Students from the humanities stream in Class 12 have a wide range of options for undergraduate studies, but admission to many reputed institutions now depends on clearing competitive entrance examinations. Both centralised national-level tests and institution-specific exams determine eligibility for various professional and academic courses.
Here is a subject-wise look at major entrance exams that humanities students can consider:
Law
Students aiming to pursue a five-year integrated law degree at one of the 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) must appear for CLAT (Common Law Admission Test). Admission to National Law University, Delhi, however, requires clearing AILET (All India Law Entrance Test), as NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT scores for undergraduate admissions.
Management and Business
For students interested in management studies immediately after Class 12, IPMAT (Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test) is conducted by IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak for entry into their five-year integrated MBA programmes.
Similarly, IIM Jammu and IIM Bodh Gaya conduct JIPMAT (Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test), offering another pathway to integrated MBA courses for Class 12 graduates.
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Design, Fashion and Fine Arts
Students inclined towards creative fields can opt for UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design), conducted for admission to design programmes at select IITs.
Admission to the prestigious National Institute of Design (NID) requires clearing the NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test).
For fashion and design aspirants, the NIFT Entrance Exam is conducted for undergraduate admissions across various National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campuses.
Hotel Management
Humanities students can also pursue hotel management by appearing for the NCHM JEE (National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination), which grants admission to leading hotel management institutes across India.
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Humanities and Social Sciences
CUET UG (Common University Entrance Test – Undergraduate) is conducted for admission to undergraduate courses in humanities and social sciences across several central universities in India.
Apart from these, many universities and colleges conduct their own entrance exams or offer admission based on Class 12 board results through centralised admission portals. Institutions such as Jadavpur University or Presidency University (through PUBDET) also hold separate entrance tests for specific programmes.
