning from the year they pass their 12th board exams.
Attempts: JEE Main is conducted twice yearly (January and April).

Clearing JEE Main enables students to advance to the next level, which is the JEE Advanced exam.

IIT JEE Advanced Exam: The Final Frontier

After qualifying for JEE Main, the next challenge is JEE Advanced, which is one of the toughest engineering entrance exams in the world. It is conducted online and evaluates candidates' depth of knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Key Points about JEE Advanced:

Eligibility:
- The top 2,50,000 candidates (including reserved categories) from JEE Main Paper 1 can appear for JEE Advanced.
- Candidates must have scored at least 75% marks in their 12th board exams (or 65% for SC/ST) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards.
- Candidates can appear for JEE Advanced for two consecutive years from the year they complete their 12th board exam.
Significance:
- Clearing JEE Advanced is a prerequisite for admission to B.Tech programs across all IITs.

Once you clear JEE Advanced, you are eligible to participate in the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counseling process, which allocates seats in IITs based on your rank, preferences, and availability of seats.

JEE B.Arch (AAT): For Architecture Aspirants

For students who want to pursue a career in architecture, the JEE B.Arch or Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) is the pathway. Only students who qualify JEE Advanced can appear for AAT.

Key Points about AAT:

Eligibility: You must qualify both JEE Main and JEE Advanced to take the AAT.
Participating Institutes: Architecture courses are offered by only two IITs: IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee.

If you're keen on entering the architecture field at IIT, clearing this additional test is mandatory.

Eligibility Criteria for JEE Main and JEE Advanced 2025

Academic Requirements:
- Must have passed the 12th board exam with Physics, Mathematics, and either Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology.
- A minimum of 75% is required for candidates in the general category, while SC/ST candidates need at least 65%.
- Alternatively, being in the top 20 percentile of the respective board is also accepted.
Age Limit: There is no age limit to appear for JEE Main.
Attempts: Candidates can appear for the exam three consecutive years from the year they pass the 12th board.

Eligibility Criteria for JEE Advanced 2025:

Candidates need to be among the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main to qualify.
A minimum of 75% marks in the 12th board exam (or 65% for SC/ST) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective board.
Candidates are allowed to take the JEE Advanced exam for two consecutive years following the completion of their 12th grade.

How to Take Admission into IIT Without JEE?

You can get into IITs without appearing for JEE, but only for courses other than B.Tech. IITs offer several postgraduate and undergraduate programs that do not require JEE scores.

Alternative Ways to Get into IIT:

JAM (Joint Admission Test): For admission to M.Sc. programs in IITs.
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering): For admission to postgraduate programs (M.Tech) in engineering.
UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design): For admission to B.Des (Bachelor of Design) programs.
CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design): For admission to postgraduate design programs.
HSEE (Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Exam): For admission to integrated M.A. programs at IITs.
CAT (Common Admission Test): For admission to MBA programs in IITs.

What is the Fee Structure of IIT?

IITs offer about 12,000 seats for undergraduate courses, and around 2.5 million students take the JEE Advanced exam each year to get in. The HRD Ministry has confirmed that the fee structure for 2024 will remain the same as last year, with no increase in fees.

The current annual tuition fee for courses at IITs is Rs.2.5 lakh. For a full four-year B.Tech course, the total cost comes to around Rs 8-10 lakh. Over the past six years, the fees for B.Tech students have risen from Rs 50,000 per year to Rs 3 lakh per year.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the IIT B.Tech fee structure:

College Name	B. Tech course fee per Semester (Approx.)	Hostel charges per Semester	Total fees for General/ OBC Candidates	Total Fees for SC/ST/PH candidates
IIT Bombay	INR 1,19,750	INR 13,000	INR 9,50,000	INR 1,36,000
IIT Bhubaneswar	INR 1,43,000	INR 19,300	INR 10,00,000	INR 2,17,100
IIT Bhilai	INR 1,08,000	INR 33,500	INR 8,00,000	INR 3,43,000
IIT Dharwad	INR 1,22,876	INR 13,000	INR 9,70,000	INR 1.83,512
IIT Dhanbad (ISM)	INR 1,00,000	NA	INR 8,00,000	INR 2,24,100
IIT Delhi	INR 1,07,800	NA	INR 8,50,000	INR 2,00,000
IIT Guwahati	INR 1,11,750	INR 18,120	INR 8,50,000	INR 2,38,960
IIT Goa	INR 1,22,876	INR 13,000	INR 9,00,000	INR 2,87,008
IIT Gandhinagar	INR 1,28,500	INR 15,500	INR 10,00,000	INR 3,52,000
IIT Indore	INR 1,28,650	NA	INR 10,00,000	INR 2,29,200
IIT Hyderabad	INR 1,19,000	INR 28,000	INR 9,00,000	INR 2,99,000
IIT Jodhpur	INR 1,18,275	NA	INR 9,50,000	INR 1,52,000
IIT Jammu	INR 1,15,300	NA	INR 9,50,000	INR 66,400
IIT Kharagpur	INR 1,48,700	INR 25,100	INR 10,00,000	INR 2,16,165
IIT Kanpur	INR 1,12,142	INR 12,175	INR 8,50,000	INR 1,84,536
IIT Mandi	INR 1,20,350	INR 12,000	INR 8,50,000	INR 61,500
IIT Madras	INR 1,12,663	INR 23,750	INR 8,00,000	INR 3,00,000
IIT Patna	INR 1,13,300	INR 14,500	INR 8,20,000	INR 3,29,600
IIT Palakkad	INR 1,12,600	INR 23,150	INR 9,10,800	INR 2,67,950
IIT Ropar	INR 1,13,650	NA	INR 4,44,700	INR 60,376
IIT Roorkee	INR 1,18,480	INR 16,000	INR 5,07,040	INR 1,60,000
IIT Varanasi	INR 1,20,700	INR 12,000	INR 8,62,350	INR 1,83,600
IIT Tirupati	INR 1,12,700	INR 27,750	INR 8,71,760	INR 71,760

Final Words

Ultimately, while the IIT JEE exam is considered one of the toughest competitive exams in the world, with the right preparation and dedication, you can get admission in IITs your way into the Indian Institutes of Technology, laying a strong foundation for a bright future in the field of engineering, technology, and beyond