Engineering is the most sought career option amongst parents and children. Tamil Nadu is one of the most technologically advanced states in Southern India. The student competitive spirit can be widely witnessed during the engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu especially.
There are a total of 633 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu offering specialization in various fields, out of which 90% of the engineering institutes are run by the private sector, 9% are owned by the government and 1% of the colleges are operated by a public-private partnership. However, all colleges and institutes follow different entrance examinations. To make your search easy, let’s look at the leading engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu.
State-level Engineering Admission In Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA)
TNEA is a state-level online engineering admission procedure that grants admission to various colleges across Tamil Nadu. 440 colleges are included in the TNEA counseling with 15,1870 seats available across the state. Allotment of seats is subject to the candidate’s performance in their 10+2 qualifying exam.
Eligibility:
- Candidates who have studied from class 8 to 12 in Tamil Nadu and scored a minimum aggregate of 50%.
- Tamil Nadu native applicants who have studied outside Tamil Nadu but have completed at least one year from classes 8 to 12 from any school in Tamil Nadu are also eligible to apply.
Admission mode: Online
Application date: The application usually expires in the month of July every year.
Top Three TNEA Participating Colleges
| Thiagarajar College of Engineering | PSG College of Technology | Kumaraguru College of Technology | |
| Location | Madurai | Coimbatore | Coimbatore |
| National Rank (NIRF, 2022) | 151 | 63 | 108 |
| Private/Government | Private | Private | Private |
| UGC/AICTE Approved | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leading UG Degree | B.E. | B.Tech/B.E. | B.Tech |
| Leading Specialisation | Civil Engineering | Computer Science Engineering | Computer Science Engineering |
| Eligibility (in addition to TNEA, if applicable) | Merit basis of 10+2 exam | TNEA Score | JEE Mains or TNEA Score |
| Notable Alumni | Kartik Subbaraj- South Indian film Director, Writer and Producer | Shiv Nadar – Founder and Chairman of HCL Technologies Limited | Ashwin Kumar Lakshminathan – South Indian movie actor and lead TV production manager |
| Placement Rate (2021) | 71% | 40% | 95% |
University Level Engineering Entrance Exams In Tamil Nadu
Besides accepting National level entrance exams for providing admission to students in engineering colleges, most Tamil Nadu colleges also conduct their own entrance exams.
This is a university-level examination conducted by the Vels university to grant admission in B.Tech and B.E to the deserving candidates.
- Eligibility: Candidate must have passed class 12 from CBSE, ICSE or any recognized board with a minimum aggregate of 50%
- Syllabus for the test: All questions will be MCQ, based purely on Physics, Chemistry, and Maths of class 12th.
- Exam mode: Offline
- Application date: The last date to submit the form is April 2023
KEE is an institutional-level exam for various undergraduate and postgraduate engineering programs offered in the Coimbatore campus of Karunya University.
- Eligibility: The candidate must have an aggregate of a minimum of 50% in both classes 10 and 12.
- Syllabus for the test: The question paper will constitute a total of 100 marks and divided into four sections, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Aptitude.
- Exam mode: Online
- Application date: The last date for submission of the application is April 2023( Tentative)
SRMJEE is a university-level competitive exam administered by the SRM Institute of Science and Technology. The SRM campuses currently offer admission to only B.Tech programs in engineering.
- Eligibility: Applicants must have passed class 12 with a minimum aggregate of 50 % with PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Maths) or PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) as their main subjects from CBSE, ICSE, or any other recognized state board.
- Syllabus for the test: MCQs based on Physics, Chemistry, Maths or Biology, English, and General Aptitude.
- Exam mode: online
- Application date: Last week of February 2023 is the deadline for submission of the application.
Other Trending Engineering Entrance Exams In Tamil Nadu
This is a national-level competitive exam conducted by VIT university for undergraduate engineering courses.
- Eligibility: Any student who has cleared the exam of class 12th from CBSE, ICSE, or any state board with a minimum aggregate of 60% in Physics and Chemistry alongside either Maths or Biology is eligible to apply for this exam.
- Syllabus for the test: Students will have to attempt questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics and 15 questions from aptitude and English. For a detailed syllabus of each subject, the students are advised to visit the official website of VITEEE
- Exam Mode: Online
- Application date: The last date to apply is May 2023 (tentative)
VTUEEE is an all-India entrance exam for various undergraduate engineering programs. In this national-level examination, the applicant will have the opportunity to choose from 16 different specializations.
- Eligibility: The candidate must have a minimum score of 60% in either PCB or PCM combination in the 12th final examination or equivalent.
- Syllabus for the test: The question paper follows an MCQ-type pattern based purely on the Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Maths of class XII. For the detailed syllabus visit the official website of VTUEEE.
- Exam mode: The examination procedure is completed in two phases. The first phase is conducted in pen-paper mode and phase two is in online mode.
- Application date: deadline for submission of application form: Phase 1, March 2023 and Phase 2, May 2023 respectively.
Leading National Entrance Exams for Engineering Programs in India
Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains
JEE Mains is the national-level, computer-based competitive exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for students aspiring to pursue engineering in top universities of India such as IITs, NITs, CFTIs, etc. Students will get admission based on the marks obtained.
