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ICAR AIEEA | Complete Information Guide
ICAR AIEEA is a national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate agriculture and allied science programs. It provides students with opportunities to study at leading agricultural universities across India.
ICAR AIEEA (All India Entrance Examination for Admission) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It is the gateway to Master’s degree programmes in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Veterinary Science, Animal Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Community Science, Fisheries, Dairy Science, and other allied sciences across 75 participating universities — 64 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), 4 ICAR Deemed Universities (IARI, IVRI, NDRI, CIFE), 3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAU Imphal, Dr. RPCAU Pusa, RLBCAU Jhansi), and 4 Central Universities with a Faculty of Agriculture (BHU, AMU, Visva-Bharati, Nagaland University).
The exam most people mean by ‘ICAR AIEEA’ today is specifically AIEEA PG — the postgraduate-level entrance test. This is because, since 2023, undergraduate admission to ICAR-participating universities is offered through CUET-UG scores instead of a separate ICAR-conducted UG exam. AIEEA PG offers roughly 11,000 Master’s seats every year, alongside a separate, related-but-distinct exam — AICE-JRF/SRF — for Ph.D.-level admission.
| Particular | Details |
| Full Form | All India Entrance Examination for Admission (Postgraduate) — ICAR AIEEA PG |
| Conducted By | National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) |
| Applicable Level | Master’s degree admission (UG admission is via CUET-UG since 2023) |
| Participating Universities | 75 — 64 SAUs, 4 ICAR Deemed Universities, 3 Central Agricultural Universities, 4 Central Universities |
| Seats Offered (PG) | Approx. 11,000 Master’s seats across 20 subject groups |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT), online |
| Exam Date (2026) | July 4, 2026 |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Total Questions / Marks | 120 MCQs, 480 marks |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for correct answer, −1 for wrong answer |
| Language Medium | English only |
| Application Fee | ₹1,300 (General/Unreserved); ₹1,255 (OBC-NCL/UPS/EWS); ₹675 (SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender) |
| Official Website | exams.nta.nic.in/icar |
| Criteria | Requirement |
| Nationality | Indian citizens only; OCI card holders and foreign nationals are not eligible |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor’s degree of 4, 5, or 6 years’ duration (after 10+2) in a relevant Agriculture/Allied Sciences discipline — e.g., B.Sc. Agriculture, B.Sc. Horticulture, B.Sc. Forestry, B.Sc. Fisheries, B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering, B.V.Sc. & A.H. |
| Minimum Marks | 60% aggregate for General/OBC-NCL/EWS/UPS candidates; 50% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates, in the qualifying Bachelor’s degree |
| Three-Year Degree Holders | Generally not eligible; limited exceptions apply only at ICAR Deemed Universities IARI and NDRI, as per their own separate rules |
| Subject Group Selection | Candidates may appear for only one subject group out of 20, and it must correspond to their undergraduate discipline |
| Age Limit | Minimum 19 years as on August 31, 2026; no upper age limit; no age relaxation permitted for any category |
| Appearing Candidates | Final-year Bachelor’s students may apply provisionally, subject to producing final marksheets at the time of counselling |
| Step | What to Do |
| 1 | Visit the official registration portal — exams.nta.nic.in/icar — and click on the New Registration link. |
| 2 | Enter basic details — name, mobile number, email ID, and date of birth — to generate your application number and password. |
| 3 | Log in and fill in personal, academic, communication, and category details. |
| 4 | Select your subject group (one of 20) and four preferred examination cities, in order of preference. |
| 5 | Upload a scanned photograph, signature, a live photograph (mandatory), and other required documents in the prescribed format. |
| 6 | Pay the application fee online via Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. |
| 7 | Submit the final form and download the confirmation page for your records. |
| 8 | Use the correction window, when opened, to fix specific editable fields before the deadline. |
| 9 | Download the admit card once released, and note your allotted exam city and centre. |
| 10 | Appear for the CBT exam on the scheduled date; check the provisional and then final answer key when released, and await your result and merit rank. |
The ICAR AIEEA PG exam is a single computer-based paper of 120 multiple-choice questions worth 480 marks, to be completed in 2 hours, with +4 for every correct answer and −1 for every wrong answer. The question paper is specific to the candidate’s chosen subject group and tests undergraduate-level knowledge in that discipline.
| Component | Detail |
| Total Questions | 120 MCQs |
| Total Marks | 480 |
| Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for correct answer, −1 for wrong answer |
| Subject Groups | 20 — including Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Sciences, Animal Sciences, Veterinary Science, Fisheries Science, Dairy Science/Technology, Agricultural Engineering, Community Science, Agribusiness Management, and more |
| Language | English only (unlike CUET-UG, which is offered in 13 languages) |
The AIEEA PG syllabus is based entirely on the undergraduate course content of your chosen subject group, rooted in standard ICAR-approved UG textbooks. ICAR publishes a detailed subject-wise syllabus PDF for each of the 20 groups on its official website.
