Competitive Exam Calendar 2026: Important Dates Every Student Needs

Plan Your Year Strategically

Missing a registration deadline is the most frustrating way to lose an opportunity. This calendar covers all major competitive exams in India for 2026 with approximate dates, eligibility, and key preparation pointers.

Engineering Entrances

JEE Main 2026

• Session 1: January (registration opens in November 2025)
• Session 2: April (registration opens in February)
• Eligibility: Class 12 pass/appearing with PCM
• Attempt both sessions — your best score counts

JEE Advanced 2026

• Date: May-June (exact date announced after JEE Main results)
• Eligibility: Top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers
• Only two attempts allowed in consecutive years

BITSAT 2026

• Date: May-June
• Registration: February-March
• Online exam. Often considered easier than JEE but requires speed

Medical Entrances

NEET UG 2026

• Date: May (single session, single day)
• Registration: February-March
• The ONLY exam for MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS admission in India
• Over 20 lakh candidates — prepare for competition

AIIMS, JIPMER — Now merged into NEET. No separate exams.

Law Entrances

CLAT 2026

• Date: December 2025 (for 2026 admission)
• Registration: August-October 2025
• For admission to 22 National Law Universities
• Sections: English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques

Design Entrances

NID DAT 2026

• Prelims: January. Mains: April-May
• For National Institute of Design. Requires creative aptitude

NIFT Entrance 2026

• Date: February
• Registration: November-December
• For National Institute of Fashion Technology

Management

CAT 2026

• Date: November
• Registration: August
• For IIMs and 1,000+ MBA colleges. Most competitive MBA entrance in India

Government Jobs

SSC CGL 2026

• Tier 1: March-April. Tier 2: June-July
• For Group B and C posts in central government

UPSC Civil Services 2026

• Prelims: May. Mains: September. Interview: February-March 2027
• Registration: February-March
• India's most prestigious exam. 10 lakh applicants, ~1,000 selections

How to Use This Calendar

• Set phone reminders for registration dates — not exam dates, registration dates
• Don't spread too thin — pick 2-3 exams max and prepare deeply
• Overlap is your friend — JEE and BITSAT have 70% syllabus overlap. NEET and AIIMS PG have similar foundations
• Keep documents ready — Aadhaar, Class 10/12 marksheets, passport photos in the correct format

Save this page and check back as we update exact dates when officially announced. Preparation beats opportunity only when opportunity is captured — don't miss your deadline.