What is NTA?

NTA is the National Testing Agency, an autonomous testing body under the Ministry of Education. Its official home page lists JEE (Main), NEET (UG), CUET (UG), UGC-NET, CSIR NET, and Swayam, and its exam portals also show major annual exams such as CMAT, NCET, ICAR AIEEA/AICE, and other institutional exams.

For NTA exams, the “job” column is different from SSC or banking: many are admission tests or eligibility tests, not direct recruitment exams. That means the outcome is usually a seat, a rank, or eligibility for teaching/research, not a salary from the exam itself.

Major NTA exam families at a glance

Exam family	Outcome	Type	Main stages	Score system
JEE Main	Engineering admission to B.E./B.Tech and also B.Arch/B.Planning papers	Objective CBT	Application → city slip → admit card → exam → answer key challenge → score/result → counselling	Paper 1 B.E./B.Tech is 75 questions, 300 marks; 20 MCQ + 5 numerical in each subject; +4, -1 scheme
NEET UG	Admission to MBBS/BDS and other listed undergraduate medical/AYUSH courses	Objective pen-and-paper	Application → city slip → admit card → exam → answer key challenge → score/result → counselling	180 questions, 720 marks; Physics 45, Chemistry 45, Biology 90; +4, -1
CUET UG	UG admission to central/state/participating universities	Objective CBT	Application → subject selection → admit card → exam → answer key/response → score → university admission	Up to 5 subjects; 50 questions per test paper; 60 minutes each; +5, -1
CUET PG	PG admission to participating universities/institutions	Objective CBT	Application → exam → score → university-specific admission process	Pattern varies by programme/year on portal
UGC NET	Eligibility for Assistant Professor / JRF / PhD depending on result	Objective CBT	Application → CBT → final answer key → score card/certificate	Aggregate performance in Paper I and Paper II decides JRF/Assistant Professor eligibility
CSIR NET	JRF / Assistant Professor / PhD eligibility in science streams	Objective CBT	Application → CBT → final key → score card/certificate	Part A aptitude + Part B subject + Part C higher-order science application
CMAT	MBA / management admission	Objective CBT	Application → city slip → admit card → exam → answer key/result → institute cutoff → GD/PI in many colleges	100 questions, 400 marks, 3 hours; 5 sections of 20 questions each
NCET	Admission to 4-Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP)	Objective MCQ CBT	Application → exam → answer key challenge → scorecard → counselling/admission	181 total questions, 160 to attempt; general test + teaching aptitude + language/domain mix
ICAR AIEEA / AICE	PG / PhD admission and scholarship routes in agricultural universities	Objective CBT	Application → city intimation → admit card → exam → answer key → score card → counselling	CBT MCQ; ICAR portal says objective-type paper and result used for counselling/allocation

JEE Main

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s engineering entrance exam for admission to B.E./B.Tech and also B.Arch/B.Planning papers. The 2026 bulletin says Paper 1 is B.E./B.Tech and Paper 2A/2B cover architecture and planning.
Type	Objective CBT. Paper 1 has MCQs and numerical value questions.
Stages	Application, city intimation, admit card, exam, provisional key/recorded response challenge, final key, result, counselling.
Score system	Paper 1 B.E./B.Tech has 75 questions and 300 marks total. Each subject has 20 MCQs + 5 numerical questions; correct answer gives +4, wrong answer -1.
Outcome	Admission to engineering and related programs through NIT+, IIITs, GFTIs, and for eligibility to JEE Advanced where applicable.

JEE Main syllabus

Subject	Main topics
Physics	Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, modern physics, waves, units and dimensions, basic experimental physics.
Chemistry	Physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry from Class 11–12 level.
Mathematics	Algebra, coordinate geometry, calculus, vectors, 3D geometry, trigonometry, statistics, probability, and basic numerical problem solving.

Question style

JEE Main is concept-heavy and time-bound. Paper 1 is built around 75 compulsory questions, with a mix of direct concept application and numericals. The portal also publishes answer keys and recorded responses for challenges, which makes it useful for building real-paper practice sets.

NEET UG

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s undergraduate medical entrance exam for MBBS, BDS, and also admissions tied to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy, and B.Sc Nursing pathways as listed in the bulletin.
Type	Objective pen-and-paper exam. The 2026 bulletin says it is a single day, single shift, pen-and-paper exam.
Stages	Application, city intimation, admit card, exam, recorded responses and answer keys, result, counselling.
Score system	180 questions, 720 marks total. Physics 45 questions = 180 marks, Chemistry 45 = 180, Biology 90 = 360. Correct answer +4, wrong answer -1, unanswered 0.
Outcome	Admission, not a salary job exam. The official bulletin ties it to MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, BHMS, and B.Sc Nursing admission routes.