Only those candidates who have cleared their class 12th examinations or equivalent are eligible to appear for this prestigious yet challenging examination. Diploma holders are also eligible to apply for this competitive exam but only for seeking admission to IITs and these candidates must appear for JEE Advanced. A total of 24 colleges grant admission through JEE in Tamilnadu. The candidates scoring above the cut-off marks are shortlisted for the counselling session and the admission process subsequently.
The Three Best JEE Mains Colleges in TamilNadu
| NIT Trichy | IIT Madras | Government College of Technology | |
| Location | Tiruchirappalli | Madras | Coimbatore |
| National Rank (NIRF,2022) | 43 | 1 | 160 |
| Private/Government | Government | Government | Government |
| UGC/AICTE Approved | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leading UG Degree | BTech | BTech | BTech |
| Leading Specialisation | Computer Science Engineering | Computer Science, Chemical, Mechanical and Aerospace | Computer Science, Mechanical |
| Eligibility (in addition to TNEA, if applicable) | JEE Mains | IIT-JEE | JEE Mains |
| Notable Alumni | Nagi Naganathan- President of the Oregon Institute of Technology | Prem Watsa- Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings | Satish Dharmaraj-Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures |
| Placement Rate (2021) | 100% | 78% | 95% |
IIT-JEE is the most preferred entrance test among engineering aspirants and every year more than 10 lakh students compete for a few thousand engineering seats across India. This doesn’t mean there is no hope for those who don’t make it to the premiere engineering institutes of India. Candidates have the option to choose from a myriad of other engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu, conducted at the national level, state level, or by respective institutions.
Leading Inter-state Entrance Exam for Engineering in India
Amrita Engineering Entrance Examination (AEEE)
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a NAAC accredited, multi-campus and multi-disciplinary university spread across six college campuses in three different states, Kerala, TamilNadu, and Karnataka with the head office located in Coimbatore. This is one of the popular engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu.
- The university offers more than 90 courses in engineering and other disciplines.
- The engineering programs are offered on the campuses of Coimbatore, Chennai, Amravati, etc.
- Aerospace engineering is the most popular course run on the Coimbatore campus and attracts students from all over the country.
- The syllabus for the exam is the same as that of JEE Mains.
- The mode of examination is computer-based and the last date to submit the application form is May 2023.
The Competition Surrounding Engineering Entrance Exams
The pressure to crack the engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu is growing among many students and the expectation to secure a seat in an esteemed educational institution in India continues to put their mental health in jeopardy. The stress is often inflicted upon the students, by their families, educational institutes, and academic surroundings. Engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere, promote healthy competition, develop time management and cultivate patience and perseverance. However, they can also lead to an inferiority complex, kill creativity, crush dreams, and subject students to societal disappointment.
Having said that, entrance exams and cut-offs are not the true reflections of a student’s intelligence. These are not the parameters to gauge one’s worth. Marks don’t define one’s skill value, depth of knowledge, or on-field awareness and problem-solving skills.
What’s the Verdict?
All the information shared above for engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu indicates that there are a good number of opportunities for any engineering aspirant who is willing to pursue engineering in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu enjoys the distinguishing quality of offering rare engineering disciplines like Metallurgical engineering, Aerospace, Robotics, and Agricultural engineering, etc. Those interested in building their career in an unusual yet exciting field can join any such rare course in the top colleges of Tamil Nadu like IIT-M, ranked at the top by NIRF. It is also one of the prominent states with prestigious engineering institutes in the country.
Most of the colleges in Tamil Nadu also have a decent record of job placements, VIT Vellore, NIT Tiruchirappalli, and Anna university are at the top of the list of placement engineering colleges. Our advice? Do your very best in the exams and if the outcome is not as per the desired expectations, relax, take a deep breath and let go. Don’t let one exam result define your worth or determine your future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is it mandatory to appear for engineering entrance exams in Tamil Nadu?
One can seek admission based on their 10+2 qualifying marks subjected to the cut-off marks in the particular college.
- Does Tamil Nadu have a Common Entrance Test for engineering?
The TNEA is a state-level admission procedure to undergraduate engineering and architecture courses in Tamil Nadu. All admissions are done based on TNEA merit and the marks of 10+2 exams. The TNEA is conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE), Tamil Nadu.
- How many colleges in Tamil Nadu accept JEE Mains?
24 engineering colleges, including NIT-Trichy, Vellore Institue of Technology (Chennai), and SRM University accept JEE Mains scores in Tamil Nadu, India.
- What are the popular engineering disciplines in Tamil Nadu?
Computer Science, Electronics and Electrical engineering, and Electronics and Communication Engineering are some of the popular engineering disciplines in Tamil Nadu
- What are the entrance exams for engineering in Tamil Nadu after the 12th?
IIT-JEE, SRMJEEE, VEE, KEE, and VITEEE are some of the leading entrance exams for engineering aspirants in Tamil Nadu
- Who is eligible for the TNEA?
Tamil Nadu native candidates with an aggregate score of 60% in PCM in the class XII qualifying exam are eligible for applying for the TNEA.
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