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Exams in India: What is the difference between entrance exam and competitive exam? How are the categories of JEE, NEET, UPSC decided?

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Exams in India: Entrance exams and competitive exams evaluate the ability, knowledge, and skills of students and candidates. Entrance exams are called entrance exams in English, and competitive exams are called competitive exams. Entrance exams are mainly conducted for admission to engineering, medical, law, or management courses. On the other hand, the purpose of competitive exams is to select candidates for jobs (especially government jobs) or other professional opportunities.

Both exams have great importance in the education and employment system. But their syllabus, format, and impact of the result are different. For example, a student can get admission in IIT or a medical college by giving an entrance exam like JEE Main or NEET, while a competitive exam like UPSC or SSC can help them get a government job. Whether you are a student or a youth preparing for a government job, you must know the major differences between entrance exams and competitive exams.

Difference between the entrance exam and the competitive exam

To understand the Indian education and job sector, it is important to know the difference between these exams. Below are the differences between entrance exams and competitive exams based on different parameters-

Objective of the exam
The primary goal of an entrance exam is to get admission to an educational institution or course. These exams check whether the candidate has the required academic qualifications and knowledge for that course. Example- Entrance exams like JEE Main and Advanced (engineering), NEET (medical), CLAT (law), CAT (MBA), and NATA (architecture) are conducted to allocate seats in colleges or universities. Their focus is on academic excellence and subject-specific knowledge.

The purpose of a competitive exam is to select eligible candidates for jobs in the government or private sector. These exams are usually conducted by UPSC (civil services), SSC (Staff Selection Commission), IBPS (banking), Railway Recruitment, or State Public Service Commissions. Their goal is to select the best candidate for limited vacancies, for which general knowledge, reasoning, and technical skills are evaluated. Most of them have a written exam followed by an interview.

Syllabus and Format
The syllabus of the entrance exam is usually based on the school syllabus (e.g., classes 11th and 12th). For example, JEE includes subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics, while NEET includes biology, physics, and chemistry. These exams are subject-specific, and the format may include objective (MCQ) or descriptive questions.

The syllabus of a competitive exam is more comprehensive. It includes general knowledge, current affairs, logical reasoning, mathematics, English, and sometimes some specific technical subjects. For example, UPSC has subjects like history, geography, economics, and ethics, while SSC CGL focuses on general intelligence and mathematics. These exams may have multiple stages, like prelims, mains, and an interview.

Level of competition
The level of competition in entrance exams like NEET, JEE, CAT, CUET depends on the institute and the number of seats. For example, lakhs of students appear for JEE Advanced for only a few thousand seats in the IITs. However, their scope is limited to academic admission. Similarly, lakhs of students from India and abroad appear for the NEET exam for admission in medical colleges.

The level of competition in competitive exams like SSC, UPSC, and Railway Recruitment is even higher than that of entrance exams. There are fewer vacancies in most government jobs. For example, more than 10 lakh candidates apply for only 800-1000 posts in the UPSC Civil Services every year. It is important to prepare continuously and make the right strategy for success.

Results and effects
The result of the entrance exam gives admission to an institute on the basis of rank or score. Successful candidates can choose the best college or course according to their rank. If unsuccessful, you can try again next year and achieve success. Many students take coaching for entrance exams like JEE, NEET, NIFT, etc.

The result of a competitive exam is related to a government job or career. In many private sectors, one also has to give a competitive exam for career growth. Successful candidates get a government or private job, while unsuccessful candidates have to wait till the next recruitment process. In these exams, the age limit and the number of attempts are also limited.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News 18 hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.

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