NEET UG syllabus

Subject	Main topics
Physics	Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics, units, measurement, and standard Class 11–12 physics.
Chemistry	Physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry.
Biology	Botany + Zoology, including human physiology, genetics, ecology, plant physiology, reproduction, biodiversity, cell biology, biotechnology, and evolution.

Question style

NEET UG is memory + concept + speed. It uses the same paper for all candidates, and the English version is treated as final where there is translation ambiguity. The official bulletin also says candidates can appear in 13 languages.

CUET UG and CUET PG

Item	Details
What it is	Common university entrance testing for UG and PG admissions in central and participating universities. The UG bulletin says it is for admission to undergraduate programmes in central and state/participating universities; the PG portal covers postgraduate admissions.
Type	Objective CBT.
Stages	Application, subject selection, exam, response sheet/answer key challenge, scorecard, university counselling/admission.
Score system	CUET UG lets candidates choose up to five subjects; each test paper has 50 questions, 60 minutes, +5 for correct and -1 for wrong.
Outcome	Admission only; no direct salary.

CUET UG subject map

Category	Subjects / focus
Languages	English, Hindi, and several Indian languages listed on the portal.
Domain subjects	Accountancy, Agriculture, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Geography/Geology, History, Mathematics/Applied Mathematics, Political Science, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, and more.
General Aptitude Test	General knowledge, current affairs, mental ability, numerical ability, quantitative reasoning, logical and analytical reasoning.

Question style

CUET UG is broad and flexible. The same exam can be used by students from commerce, science, arts, and language backgrounds, but the topic level depends on the domain subject and the target university programme.

UGC NET

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s eligibility test for Assistant Professor, JRF, and sometimes PhD admission depending on the qualifying category.
Type	Objective CBT. UGC NET is conducted twice a year, in June and December.
Stages	Application, CBT, final key, score card, certificate.
Score system	UGC says JRF and/or Assistant Professor eligibility depends on aggregate performance in Paper I and Paper II.
Outcome	Eligibility and research/teaching entry, not a direct job by itself.

UGC NET syllabus

Paper	Main topics
Paper I	Teaching aptitude, research aptitude, reasoning, reading comprehension, communication, data interpretation, higher education system, and general awareness-type skills.
Paper II	Subject-specific syllabus from the chosen NET subject. The portal currently lists a very large subject bank, and the 2025 press release says the exam was held for 85 subjects.

Question style

UGC NET is less about rote facts and more about subject mastery plus teaching/research aptitude. Assistant Professor qualification and JRF are separated by the final result category.

CSIR NET

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s science-focused eligibility exam for JRF, Assistant Professor, and PhD admission in science streams.
Type	Objective CBT.
Stages	Application, CBT, final answer key, score card, certificate.
Score system	The official FAQ says the paper has three parts: Part A aptitude, Part B subject, and Part C higher-order science application.
Outcome	Eligibility for JRF/Assistant Professor/PhD, not a direct job by itself.

CSIR NET syllabus

Subject family	Main areas
Chemical Sciences	Chemistry at advanced undergraduate and post-UG level.
Mathematical Sciences	Advanced math.
Physical Sciences	Physics.
Earth Sciences	Geology, geophysics, environmental earth science.
Life Sciences	Biology, biotech, and life-science research concepts.

Question style

CSIR NET is more technical than UGC NET. The paper structure is built to test general aptitude, subject depth, and scientific application.

CMAT

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s management admission test accepted by AICTE-approved institutions, university departments, constituent colleges, and affiliated colleges.
Type	Objective CBT. The portal says it is a three-hour test.
Stages	Application, city slip, admit card, CBT, answer key challenge, result/score card, then institute-level cutoff and often GD/PI.
Score system	FAQ says 100 questions, 400 marks. Sections are 20 questions each: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Outcome	Admission to management courses; no direct salary.

CMAT syllabus

Subject	Main topics
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation	Arithmetic, algebra basics, graphs, tables, DI, numerical problem solving.
Logical Reasoning	Series, coding, puzzles, arrangements, syllogism, logical deduction.
Language Comprehension	Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, cloze.
General Awareness	Current affairs, business, economy, static GK.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Entrepreneurship concepts, business innovation, startup awareness.

