GyanDeskExam guide · Updated October 2026
Competitive exams in India: list, eligibility & prep guide.
Every major competitive exam in India in one place — government job exams and entrance exams, who conducts them, who can apply, the age limits and when they usually happen. Pick your qualification and see exactly which competitive exams are open to you.
Everything you need to choose a competitive exam.
Exam finder
Exam Finder: which competitive exams can you take?
Competitive exams rank candidates against each other for a limited number of seats or jobs. Filter by your qualification and the career you want — the list updates instantly.
Recruitment links below match the exam and recruiter against our current job feed. Only notices with a known deadline that has not passed are shown; eligibility and application status must be confirmed in the official notification.
UPSC Civil Services (CSE)
IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other Group A services
UPSC CAPF (AC)
Assistant Commandant in CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB
UPSC Engineering Services (ESE)
Group A engineering services of the Government of India
BPSC Combined Competitive Exam
Bihar state civil services — SDM, DSP and allied posts
Other State PSC exams
State civil services (UPPSC, MPSC, RPSC, WBPSC and others)
IBPS PO
Probationary Officer in public sector banks
IBPS Clerk
Clerk in public sector banks
IBPS SO
Specialist Officer (IT, Law, Agriculture, HR, Marketing)
IBPS RRB (PO & Office Assistant)
Officers and Office Assistants in Regional Rural Banks
SBI PO
Probationary Officer, SBI
SBI Clerk (Junior Associate)
Clerical cadre, SBI
RBI Grade B
Officer, Reserve Bank of India
RBI Assistant
Assistant, Reserve Bank of India
NABARD Grade A
Assistant Manager, rural development banking
LIC AAO
Assistant Administrative Officer, Life Insurance Corporation
JAIIB / CAIIB
Professional banking certifications that count towards promotion
SSC CGL
Group B and C posts in central ministries and departments
SSC CHSL
Lower Division Clerk, Junior Secretariat Assistant, Data Entry Operator
SSC MTS & Havaldar
Multi-Tasking Staff and Havaldar in central departments
SSC GD Constable
Constable in CAPFs, SSF and Assam Rifles
SSC CPO
Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and CAPFs
SSC JE
Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical)
SSC Stenographer
Stenographer Grade C and D
RRB NTPC
Clerks, station masters, goods guards and other non-technical posts
- RRB — Non-Technical Popular Categories – 3,548 →Apply by 6 Nov 2026
- RRB NTPC Graduate — Goods Train Manager, CCTS, JAA, Sr. Clerk cum Typist →Apply by 6 Nov 2026 · 3,548 reported vacancies
- RRB NTPC 12th Level — NTPC (Under Graduate) – Commercial Cum Ticket Clerk, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Junior Clerk Cum Typist, Trains Clerk →Apply by 13 Nov 2026 · 1,688 reported vacancies
RRB Group D
Track maintainers, helpers and other Level 1 posts
RRB ALP
Assistant Loco Pilot (Class 10 + ITI or diploma required)
RRB JE
Junior Engineer (diploma or degree in engineering)
NDA & NA
Officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force via the National Defence Academy
CDS
Officers via IMA, INA, AFA and OTA
AFCAT
Commissioned officers in the Indian Air Force
Agniveer (Agnipath)
Soldiers, sailors and airmen on a four-year engagement
JEE Main
NITs, IIITs and GFTIs; qualifying step for JEE Advanced
JEE Advanced
B.Tech admission at the IITs
GATE
M.Tech/PhD admission and PSU recruitment
BITSAT
BITS Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses
NEET UG
MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and nursing admissions
NEET PG
MD, MS and PG diploma admissions
CAT
MBA admission at the IIMs and other top B-schools
XAT
XLRI and many other B-schools
CLAT
UG and PG law at the National Law Universities
CTET
Eligibility to teach Classes 1–8 in central government schools
UGC NET
Assistant Professor eligibility and Junior Research Fellowship
CSIR NET
JRF and lectureship in the sciences
CUET UG
Undergraduate admission to central and participating universities
Ages are for the General category; OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates receive relaxation. Eligibility, age limits and dates change every year — always confirm in the official notification before applying.
After Class 12
Competitive exams after 12th — at a glance
Your Class 12 stream decides which competitive exams and entrance exams are open to you. Here is the quick map.
| Your stream | Exams you can take |
|---|---|
| Science (PCM) | JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, NDA, CUET UG |
| Science (PCB) | NEET UG, CUET UG |
| Commerce | CUET UG, CLAT, SSC CHSL, CA Foundation |
| Arts / Humanities | CLAT, CUET UG, SSC CHSL, NDA (Army wing) |
| Any stream | SSC CHSL, SSC Stenographer, RRB NTPC (undergraduate posts), Agniveer |
After graduation
Competitive exams after graduation for government jobs
A degree opens the widest range of government exams. This government exams list groups them by the degree you hold — check the official site of each exam (for example upsc.gov.in or ssc.gov.in) for this year’s notification.
| Your degree | Competitive exams you can take |
|---|---|
| Any graduate — government jobs | UPSC Civil Services, UPSC CAPF (AC), state PSC exams (BPSC and others), SSC CGL, SSC CPO, CDS, AFCAT |
| Any graduate — banking & insurance | IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS SO, IBPS RRB, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, RBI Grade B, RBI Assistant, NABARD Grade A, LIC AAO |
| Engineering graduate | GATE, UPSC ESE, SSC JE, RRB JE (SSC JE and RRB JE also accept a diploma) |
| Graduate with B.Ed | CTET, for teaching posts in central government schools |
| Postgraduate | UGC NET (Assistant Professor / JRF), CSIR NET (M.Sc. and equivalent) |
| MBBS | NEET PG |
| MBA admission | CAT, XAT |
Competitive exams after 10th
Class 10 is enough for several central government jobs, mostly through SSC, railway and defence recruitment.
