Nepal Entrance Exams: Complete List of National Entrance Tests

In Nepal, passing the +2 (Grade 12, sometimes written as 10+2) level is only the first step toward a professional bachelor's degree. Most sought-after programs — engineering, medicine, management, agriculture and their sister disciplines — admit students through a separate, competitive entrance examination rather than on the basis of Grade 12 marks alone. For hundreds of thousands of +2 graduates who search each year for what to do after passing ("+2 pass paxi ke garne"), understanding which entrance exam leads to which career is the single most important planning decision of the admission season.

Entrance exams in Nepal fall into two broad groups. The first are national common entrance tests conducted by a single authority for all colleges in a field — for example, MECEE-BL run by the Medical Education Commission for every MBBS/BDS/nursing seat in the country, or the Institute of Engineering (IOE) entrance for engineering. The second are university-specific admission tests such as Kathmandu University's KUCAT-CBT and KUUMAT, which govern admission only to that university's colleges and affiliates.

This page is a navigable hub. Each exam below is summarised with its conducting body, the programs it unlocks, who is eligible, the exam pattern (number of questions, marks and duration), whether there is negative marking, and the month it typically falls in. Because dates, seat numbers and even negative-marking rates are revised almost every year, always confirm the current-year notice on the conducting body's official website before applying.

The Institute of Engineering (IOE) entrance examination, conducted by the Entrance Examination Board of IOE under Tribhuvan University, is the gateway to Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) programs across IOE constituent campuses (such as Pulchowk, Thapathali, Purwanchal and Paschimanchal) and its many affiliated engineering colleges. It is one of the most competitive tests in the country, with tens of thousands of candidates competing for a few thousand seats each year.

The exam is a computer-based test (CBT) of two hours covering four subjects — Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English — with 100 objective questions carrying a total of 140 marks (Mathematics and Physics carry more weight per question than Chemistry and English). Negative marking applies: in recent notices IOE has deducted a percentage of the marks (widely reported as 10 percent of the question's marks) for each wrong answer, so guessing is penalised. Eligibility requires having passed +2 Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and meeting the minimum grade requirement stated in the notice; A-Level candidates with equivalent subjects are also accepted.

The IOE entrance is usually held around August (Shrawan–Bhadra in the Bikram Sambat calendar), after Grade 12 results are published, with results and rank-based counselling following shortly after. Candidates apply and check results through the official IOE portals (entrance.ioe.edu.np and admission.ioe.edu.np). Because the negative-marking rate and exact mark weighting have changed between years, verify the figures in the current admission notice before you sit.

The Medical Education Common Entrance Examination for Bachelor Level (MECEE-BL), also widely called the Common Entrance Examination (CEE), is Nepal's single national gateway to all health-profession bachelor's programs. It is conducted by the Medical Education Commission (MEC), the statutory body created under the National Medical Education Act, 2075 BS, and its result governs admission to every medical, dental, nursing and allied-health seat in the country — government and private alike.

MECEE-BL covers a wide list of programs, including MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), BDS (dental surgery), BSc Nursing, BPH (public health), BPharm, BAMS (Ayurveda), BPT (physiotherapy), and other allied-health degrees such as BSc MLT, BSc Medical Imaging Technology, B.Optometry, BASLP and Perfusion Technology. The exam is a single-best-response multiple-choice paper of 200 questions carrying 200 marks over three hours, with subject weighting reported as Physics 50, Chemistry 50, Biology 80 (Botany and Zoology combined) and a Mental Ability Test (MAT) of about 20. There is negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer, and candidates must generally place above the 50th percentile to qualify for the merit list.

Eligibility requires +2 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Biology and the minimum aggregate stated in the notice. The exam is typically held toward the end of the admission cycle — in recent years around late September to early November — followed by online merit-order college selection. Because the MEC revises its syllabus blueprint, subject weighting and calendar periodically, confirm the current MECEE-BL information on the official portals (mec.gov.np and entrance.mec.gov.np).

The Central Management Admission Test (CMAT) is conducted by the Faculty of Management (FoM) at Tribhuvan University for admission to its bachelor-level management programs. These include the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Information Management (BIM), Bachelor of Business Management (BBM), Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), Bachelor of Travel and Tourism Management (BTTM), Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) and Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance (BBA-F), among others offered by FoM constituent and affiliated colleges.

CMAT is an objective test of 100 multiple-choice questions carrying 100 marks, generally completed within about 90 minutes to two hours. The paper is divided into four sections of 25 questions each — Verbal Ability (English), Quantitative Aptitude (mathematics), Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness — testing aptitude rather than one specific +2 stream. Candidates usually need to secure a qualifying percentage (commonly reported as around 40 percent) to pass and be ranked. Because the format is an aptitude test, students from any +2 stream who meet the GPA requirement may apply.

