JEE vs NEET vs CUET 2027: Dates, Eligibility, Exam Pattern and Which Exam to Pick

At a glance

JEE Main, NEET UG and CUET UG are the three big undergraduate entrance exams run by the National Testing Agency (NTA). They lead to completely different destinations: engineering, medicine, and general undergraduate admission to central and participating universities. A student with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) takes JEE; a student with Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) takes NEET; a student of any stream who wants a central-university BA, BSc or BCom seat takes CUET. Many students take two of them as a backup.

Pattern, eligibility and fee rows are from the latest published (2026) NTA bulletins unless labelled expected. The 2027 bulletins are not out yet and may change any of these. Dates marked tentative or expected are not official.

JEE Main 2027

JEE Main is the engineering entrance exam for B.E./B.Tech (Paper 1), B.Arch (Paper 2A) and B.Planning (Paper 2B). It is the only route into the NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded technical institutions, and the gateway to JEE Advanced for the IITs. It is held twice a year, in January and April sessions, and the better of the two percentile scores counts.

Session 1 2027 is proposed for 22-24 and 28-30 January 2027, with 31 January as a buffer day, in the NTA examination calendar notice of 16 September 2026. The notice says all dates are tentative and may change. Session 1 registration was expected around 31 October to 27 November 2026, but that window has not been officially announced either — check jeemain.nta.ac.in for the notification. Session 2 dates have not been announced; trackers expect April 2027.

• Eligibility (2026 bulletin pattern, expected to continue): Class 12 passed in 2025 or 2026, or appearing in 2027, with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, plus one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology or a technical vocational subject. There is no age limit to sit the exam.
• Admission rule for NITs/IIITs/GFTIs (separate from sitting the exam): at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD), or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.
• Attempts: up to 6 attempts across 3 consecutive years — 2 sessions a year. Only the top 2.5 lakh JEE Main candidates can register for JEE Advanced.
• Pattern (2026 bulletin): Paper 1 has 75 questions for 300 marks in 3 hours (4 hours for eligible PwD candidates), computer-based, in 13 languages. Each subject — Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics — has 20 MCQs and 5 numerical-value questions. Marking is +4 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong MCQ.
• Counselling: JoSAA handles seat allocation for IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs over 5-6 rounds; CSAB handles the remaining seats after JoSAA.

NEET UG 2027

NEET UG is the single entrance test for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS and BHMS admissions in India, and for BVSc & AH and some BSc Nursing seats. It is held once a year. There is no separate AIIMS or JIPMER MBBS entrance exam — both admit through NEET UG and MCC counselling.

No 2027 date has been announced. The NTA examination calendar released on 16 September 2026 runs to March 2027 and does not list NEET UG. The 2026 cycle ran with applications opening on 8 February 2026 and the exam first held on 3 May 2026, followed by a re-exam on 21 June 2026 after the original paper was cancelled. Trackers expect the 2027 exam in May 2027, but that is based on tradition, not an announcement. The 2027 information bulletin is expected around December 2026 to February 2027, based on previous-year patterns.

• Eligibility (2026 bulletin): Class 12 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English. Minimum PCB aggregate 50% (General), 45% (General-PwD), 40% (SC/ST/OBC). At least 17 years old by 31 December of the exam year; no upper age limit; no limit on the number of attempts.
• Pattern (2026): 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions, 720 marks, 3 hours — Physics 45, Chemistry 45, Biology 90 (Botany 45, Zoology 45). Marking +4 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong answer, 0 for unattempted. No optional Section B since 2025. Available in 13 languages.
• Mode for 2027: not confirmed. The government has said the exam will move from pen-and-paper to computer-based testing from 2027, and told the Supreme Court on 16 September 2026 that the switch is under consideration. The 2027 bulletin will confirm the mode.
• Counselling: the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) handles the 15% All-India Quota, deemed and central universities, AIIMS and JIPMER; state authorities handle the state quota — in Bihar that is UGMAC, run by BCECEB.

CUET UG 2027

CUET UG is the common entrance test for undergraduate admission to all central universities and many participating state, deemed and private universities — more than 250 institutions. Unlike JEE and NEET, it is not tied to one profession: a CUET score can get you a BA, BSc, BCom or other UG programme, depending on the subjects you choose and each university's requirements.

No 2027 dates have been announced. The NTA calendar to March 2027 does not list CUET UG. Trackers expect the information bulletin around October-November 2026 or January 2027, registration around November 2026 to January 2027, and the computer-based exam in May-June 2027 — all based on the 2026 cycle, none of it official. Do not treat any of those months as confirmed.

• Eligibility (2026 bulletin): Class 12 passed or appearing in 2027, from any recognised board, any stream. No age limit and no attempt limit under current NTA guidelines. NTA sets no minimum Class 12 percentage for appearing; individual universities set their own cut-offs and subject requirements.
• Pattern (2026 bulletin, as reported): three sections — Language, Domain Subjects and General Test. Up to 5 tests in total; each test has 50 compulsory MCQs, 250 marks and 60 minutes. Marking +5 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong answer. Most universities require at least one language paper and two to three domain subject papers.
• Counselling: there is no central CUET counselling. Each university runs its own admission process and counselling on CUET scores, on its own dates. You must apply separately to each university you want, and check its prospectus for subject combinations.

Who should pick which exam

The choice is mostly made by your Class 12 subjects and your goal, not by which exam is easier. There is no rule against taking more than one — the applications, fees and dates are separate.

• Pick JEE Main if you have PCM and want engineering — B.Tech at an NIT, IIIT or GFTI, or an IIT through JEE Advanced. It is the only one of the three that leads to engineering.
• Pick NEET UG if you have PCB and want medicine, dentistry or AYUSH — MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS or veterinary science. It is the only route to those courses.
• Pick CUET UG if you want a BA, BSc, BCom or other general UG degree at a central university such as Delhi University, BHU, JNU, Jamia or AMU, or at a participating state or private university. Any stream can take it.
• Take two as a backup if your subjects allow it: PCM students commonly take JEE Main plus CUET; PCB students commonly take NEET UG plus CUET. CUET is the cheapest backup because its syllabus overlaps with Class 12 subjects.
• Do not pick an exam for the wrong goal: a JEE Main rank cannot get you an MBBS seat, a NEET rank cannot get you a B.Tech seat, and a CUET score cannot get you into an NIT or a medical college.

Sources

Every date in this article is either from the NTA examination calendar notice of 16 September 2026 or explicitly labelled as not announced. Patterns and eligibility are from the latest published (2026) NTA bulletins, labelled as such. Check the official portals below before acting on any date, fee or eligibility rule.