How to Get Admission in IIT Without JEE Entrance Exam

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are the most prestigious and coveted engineering institutes in India. Every year, over a million students appear for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and Advanced exams which are the primary gateway to getting into the IITs for B.Tech and integrated degree programs. However, what many students don't realize is that the JEE is not the only way to get admission into the IITs. While it is the most common entrance exam, there are certain other alternative paths too that allow you to get into these top institutes without taking the high-pressure JEE. Whether you want to avoid the intense JEE preparation or didn't score well enough in the exams, there are still options available if you aspire to study at an IIT. From direct admission for international students to lateral entry from other institutes, research routes and more - we will discuss the eligibility criteria, application process and selection methodology for these alternative admission pathways into the IITs. So if you've set your sights on studying at one of the IITs, don't lose hope even if you haven't taken the JEE. Read on to find out how you can get into these prestigious engineering institutes through alternative routes.

List Of Entrance Exams To Get Admission into IITs Without JEE

Here are some of the alternative entrance exams that can help you get into IITs without taking JEE. GATE or Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is a national-level exam conducted jointly by the IITs and IISc Bangalore. It primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and science. 

GATE 

GATE is conducted annually with multiple choice questions and numerical answer type questions. It is mandatory to qualify GATE for seeking admission to postgraduate programs like M.Tech/ME/MS at IITs and other institutes. However, some IITs also admit students to B.Tech courses through GATE based on seat availability. For instance, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee allow PSU employees to directly seek B.Tech admission on the basis of their GATE score. The eligibility is having at least 2 years of work experience in PSUs after qualifying diploma or B.Sc graduation. So if you are a PSU employee who could not clear JEE, you can write GATE after graduation and use it to enter IITs for B.Tech. The admissions are based on GATE score and availability of seats in the particular branch and IIT.

Eligibility criteria for GATE exam

The eligibility criteria for the GATE exam is - having a bachelor's degree in engineering, technology, architecture or post-diploma in these fields, and no age limit.

IITs that accept GATE Scores 

• IIT Delhi
• IIT Guwahati
• IIT Roorkee
• IIT Kanpur
• IIT Kharagpur
• IIT Bombay
• IIT Madras
• IIT Gandhinagar

Common Admission Test 

CAT stands for Common Admission Test and is conducted by IIMs for their management programs. However, many IITs also accept CAT scores for admission to management degrees like MBA. The advantage is that those who did not take JEE or could not qualify can still enter IITs by taking CAT. So CAT provides an alternative route to enter IITs for management education without needing an engineering background or taking JEE. However, it is only applicable for MBA and not any other programs like BTech/MTech offered by IITs

Eligibility for CAT Examinations to Enter IIT

The eligibility is having a bachelor's degree with minimum 50% marks. No specific engineering background is required. Performance in CAT along with other criteria like work experience determines selection for IITs' MBA programs.

IITs that Accept CAT Score For Entrance Into IITs

• IIT Delhi
• IIT Kanpur
• IIT Kharagpur
• IIT Roorkee
• IIT Bombay
• IIT Madras
• IIT Hyderabad
• IIT Gandhinagar
• IIT Ropar

So, most of the older and prominent IITs leverage CAT as an entrance exam for their management programs, providing an alternative route for MBA aspirants to get into IITs without taking JEE.

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)

UCEED stands for Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design. It is conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to the Bachelor of Design (BDes) program offered at IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad and IIITDM Jabalpur. UCEED is an alternative to JEE for admission specifically to the design programs at these IITs. It evaluates drawing, visualisation, observation, design thinking ability, creative and innovative thinking. The exam has two parts - Part A is a computer-based test with multiple choice questions assessing visual perception and design thinking. Part B evaluates drawing skills through pen and paper tests.

Eligibility Criteria for UCEED

Eligibility is passing Class 12th or equivalent in any stream. Both Indian and foreign nationals can apply. The final admission is based on UCEED score, Class 12th marks and design aptitude interview. So those interested in design and applied arts can take UCEED to enter IITs without attempting JEE.

IIT s That Accept UCEED Scores

IIT Bombay - Offers a Bachelor of Design (BDes) program through its Department of Design. UCEED scores are used for admission. IIT Guwahati - Has a BDes program in Design at its Design Department. UCEED is the entrance exam. IIT Hyderabad - Admits students into its BDes program in Design based on UCEED performance. IIITDM Jabalpur - Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing Jabalpur offers BDes program through UCEED. IIT Delhi - Admits students in BDes program at Department of Design based on UCEED.

Common Entrance Exam For Design (CEED)

CEED stands for Common Entrance Exam for Design. It is conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to Master of Design (MDes) programs offered at various IITs and other design institutes. CEED provides an alternate entry route specifically into design programs at IITs without needing to take JEE. The exam tests creative thinking, drawing, visualisation, observation skills, design sensitivity through multiple choice questions, sketching and drawing tests. It allows design aspirants to bypass JEE and still gain entry into IITs for design education.

Eligibility criteria for CEED

Bachelor's degree in any discipline or qualifying UCEED. Both Indian and international candidates can apply.

IITs that accept CEED scores 

IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati for their MDes programs. Final admission is based on CEED score, portfolio, and interview performance of the candidates.

