Who Decides The Syllabus Of JEE, NEET, CUET Exams And How? | Explained

Last Updated:May 23, 2025, 15:52 IST

NEET, JEE And CUET Exams Syllabus: In India, admission to higher education requires clearing entrance exams like JEE, NEET, etc. following syllabi based on the NCERT curriculum

NEET, JEE And CUET Exams Syllabus: In India, gaining admission to higher education institutions after completing Class 12 typically requires clearing specific entrance examinations. Among the most prominent are the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering aspirants, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses, and the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for central universities. Additionally, many states and universities conduct their own entrance tests.

Exam Syllabi And Structure

The syllabi for these entrance exams are defined by their respective organising bodies. These organisations also decide the exam patterns and marking schemes. Notably, most of them are based on the NCERT curriculum for Class 11 and 12, ensuring students do not have to prepare extensively beyond their 12th-grade studies.

Understanding Exam Syllabi And Patterns

Each year, millions of students take the JEE, NEET, and CUET exams. To succeed, understanding the syllabus and exam pattern is crucial. Here is an overview of the bodies responsible for setting the syllabi:

JEE Main Syllabus

• Organisation: National Testing Agency (NTA)
• Details: The JEE Main syllabus is based on the NCERT syllabus for classes 11 and 12, covering Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. NTA prepares and periodically revises the syllabus with expert committees.
• Process: The syllabus follows the CBSE/NCERT guidelines for classes 11 and 12 and is published on jeemain.nta.nic.in.

NEET UG Syllabus

• Organisation: Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) under the National Medical Commission (NMC)
• Details: The NEET UG syllabus is based on NCERT classes 11 and 12, covering Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. NMC finalises the syllabus with input from expert committees.
• Process: The syllabus is made available on the NTA website and aims to be uniform across all boards (CBSE, ICSE, and state boards).

NEET PG Syllabus

• Organisation: National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)
• Details: The NEET PG syllabus is based on the MBBS curriculum, including pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical subjects. NBEMS prepares the syllabus in collaboration with the Medical Council of India (MCI) and expert committees.
• Process: The syllabus is uploaded on the NBEMS website, designed to assess the competency of medical graduates accurately.

CUET UG Syllabus

• Organisation: National Testing Agency (NTA)
• Details: The CUET UG syllabus is based on the NCERT class 12 syllabus, including 23 domain subjects, 13 languages, and the General Test, which covers English, general knowledge, numerical aptitude, reasoning, and analytical skills.
• Process: NTA prepares the syllabus with expert committees and publishes it on cuet.nta.nic.in.

CUET PG Syllabus

• Organisation: National Testing Agency (NTA) and University Grants Commission (UGC)
• Details: The CUET PG syllabus is based on the curriculum of the respective undergraduate degree programs. It includes six domains (Acharya, Humanities, Languages, M.Tech, Science, etc.), with general papers and domain-specific questions.
• Process: Expert committees from NTA and UGC design the syllabus, which is then uploaded on exams.nta.ac.in.

Other Major Entrance Exams

UGC NET: Syllabus set by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and NTA

CSIR NET: Syllabus set by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and NTA

ICAR AIEEA: Syllabus set by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

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