CMAT normally takes place after Grade 12 results, often in the Bhadra–Ashwin window (around late August to September). Applications and notices are published through the TU Faculty of Management (tudoms.org / fomecd.edu.np). Note that a separate CMAT-Masters exists for MBS and other master-level management programs; check the specific notice for the level you are applying to.

Kathmandu University (KU) runs its own admission tests rather than using the national common exams. KUCAT-CBT (Kathmandu University Common Admission Test — Computer Based Test) is the entrance for undergraduate programs of the School of Engineering (SoE) and School of Science (SoS). It is a two-hour computer-based test of 120 multiple-choice questions, structured in three parts of 40 questions each covering Physics, Chemistry and either Mathematics (PCM) or Biology (PCB) depending on the chosen program. KU benchmarks a minimum threshold score for admission rather than a simple pass percentage, and eligibility requires +2 or equivalent with a minimum aggregate (commonly GPA 2.0 / 50 percent). Applications are made through apply.ku.edu.np.

KUUMAT (Kathmandu University Undergraduate Management Admission Test) is KU's entrance for management programs such as BBA, BBIS (Business Information Systems), BBA (Honours/Emphasis) and BHTM (Hospitality and Tourism Management). It is a computer-based aptitude test of 100 marks covering English language proficiency, mathematical aptitude, logical reasoning and general awareness, and it applies negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer (four wrong answers cancel one correct answer). Eligibility is typically a minimum of 50 percent aggregate or CGPA 2.0 on a 4.0 scale at the +2 level.

KU admissions generally open earlier than the TU cycle, with KUCAT-CBT and KUUMAT commonly held in the July–August window. Because seat numbers, threshold scores and section weighting are set each year, always confirm details on the official KU application portal before applying.

Students aiming for agriculture, veterinary science, forestry or fisheries sit entrance exams run by dedicated bodies. Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), based in Rampur, Chitwan, conducts entrance tests for programs including BSc Agriculture (BSc Ag), Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH), BSc Forestry and BSc Fisheries. Separately, the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) under Tribhuvan University conducts its own entrance for BSc Ag, BVSc & AH and related programs across its campuses such as Rampur and Paklihawa.

The AFU BSc Agriculture entrance is an objective paper drawn from the +2 science course, with a fixed subject-wise mark pattern — typically Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and English carrying about 20 marks each, plus Mathematics and a small General Knowledge/Plant Science component — for roughly 100 marks in total. A notable feature is that AFU has commonly used no negative marking for its undergraduate agriculture entrance and does not permit calculators, though pass thresholds (often a minimum percentage to enter the merit list) are set in the notice. Because subject weighting and rules differ between AFU, IAAS and other universities that offer agriculture, read each institution's own notice carefully.

Eligibility for these programs generally requires +2 Science (with Biology for veterinary and most agriculture streams) and the minimum aggregate stated by the university. Exams are usually held in the main admission season after Grade 12 results. Confirm current details on the official sites (afu.edu.np and iaas.tu.edu.np).

Entrance exams do not end at the bachelor's level. For postgraduate engineering, the Institute of Engineering conducts an MSc entrance for its Master of Science and Master of Engineering programs. It is a computer-based multiple-choice test of about two hours, typically split into a general section and a stream-specialised section, with negative marking (widely reported as 10 percent per wrong answer). Eligibility requires a relevant bachelor's degree, and selection is on the merit of the entrance score subject to the Faculty Board's minimum requirements.

For postgraduate medicine, the Medical Education Commission conducts MECEE-PG, the common entrance for MD, MS, MDS, MPH and other postgraduate health-profession programs. Like the bachelor-level exam, it is a single-best-response paper (reported as 200 questions over three hours with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer), and candidates generally must place at or above the 50th percentile. Most categories additionally require registration with the relevant professional council. Postgraduate applicants should always verify eligibility, the syllabus blueprint and the exam calendar on the conducting body's official portal, as these are updated each cycle.

The right exam follows directly from the career you want, which in turn depends on your +2 stream and subjects. Science students with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics point toward engineering (IOE or KUCAT-CBT); those with Physics, Chemistry and Biology point toward medicine and health sciences (MECEE-BL) or agriculture and veterinary (AFU/IAAS). Management and aptitude-based tests such as CMAT and KUUMAT are open to students from any stream who meet the GPA requirement, making them a common choice for +2 graduates from commerce and humanities as well as science.

Practical planning matters as much as subject choice. Many exams overlap within a few weeks of each other in the July–November window, so candidates aiming at more than one field (for example both engineering and medicine) must check whether the dates clash. Register early, keep your Grade 12 mark sheet and citizenship/ID ready, and note that most exams now use computer-based testing at designated centres. Above all, treat every date, mark distribution and negative-marking rate on this page as indicative: they are set fresh in each year's official notice, which is the only authoritative source before you apply.