Question style

CMAT is one of the more balanced NTA management tests. It is not as technical as CAT, but it does have a broad GK and entrepreneurship component.

NCET

Item	Details
What it is	NTA’s test for admission to the 4-Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).
Type	Objective MCQ CBT.
Stages	Application, city slip, admit card, CBT, answer key challenge, scorecard, counselling/admission.
Score system	The public notice says NCET 2025 had 181 total questions with 160 to be chosen from the available sections. The scorecard later also provided normalized marks in addition to percentile scores.
Outcome	Admission to ITEP in participating central/state universities, IITs, NITs, RIEs, and government colleges.

NCET syllabus

Section	Main topics
General Test	General knowledge, current affairs, general mental ability, numerical ability, quantitative reasoning, logical and analytical reasoning, environmental literacy.
Teaching Aptitude	Topics related to teaching of science, arts, mathematics, performing arts, languages, and related aptitude.
Languages / domain mix	Subject choices vary across languages, domain-specific subjects, and the general aptitude test.

Question style

NCET is a teacher-entry / teacher-education admission test, so it combines reasoning, aptitude, language, and teaching inclination rather than deep subject specialization.

ICAR AIEEA (PG) and AICE JRF/SRF (PhD)

Item	Details
What it is	NTA conducts ICAR’s PG and PhD entrance exams for agricultural universities and ICAR-linked institutions.
Type	CBT, objective MCQ paper. The portal explicitly says the exams are conducted in CBT mode and the question paper is objective type MCQs.
Stages	Application, city intimation, admit card, CBT, answer key challenge, scorecard, counselling.
Score system	The portal says AIEEA(PG) is used for admission into master’s seats, and AICE JRF/SRF(PhD) is used for doctoral admission and fellowship allocation, with merit and counselling-based allocation.
Outcome	PG admission, PhD admission, and in some cases scholarships/fellowships.

ICAR syllabus

Area	Main topics
PG / PhD subject paper	Agriculture and allied sciences, depending on the chosen discipline and programme. The portal lists PG and PhD information bulletins separately.
Exam nature	Objective CBT MCQs.

Question style

ICAR is highly discipline-specific. It is one of the most direct subject-based entrance systems in the NTA ecosystem, especially for agriculture, allied sciences, and research pathways.

Official NTA portals and update sources

Purpose	Official portal
NTA main portal	NTA home / downloads / contact pages list the active domains and helpline.
JEE Main	JEE Main portal with information bulletin, public notices, documents, answer keys, and results.
NEET UG	NEET portal with information bulletin, syllabus, archive, answer keys, scorecard, and counseling-related documents.
CUET UG	CUET UG portal with information bulletin, syllabus, universities, documents, answer keys, and scorecard.
CUET PG	CUET PG portal for PG admissions.
UGC NET	UGC NET portal with information bulletins, final answer keys, score cards, and certificates.
CSIR NET	CSIR NET portal with archive, bulletins, score cards, and certificates.
CMAT	CMAT portal with notices, answer keys, question papers, and score card.
NCET	NCET portal with scorecard, answer key challenge, and admissions-related notices.
ICAR	ICAR entrance portal with PG/PhD bulletins, answer keys, admit cards, and score cards.

Real question papers, answer keys, and practice sources

Type	Source	Notes
Real papers + answer keys	Official NTA portals for JEE, NEET, CUET, UGC NET, CSIR NET, CMAT, NCET, ICAR	These portals publish provisional/final answer keys, response sheets, and scorecards.
Practice tests with solutions and explanations	MEKJ-Govt	Game-based learning system where you can take tests and learning and earn at the same time.
Solved papers / practice	Testbook JEE Main previous-year papers	Testbook provides JEE Main previous-year papers with solutions and full-paper practice.
Mock tests / practice ecosystem	Testbook also hosts engineering and entrance practice banks; NTA portals themselves are the best source for real papers and recorded responses.

Best reusable topic overlap across NTA exams

Common block	Reusable across
English / reading comprehension	CUET UG, UGC NET, CMAT, some NCET components
Quant / numerical ability	JEE Main, CUET UG, CMAT, NCET
Logical reasoning	CUET UG, CMAT, NCET, UGC NET aptitude-style sections
Science concepts	JEE Main, NEET UG, CSIR NET, ICAR
Teaching / research aptitude	UGC NET, NCET
Domain knowledge	CUET UG, CUET PG, UGC NET Paper II, ICAR PG/PhD