Every student faces the exact moment after Class 12. The board exams end, the celebration starts, and then someone asks, “What will you do now?” That single question feels tougher than any paper you ever sat for.
At this point, competing exams after 12th appear. Students already know that many tests exist – yet the real trouble is clear – details lie all over the place, the words sound heavy, and the tone puts you to sleep. This guide keeps the facts light, clear, plus direct.
The blog lists every entrance exam after 12th, every government test open to you, the primary career-linked papers, their fees, who can sit for them, how hard they are, and more. It weaves in the right LSI keywords naturally – the page stays search-friendly yet still sounds human.
The aim remains simple: give helpful facts in everyday language.
Table of Contents
Why New Students Look for Competeting Exams After 12th
After Class 12, most students stand at a crossroads. One road leads to college, another leads to job-based government exams, and somewhere in between, there are professional career exams that open solid career paths.
Students often check entrance exams after 12th because:
- They want stable careers
- They want job security
- They want courses that match their interests
- They want to skip random college choices
- They want to follow a clear path
And honestly, choosing the right exam early saves a lot of stress later.
Complete List of Competeting Exams After 12th (With Eligibility, Fees & Difficulty)
Here is the main table students look for. It covers the most popular competeting exams after 12th across Science, Commerce, Arts, and job-focused government sectors.
Science Students: Top Entrance Exams After 12th Science
When it comes to entrance exams after 12th science, students often think they only have JEE or NEET. But Science actually offers way more.
Students usually choose Science exams for engineering, medicine, design, agriculture, or research.
Top exams for Science students
- JEE Main & JEE Advanced
- NEET UG
- BITSAT
- VITEEE
- COMEDK
- NID
- NIFT
- ICAR
- IISER Aptitude Test
- Merchant Navy Exams
Each of these exams opens a different door — engineering, medical, fashion, agriculture, research, or even a career at sea.
Commerce Students: Best Competeting Exams After 12th Commerce
Commerce students often feel confused because they’re told their “options are fewer.” But that’s not true. Commerce has some of the strongest career-building exams.
Top exams for Commerce students
- CA Foundation
- CS Executive
- CMA Foundation
- BBA Entrance Exams (IPMAT, NPAT, SET)
- CLAT
- CUET
- Hotel Management Exams
- Banking Assistant Exams (some states allow 12th students)
Commerce exams are great for students who want jobs in law, finance, banking, management, or business.
Arts Students: Best Competeting Exams After 12th Arts
Arts students often get labelled as “less options,” but the real story is different. Arts students can appear for some of the most powerful career exams.
Top exams for Arts students
- CLAT
- AILET
- CUET UG
- NIFT
- NID
- Hotel Management Entrance Exams
- Government Exams like SSC CHSL
- Railway Exams
- Agniveer Exams
- BFA Entrance Exams
Arts students frequently shine because they can merge creativity with communication skills, which many fields love.
Government Exams After 12th (Jobs requiring a Degree)
This is where students get excited — government exams after 12th that offer job security and early income.
Popular Government Exams
- SSC CHSL
- SSC MTS
- SSC Stenographer
- Railway Group D
- Railway Clerk Exams
- State Police Constable Exams
- Agniveer Army/ Navy/ Airforce
- State Roadways (some posts require 12th)
These exams help students get fixed jobs early in life.
Career-Steady Exams After 12th
Some exams directly lead to specific careers instead of general college admissions.
Examples include:
- Merchant Navy
- Hotel Management
- Aviation courses
- Design (NID, NIFT, UCEED)
- Agriculture ICAR
- Defence NDA
- Teaching courses (in some states)
These exams suit students who prefer practical careers rather than theory-heavy courses.
Which Competeting Exam Is Best After 12th?
There’s no “best exam” for everyone. The best exam depends on what the student enjoys.
If someone loves math:
JEE, IPMAT, BBA exams, CA
If someone enjoys biology:
NEET, ICAR, Nursing Entrance
If someone wants a government job:
SSC CHSL, Railway Exams, Police Exams, Agniveer
If someone loves creativity:
NIFT, NID, UCEED, Fine Arts
If someone wants to earn early:
Government exams after 12th
If someone wants management or business:
IPMAT, NPAT, SET
The trick is not to copy what others choose — students need to choose what matches their interest and strength.
FAQs
Which exams hand you a job as soon as you finish Class 12?
The key ones are – JEE secures an engineering seat. NEET admits you to a medical college. NDA trains you to become a defence cadet. CLAT gives entry to a law college. CA Foundation begins your chartered accountancy course. CUET places you in a central university. SSC CHSL appoints you as a lower division clerk or data entry operator. Railway Exams hire you for group-D posts and assistant jobs. NIFT grants seats in design and fashion technology.
Which entry tests should a science student centre on?
Many pick JEE, NEET, ICAR, IISER or the Merchant Navy entrance.
Which government posts are open to a 12-pass student?
SSC CHSL, Railway Group D, State Police Constable or Agniveer intake all hire at this level.
Are those entrance tests hard?
JEE and NEET are hard. CLAT next to CUET sit in the middle. Railway besides SSC MTS papers are easier. The level depends on the test you choose.
Can Arts students sit for those exams?
Yes. Arts students may take CLAT, CUET, NIFT, SSC CHSL, Railway Exams or Agniveer.
Final Thought
Picking the right entrance exam after Class 12 is hard – yet it turns straightforward when someone lays out the facts in plain, friendly language. Students need not hurry or mimic the choices of friends. They only have to note what work excites them, which subjects they handle well and what life they want later.
Entrance exams now cover more fields than ever. A single strong test leads to a clear future in engineering, medicine, fashion, law, finance, government service or management