The National Testing Agency (NTA) is a premier testing organization in India, established with the aim of conducting efficient, transparent, and standardized examinations for assessing the competency of candidates for admission to higher educational institutions. 

The NTA was established in November 2017 as an autonomous and self-sustained organization under the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. Some of the exams organised by the NTA are JEE Mains, NEET-UG, CMAT, and a few others.

Exams Conducted by NTA

The National Testing Agency is responsible for conducting various national-level entrance exams that ensure admission to professional and non-professional courses across the country. The first Director-General of the agency appointed by the Indian Government is Vineet Joshi.

The entrance exams that are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) include the following:

1. NEET-UG
2. UGC NET and CSIR NET Exams
3. JEE Main
4. CMAT
5. GPAT
6. IIFT
7. JNUEE
8. IGNOU PhD and OPENMAT (MBA) Entrance Examination
9. ICAR AIEEA
10. NCHMCT JEE
11. DUET

NTA NEET Exam

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is conducted every year for medical, dental, and Ayush courses in India's government and government-recognized institutes. The NEET-UG entrance exam is conducted once every year by the National Testing Agency. Only those candidates who appear or have completed class 12 from a state or central recognized board are eligible for the exam. The exam has multiple-choice questions (MCQ), with class 11 and 12 syllabuses of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. In 2020, under section 14 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, admissions to undergraduate medical programs in institutes like JIPMER, AIIMS Delhi, and all the AIIMS institutions will be through NEET-UG.

The following is the list of major medical courses that come under NEET-UG:

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
• Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
• Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)
• Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS)
• Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences (BNYS)
• Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS)
• Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS)
• Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc and AH)
• Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm)
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT)

NTA UGC NET & CSIR NET Exams

NTA conducts the UGC NET exam on behalf of the UGC, the University Grants Commission. The UGC NET exam provides admissions for Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor in Indian Universities.

The NTA conducts UGC-NET entrance examinations for 81 different subjects twice a year. The examination is conducted online as a computer-based test (CBT). Only candidates who have cleared a master's degree or equivalent from a recognized university are eligible for the exam.

The National Testing Agency conducts the National Eligibility Test (NET) for the CSIR (The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research). Online applications for the CSIR NET are open twice a year. The NTA conducts the CSIR NET examination online as a computer-based test (CBT).

The examination is offered only for the following subjects listed below:

• Chemical Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Physical Sciences

Also Read: How to Calculate Cut off Marks for UGC NET 2025?

NTA Joint Entrance Exams (JEE)

The National Testing Agency conducts the JEE Main entrance examination for admissions to various NITs, IITs, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTI). The entrance exam mainly covers topics from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The exam is conducted as multiple-choice questions, with questions from the prescribed subjects. Only those candidates who have cleared or appeared for the class 12 exams or equivalent from a state or central recognized board are eligible for the JEE Mains entrance exam. The JEE Mains entrance exam is conducted in both online mode and offline mode. The JEE Mains will serve as the eligibility criteria for the JEE Advanced exam. The minimum eligible marks for JEE Mains are different for different categories and courses. The participating institutions include 24 IITs, 32 NITs, 18 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), 19 other Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTI). JEE Mains offers two papers, paper 1 and paper 2.

Admission to the following subjects are offered through JEE Mains:

1. Bachelor of Engineering/ Bachelor of Technology (BE / B.Tech)
2. Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)
3. Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan)

NTA CMAT Exam

The National Testing Agency conducts the Common Management Admission Test or CMAT exam every year for PG and PG diploma courses. The CMAT exam is an All India exam, with centers across 75 cities, and can be attempted multiple times.

All participating institutions accept the CMAT scores for admissions into the management programs approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The exam is conducted in an online mode as a computer-based test (CBT). The CMAT exam is conducted only once a year, usually in the last week of January or the first week of February.

The questions for the CMAT examination are multiple-choice questions (MCQ). Only candidates with a bachelor's degree from a recognized university or candidates currently appearing for the final year of the undergraduate program are eligible to attend the CMAT exam. Admission to the programs is based on the All India merit list.

Also Read: CAT vs CMAT vs NMAT vs MAT Which is Better?

NTA GPAT Exam

The GPAT exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency every year for admissions to M.Pharm or equivalent courses in reputed institutions across India. The GPAT scores are accepted by 800 participating institutions that the AICTE recognizes. The candidates who have a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent from a recognized university are eligible to attend the GPAT exam. Those candidates in the final year of the bachelor's program or equivalent are also considered eligible. The exam is conducted in online mode, as a computer-based test. The GPAT exam grants supporting financial resources like scholarships for students to complete their postgraduate education. Admission and financial assistance are strictly based on the rank secured in the GPAT examination. There is no age restriction to attend the GPAT examination.

NTA IIFT Entrance Exam

NTA, the National Testing Agency conducts the IIFT exam every year. The exam is conducted all over India for admission to MBA International Business courses offered by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Delhi, Kolkata, and Kakinada. Candidates holding a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized university can attend the IIFT exam. Candidates currently enrolled in the final year of the bachelor's program are also considered eligible. The mode of examination is online, as a Computer Based Test. The question for The IIFT exam is a multiple-choice question (MCQ) paper, and the medium of the IIFT examination is English.

Also Read: How to Prepare for IIFT in a Week?: Exam Pattern, Syllabus

NTA JNUEE Exam

The National Testing Agency conducts the JNUEE exam every year for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Jawaharlal Nehru University. The mode of the examination is online. Eligibility criteria are different for different programs. For PG courses, all applying candidates should have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university.

