What Next After 12th

Download the guide “What Next? After Intermediate” (PDF, 150 KB)

The guide maps the paths open after Class 12 (Intermediate). Here it is in words, brought up to date: several exams have been renamed, merged or moved to the National Testing Agency since it was printed.

Engineering (4 years, B.E. / B.Tech), after MPC

Computer science, IT, ECE, EEE, civil, mechanical, chemical, aeronautical, aerospace, agricultural, automobile, biomedical, biotechnology, ceramic, industrial, environmental, marine, mining, and silk and textile engineering. Entrance: JEE Main and JEE Advanced, the state EAPCET (once EAMCET), BITSAT and others. AIEEE became JEE Main in 2013.

Medical, after BiPC

• Medicine (5 years): MBBS, BDS (dental), BAMS (Ayurveda), BHMS (homoeopathy), BUMS (Unani), BNYS (naturopathy), BVSc (veterinary), B.Sc Agriculture and BPT (physiotherapy). Entrance: NEET, which now also admits to AIIMS and JIPMER.
• Allied health sciences (2 to 4 years): B.Pharm, B.Sc Nursing, occupational therapy, anaesthesia, cardiac, medical laboratory, radiotherapy and operation theatre technology, clinical optometry, nuclear medicine, physician assistant, respiratory care.
• Paramedical: dialysis, ECG, X-ray and operation theatre technicians.

Degree (3 years)

• BA: HEP, HTP, linguistics, economics, psychology, fine arts, political science, sociology, library science.
• B.Sc: MPC, MEC, applied maths, BZC, CPZ, horticulture, computer science, home science, biochemistry, microbiology, biotechnology, anthropology, dairy science.
• B.Com: general, computers, bank management, tax procedure.
• Other degrees: LLB, BBA, BCA, BBM, BAF, BFM, BMS.
• Central universities admit through CUET (UG).

Dual degrees (4 to 5 years)

BA + B.Ed, B.Sc + B.Ed (now the four-year ITEP, through NCET), BA + LLB, B.Com + LLB, BBA + LLB. National Law Universities admit through CLAT.

Teaching

D.El.Ed (once D.Ed, primary school teacher), UDPED (physical education teacher), and ECCEd (early childhood care and education).

Defence

The National Defence Academy (Army, Navy, Air Force) through UPSC's NDA exam; the Army's Technical Entry Scheme and the Navy's 10+2 B.Tech entry, both short-listed on JEE Main; and Agniveer.

Professional courses

• CA (ICAI): Foundation, then Intermediate, then articleship under a practising CA, then the Final. The guide shows the older CPT and IPCC stages.
• CS (ICSI) and CMA, once ICWA (ICMAI).

Others

Foreign languages, fire safety, journalism, home science, tourism, hotel management, rural development, design (fashion, interior, jewellery), film making (direction, screenwriting, cinematography, sound, editing, acting) and management (finance, events, hotels).

Entrance tests after Class 12

Exam	For	Conducted by	Website
AP EAPCET	Engineering, agriculture and pharmacy, Andhra Pradesh	APSCHE	cets.apsche.ap.gov.in
TG EAPCET	Engineering, agriculture and pharmacy, Telangana	TGCHE	eapcet.tgche.ac.in
JEE Main	NITs, IIITs and many more; the first step to JEE Advanced	NTA	jeemain.nta.nic.in
JEE Advanced	IITs; IISc, IISERs and IIST also admit on it	The IITs	jeeadv.ac.in
VITEEE	VIT	VIT	viteee.vit.ac.in
COMEDK UGET	Private engineering colleges, Karnataka	COMEDK	comedk.org
NEET (UG)	MBBS, BDS and AYUSH everywhere, including AIIMS and JIPMER	NTA	neet.nta.nic.in
CMC Vellore	MBBS and nursing, on NEET and CMC's own selection	CMC Vellore	admissions.cmcvellore.ac.in
BITSAT	BITS Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad	BITS Pilani	bitsadmission.com
CLAT	Five-year law at the National Law Universities	Consortium of NLUs	consortiumofnlus.ac.in
AILET	Law at NLU Delhi	NLU Delhi	nationallawuniversitydelhi.in
CUET (UG)	Central universities; ICAR's agriculture seats	NTA	cuet.nta.nic.in
IISER Aptitude Test	BS-MS at the IISERs	The IISERs	iiseradmission.in
KEAM	Engineering, medical and allied courses, Kerala	CEE Kerala	cee.kerala.gov.in
IMU CET	Marine science and nautical courses	Indian Maritime University	imu.edu.in
NDA & NA	Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA	UPSC	upsc.gov.in
NEST	Integrated M.Sc at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS	NISER	nestexam.in
NATA	B.Arch	Council of Architecture	nata.in
NCHM JEE	Hotel management	NTA	exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee
UCEED	B.Des at the IITs	IIT Bombay	uceed.iitb.ac.in
NID DAT	Design at the NIDs	NID	admissions.nid.edu
NIFT	Fashion design and technology	NIFT	nift.ac.in

LSAT India, listed in the guide, was discontinued in 2025.

Courses to explore

• Undergraduate: BHMCT, B.Arch, BA, BAMS, BBA, BBM, BBS, B.Com, BCA, BDS, B.Des, B.Ed, B.El.Ed, B.E. / B.Tech, B.F.Tech, BFA, BHMS, BHTM, BHM, LLB, MBBS, B.Optom, B.Pharm, B.P.Ed, BPT, B.Sc, BSMS, BTA, BUMS, BVSc.
• Integrated: BA B.Ed, BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Sc B.Ed, B.Sc Nursing.
• Postgraduate: M.Arch, MA, MBA, M.Com, MCA, M.Ed, LLM, M.Sc, M.Tech, PGDM, MD / MS / DM / MCh, MDS. See What Next After Graduation.
• More: PhD, integrated and dual degrees, diplomas and PG diplomas.