Unlike UG entrance exams that test Class 11–12 concepts, AIEEA PG tests conceptual and application-based understanding at the undergraduate degree level — questions are drawn from within your specific Bachelor’s programme’s curriculum, not from advanced research literature.
Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Sciences, Plant Biotechnology, Entomology and Nematology, Social Sciences, Statistical Sciences, Forestry, Community Science, Animal Biotechnology, Veterinary Science, Animal Sciences, Fisheries Science, Dairy Science, Dairy Technology, Food Science & Technology, Agribusiness Management, Water Science & Technology, and Physical Sciences relevant to agriculture.
| Stage | Details |
| Result & Merit Rank | NTA score (a percentile, not raw marks) and merit rank released online, typically in the third week of August. |
| Counselling Registration | Qualified candidates register separately for counselling on the official ICAR counselling portal. |
| Choice Filling | Candidates log in and fill their preferred choices of subject group, programme, and university, based on their rank and preferences. |
| Document Verification | Physical document verification at designated counselling centres, with original documents and self-attested photocopies. |
| Seat Allotment | Seat allotment lists released based on merit rank, category, and choices filled, across multiple rounds. |
| Provisional Admission Letter | Allotted candidates download their provisional admission letter from the counselling portal and complete admission formalities at the allotted university. |
| University Category | Count / Examples | Notes |
| State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) | 64 universities, including State Agricultural, Veterinary, Horticultural, and Fisheries Universities across India | The largest category, covering most state-run agricultural universities nationwide |
| ICAR Deemed Universities | 4 — IARI (New Delhi), IVRI (Izatnagar), NDRI (Karnal), CIFE (Mumbai) | India’s premier agricultural research institutes with their own specialised PG/Ph.D. programmes |
| Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs) | 3 — CAU Imphal, Dr. RPCAU Pusa, RLBCAU Jhansi | Central-government-run agricultural universities serving specific regions |
| Central Universities with Faculty of Agriculture | 4 — BHU, AMU, Visva-Bharati, Nagaland University | General central universities that also offer agriculture/allied programmes |
| Fee Component | Amount |
| Application Fee — General/Unreserved | ₹1,300 |
| Application Fee — OBC-NCL/UPS/EWS | ₹1,255 |
| Application Fee — SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender | ₹675 |
| Processing Charges & GST | Additional, as applicable, over and above the base fee |
| Counselling Fee | Charged separately at the time of counselling registration; amount notified each year |
| Tuition Fee (Post-Admission) | Varies significantly by university; government SAUs are generally far more affordable than private institutions |
Q1. Does ICAR AIEEA cover undergraduate admission as well?
Not anymore. Since 2023, undergraduate admission to ICAR-participating universities is offered through CUET-UG scores, not a separate ICAR-conducted UG exam. ‘ICAR AIEEA’ today primarily refers to AIEEA PG, the postgraduate entrance exam.
Q2. Is ICAR AIEEA PG the same as AICE-JRF/SRF?
No. Both are conducted by NTA for ICAR, often in the same cycle, but AIEEA PG is for Master’s-level admission while AICE-JRF/SRF is a separate exam for Ph.D.-level Junior/Senior Research Fellowship admission, with different eligibility, fees, and age limits.
Q3. What is the exam pattern for AIEEA PG?
AIEEA PG has 120 MCQs for 480 marks, to be completed in 2 hours, with +4 for each correct answer and −1 for each wrong answer. The paper is specific to your chosen subject group and is available only in English.
Q4. Is there negative marking in AIEEA PG?
Yes. Each wrong answer deducts 1 mark, against +4 for a correct answer, making accuracy important — random guessing across many questions is a losing strategy given this marking scheme.
Q5. What is the application fee for AIEEA PG?
₹1,300 for General/Unreserved candidates, ₹1,255 for OBC-NCL/UPS/EWS candidates, and ₹675 for SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender candidates, with processing charges and GST applicable additionally.
Q6. Can a candidate with a 3-year Bachelor’s degree apply for AIEEA PG?
Generally, no. AIEEA PG requires a 4, 5, or 6-year Bachelor’s degree. Limited exceptions exist only at ICAR Deemed Universities IARI and NDRI, which follow their own separate eligibility rules for lateral admission.
Q7. How many universities accept AIEEA PG scores?
75 universities participate — 64 State Agricultural Universities, 4 ICAR Deemed Universities (IARI, IVRI, NDRI, CIFE), 3 Central Agricultural Universities, and 4 Central Universities with a Faculty of Agriculture, offering approximately 11,000 Master’s seats combined.
Q8. What is the minimum age to appear for AIEEA PG?
Candidates must be at least 19 years old as on August 31 of the admission year, with no upper age limit and no relaxation permitted for any category.
Disclaimer
This document is an unofficial educational resource created for exam aspirants. All information should be verified on the official recruitment website before applying. Vacancy numbers, age limits, and eligibility criteria are subject to change with each notification.
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