Joint Admission Test (JAT) - Admission in IIT Without JEE Mains

JAM stands for Joint Admission Test for MSc. It is conducted by the IITs on a rotational basis for admission to MSc programs in various institutes including IITs. JAM offers an alternate route to get into IITs for pursuing MSc in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biotechnology, etc. without needing to take JEE. It is a national level entrance exam consisting of objective type questions testing comprehension, reasoning and analytical skills in the chosen subject.

Eligibility Criteria for JAM Exam 

bachelor's degree in the relevant subject or related disciplines. No age limit.

IITs that Accept JAM Scores

IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras Admission depends on All India Rank in JAM exam, choice of institutes/programs and availability of seats. Thus, JAM provides an alternate criteria to JEE for joining IITs for MSc programs in sciences, allowing graduates to bypass JEE and gain entry through subject specialization.

Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Exam (HSEE) 

HSEE stands for Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Examination. It is conducted by IIT Madras for admission to 5-year integrated MA programs in Humanities and Social Sciences offered at various IITs. HSEE provides an alternative route to enter IITs without needing to take JEE, specifically for Humanities and Social Sciences fields. The exam tests verbal ability, quantitative ability, reading comprehension, general awareness and analytical skills.

Eligibility Criteria for HSEE

Eligibility is passing Class 12th or equivalent in any stream. No minimum marks required.

IITs that Accept HSEE Scores

IITs that accept HSEE include IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee. Programs offered span Economics, English, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Liberal Arts. Thus, HSEE offers a way to enter IITs for Humanities/Social Sciences integrated MA programs without requiring an engineering background or taking JEE.

Courses In IIT Without JEE 

 Bachelors of Science Course at IIT Madras 

IIT Madras has launched a 4-year Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Electronic Systems starting from 2023 academic session. This undergraduate course does not require qualifying JEE Main exam for admission. Students can apply after passing Class 12 board exams. Admission will be based on a 4-week qualifier process where students will be provided content by IIT Madras faculty and given an exam. The course has a flexible structure with multiple exit options - Foundational Certificate, Diploma or full BS degree. It aims to provide industry-relevant training in electronic systems design, embedded systems, hardware skills needed for automotive, semiconductor, defence sectors.

BS in Programming and  Data Science at IIT Madras

IIT Madras offers a 3-year online BSc degree program in Data Science without requiring qualifying JEE Main exams. It allows students to earn an IIT undergraduate degree in data science through online mode, without appearing for JEE Mains/Advanced. Admission is open to anyone who has passed Class 12 and studied mathematics till Class 10. No age limit. A one month online qualifier program trains students on basics, followed by a qualifying exam. Those who clear it can enroll in foundation level. Flexible structure allows multiple exit options - Certificate on clearing foundation, Diploma on completing diploma level, BSc Degree after finishing all levels. Curriculum includes foundational maths, programming, statistics, machine learning, data analytics. Taught by IIT Madras faculty.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Certificate Course by IIT Rourkee

It is a 4-month online certificate course in AI and ML offered by IIT Rourkee through NPTEL platform. Provides foundational understanding of AI and ML concepts like neural networks, computer vision, NLP, reinforcement learning etc. Eligibility is a bachelor's degree in any discipline. No specific entrance exam required. Covers PYTHON programming, TensorFlow, machine learning algorithms, applications of AI and ML. Certification is based on scoring at least 40% in quizzes and getting a satisfactory grade in coding assignments. Helps build expertise in AI-ML for career opportunities or higher studies in emerging technologies.

Artificial Intelligence Course by IIT Madras

It is a 6-week online certification course on Foundations of Artificial Intelligence offered through NPTEL. Covers fundamental concepts in AI like search algorithms, knowledge representation, machine learning, neural networks, computer vision etc. Eligibility is basic programming experience. No entrance exam required for enrollment. Certification is based on scoring a minimum 60% aggregate over all assignments and exams.

Bachelor of Science at IIT Madras

It is a 4-year undergraduate BS degree program in Programming and Data Science launched in 2022. Admission is based on a 4-week qualifier test conducted by IIT Madras, open to anyone who has passed class 12. Flexible curriculum allowing multiple entry and exit points - BS degree, Diploma or Certificate. Aimed at producing trained programmers and data scientists to meet industry demand.  There are many more such short-term courses to get into IIT without JEE scores. Check out this comprehensive list of all courses that you can get admission in itts without jee scores Get Admission in IITs without JEE

Get Admission in IIT Without JEE Advanced/Mains

The IITs remain the most prestigious engineering institutes in India that students aspire to get into. While the JEE Mains/ JEE advanced exam is the most popular pathway for IIT admission, it is reassuring to know that it is not the only way. As discussed, there are several alternative entrance exams like GATE, CAT, UCEED, CEED etc. that open up options to enter IITs for certain specialised programs without taking JEE. Certain new-age undergraduate programs at IITs focused on emerging tech domains are also beginning to offer admissions based on qualifier tests rather than JEE. So with the right information and preparation, you  can chart your way into getting IIT-level education even without attempting the high-pressure JEE exams. The alternate routes may offer limited seats, but remain worthwhile to explore. The IIT experience and learning can truly nurture your knowledge, skills and career opportunities in a chosen field.