| Qualification | Government exams you can take |
|---|---|
| Class 10 | SSC MTS & Havaldar, SSC GD Constable, RRB Group D, Agniveer (Agnipath) |
| Class 10 + ITI or diploma | RRB ALP (Assistant Loco Pilot) |
How to prepare
How to prepare for competitive exams: a 7-step plan
Toppers across UPSC, banking and SSC competitive exams describe remarkably similar methods. This is the core of it.
Understand the pattern first
Download the official syllabus and three to five years of previous papers before you open a single book. They tell you exactly what is asked and how often.
Build a realistic plan
Split the syllabus into weekly targets, balancing strong and weak subjects. A plan you can follow beats an ambitious one you abandon.
Master the fundamentals
NCERT books (Classes 6–12) cover the base of most general-studies, science and maths sections. Shortcuts only work once concepts are clear.
Take mock tests like the real thing
Start full-length timed mocks at least two months out. Analyse every test — the review matters more than the score.
Revise on a schedule
Use spaced revision: revisit topics after 1 day, 1 week and 1 month. Keep one-page short notes for the final weeks.
Protect your sleep and health
Seven hours of sleep, short breaks and some daily exercise keep memory and focus sharp through a long preparation.
Use the right resources
Stick to a small set of trusted books and notes and go deep on them, rather than collecting dozens of sources.
Avoid these
Common mistakes in competitive exam preparation
Most candidates who fall short don’t lack effort — they lose months to a few avoidable habits. Check yourself against this list before you build your timetable.
Free on GyanDesk
Free notes for banking and other competitive exams
Preparing for a banking, RBI, JAIIB or Bihar exam? These free notes cover the sections those exams test most.
Banking Awareness
KYC, deposits, payments and digital banking — for IBPS, SBI and RRB exams.
Read notes →02Indian Economy & RBI
Monetary policy, inflation and financial inclusion — for RBI Grade B and NABARD.
Read notes →03JAIIB & CAIIB
Syllabus, pattern and notes for bank employees preparing for promotion.
Read notes →04Bihar GK for BPSC
History, geography and culture of Bihar in Hindi and English, with a quiz.
Read notes →05Practice MCQs
Question sets and short revision summaries to test yourself.
Start practising →06Latest Government Jobs
Open notifications with last dates, updated every day.
See openings →Questions
Competitive exams in India: FAQs
Still deciding which competitive exam to take? These are the questions aspirants ask us most. For anything else, get in touch.
What is a competitive exam?
A competitive exam ranks candidates against each other for a limited number of jobs or seats, so your rank matters more than your raw marks. In India, competitive exams are used for government jobs (UPSC, SSC, banking, railways, defence) and for admission to colleges (JEE, NEET, CUET, CAT, CLAT).
Which is the toughest competitive exam in India?
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is widely regarded as the toughest. Several lakh candidates apply each year for roughly a thousand posts, and the three-stage process — prelims, mains and interview — tests breadth, depth and personality.
Which competitive exams can I take after Class 12?
After Class 12 you can take JEE Main, JEE Advanced and BITSAT (with PCM), NEET UG (with PCB), CLAT, CUET UG, NDA, SSC CHSL, SSC Stenographer and RRB NTPC undergraduate-level posts. Use the qualification filter in the Exam Finder above to see the full list.
Can I prepare for competitive exams without coaching?
Yes. Many successful candidates prepare on their own using standard books, previous years' papers, free online notes and regular mock tests. Coaching helps with structure, but consistency and practice matter far more.
How many hours a day should I study?
Most serious aspirants study 6–8 focused hours a day during full-time preparation, and 3–4 hours if they are working or in college. Consistent, distraction-free hours matter more than long hours.
How many competitive exams can I prepare for at once?
Pick exams with overlapping syllabi. Banking exams (IBPS, SBI, RBI) share reasoning, quantitative aptitude and English; SSC CGL and CHSL overlap heavily; UPSC and state PSC exams share a large general-studies base.
Are age limits the same for everyone?
No. The ages on this page are for the General category. OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates get age relaxation, and the exact limits are set in each year's official notification.
Are competitive exams conducted online or offline?
Most major exams — JEE Main, banking, SSC, railway and NET exams — are now computer-based. UPSC Civil Services and NEET UG are still conducted largely on pen and paper.
Which competitive exams can I take after graduation?
With any degree you can take UPSC Civil Services, SSC CGL, IBPS PO and Clerk, SBI PO, RBI Grade B, NABARD, LIC AAO, CDS, AFCAT, CAT and your state PSC exam. Engineering graduates can also take GATE, UPSC ESE, SSC JE and RRB JE; postgraduates can take UGC NET or CSIR NET.
Which government exams can I take after Class 10?
After Class 10 you can apply for SSC MTS and Havaldar, SSC GD Constable, RRB Group D and Agniveer under the Agnipath scheme. RRB ALP also needs an ITI or diploma alongside Class 10.
Your next step
Pick one exam. Start today.
The candidates who clear these exams are rarely the ones with the most material — they’re the ones who started early and stayed consistent.
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