Through the NTA JNUEE examination, candidates can secure admission in the following schools listed below:

1. School of International Studies (SIS)
2. School of Life Sciences (SLS)
3. School of Environmental Sciences (SES)
4. School of Social Sciences (SSS)
5. School of Physical Sciences (SPS)
6. School of Computer & Systems Sciences (SC&SS)
7. School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies (SL)
8. School of Computational and Integrative Sciences (SC&IS)
9. School of Arts & Aesthetics (SAA)
10. School of Biotechnology (SBT)
11. Centre for Sanskrit Studies (CSS)
12. Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM)
13. Centre for the Study of Law & Governance (CLG)
14. Centre for Nano Sciences (CNS)

NTA IGNOU B.Ed, PhD and OPENMAT (MBA) Entrance Exams

The NTA is responsible for conducting the IGNOU B.Ed, IGNOU PhD, and IGNOU OPENMAT exams. The IGNOU PhD entrance eligibility norm is that applicants should have a masters' degree or equivalent from a recognized university. The IGNOU PhD application fee is INR 1000 for the General category and INR 800 for other categories. A personal interview will follow the written exam, and only those candidates qualifying both phases are eligible for admission. The NTA conducts an IGNOU PhD entrance exam across all major cities in the country. The number of seats and intake for different programs may vary.

IGNOU PhD exams are conducted for admitting students to the following PhD programs:

• PhD in Anthropology
• PhD in Economics
• PhD in Library and Information Science
• PhD in Political Science
• PhD in Psychology
• PhD in Public Administration
• PhD in Sociology
• PhD in Biochemistry
• PhD in Chemistry
• PhD in Geography
• PhD in Geology
• PhD in Statistics
• PhD in Food and Nutritional Science
• PhD in Home Science
• PhD in Commerce
• PhD in Management
• PhD in Education
• PhD in Gender and Development Studies
• PhD in Journalism and Mass Communication
• PhD in Dairy Science and Technology
• PhD in Development Studies
• PhD in Computer Science
• PhD in Law
• PhD in Nursing
• PhD in Social Work
• PhD in Translation Studies
• PhD in Vocational Education and Training
• PhD in French

The NTA conducts OPENMAT exams for admission to MBA or PGDM programs. The exam is conducted twice every year. The NTA OPENMAT exam is in online mode, as a Computer Based Test. The exam is generally three hours and is offered across nearly 100 cities in India. All candidates appearing for the OPENMAT exam should have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university.

Also Read: IGNOU Grade Card Status 2025

NTA ICAR AIEEA Exam

The National Testing Agency conducts the ICAR AIEEA exam every year. ICAR Full Form is the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, is an all-India exam that is conducted to find eligible applicants for undergraduate agriculture and animal husbandry programs. All candidates applying for the exam should have passed 12th from a state or central-recognized board. Candidates currently enrolled in 12th std are also eligible. The NTA conducts the ICAR AIEEA exam in online mode as a Computer Based Test. Candidates qualifying for the ICAR AIEEA can apply to 71 agricultural universities and 102 ICAR institutes.

Bachelor's degree programs include the following subjects mentioned below:

• Agriculture
• Horticulture
• Fisheries
• Forestry
• Home science
• Sericulture
• Food Science
• Biotechnology
• Agricultural Engineering
• Dairy Technology
• Agricultural Marketing and Co-operation

NTA NCHM JEE Exam

The National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency to provide admission to hospitality and hotel management. The exam is conducted just once every year. The mode of examination is online, and the medium of the exam will be English and Hindi. The NCHM JEE exam is conducted across the country in nearly 90 test centers. The NCHM JEE is accepted by 71 institutions, including 21 central IHMs, 25 state IHMs, 24 private IHMs, and 13 food craft institutes.

NTA DUET Exam

The NTA Delhi University Entrance Test is conducted once every year. The DUET exam is a national-level exam conducted in an online mode as a Computer-based test. The DUET exam is a 120 minutes (2 hours) exam accepted by nearly 45 colleges for admitting eligible students to undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral courses. The NTA conducts the DUET exam across India in three shifts across 101 centers in 18 major cities.

Objectives of NTA

The NTA has been entrusted with the following objectives:

• Standardized Testing: To provide high-quality assessments that ensure reliability, efficiency, and transparency.
• Technology Integration: To implement advanced digital technologies for the delivery and evaluation of tests.
• Research-Driven Approach: To develop modern psychometric tools for test construction, item development, and scoring mechanisms.
• Capacity Building: To provide training and consultancy to other educational and testing organizations.

Key Features of NTA’s Examination System

The NTA examination system majorly focuses on the segments listed below.

• Computer-Based Testing (CBT): Most NTA exams are conducted online, ensuring speed and accuracy in evaluations.
• Transparent Processes: Question papers, answer keys, and candidate responses are made available for review, ensuring transparency.
• Multilingual Exams: Several tests, such as NEET and CUET, are offered in multiple languages to cater to the diverse linguistic population of India.
• Test Practice Centers (TPCs): NTA has set up TPCs across the country to provide free practice facilities to students, especially those in remote areas.

NTA Helpline

Any issues or queries regarding any exam conducted by the NTA, one can always approach their helpline numbers or reach out to them via email.

Linked below is the website access to their contact details (exams specific).