Is there any entrance exam for IGNOU?

Indira Gandhi National Open University is India’s largest open university and has been ranked the number one university under the open category by NIRF for several years. It offers courses through ODL (Open and Distance Learning mode) as well as online mode. It offers various undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and certificate programmes at different academic levels. However, one common question often asked by applicants is whether one needs to pass an entrance examination for IGNOU admission into its various courses.

While the majority of IGNOU courses do not require any entrance examination for admission, there are a few specific courses for which students must pass an entrance examination by filling out the IGNOU exam form to take admission. Through this blog, we shall have a look at the various entrance examinations for the courses offered by IGNOU and also understand which courses do not require any entrance test. Without further wasting any time, let us get right into knowing which courses have a mandatory entrance examination for admission.

Entrance Exams at IGNOU

Indira Gandhi National Open University was established in 1985 with the aim of making education more flexible, accessible, and inclusive for all learners. There is no age barrier for learners to apply for courses at IGNOU. However, learners of any age group must meet the minimum academic requirements to take admission into a course. For example, a learner of any age can take admission into an undergraduate programme if they have passed the Class 12 examination, along with meeting any specific course requirements for a particular subject.

However, what is more important to understand here is that while most of the courses do not require any entrance examination for admission, IGNOU does conduct its own interest exam for admission into some of its professional courses so that admission is done on a merit basis. You can only take admission into these courses if you fill out the IGNOU exam form, meet the eligibility criteria, fulfil all the requirements for admission, and pass the entrance exam. You need to keep checking the official website for any recent updates for such courses and their IGNOU admission status.

IGNOU Courses Without Entrance Exams

We have already cleared the air about the fact that for general courses at various academic levels, IGNOU does not require any entrance examination. The majority of the courses offered at Indira Gandhi National Open University offer direct admission without any mandatory entrance exam. Let us have a look at such programmes for which IGNOU offers direct admission.

IGNOU Undergraduate Programmes

IGNOU UG courses such as BA, BBA, BCom, BSc, and BCA are offered on the basis of Class 12 qualification or possession of an equivalent qualification by candidates, without any entrance examination. However, for a few specific courses, such as B.Tech programmes, students must have studied subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics at the Class 12th level from the science stream. For more specific information, candidates are advised to consult the official prospectus and check the eligibility requirements of the course they are interested in taking admission into.

IGNOU Postgraduate Programmes

Similar to undergraduate programmes, candidates who have passed a bachelor’s degree or possess an equivalent qualification from a recognised institution can apply for IGNOU PG courses, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Again, here, students need to check which subjects have been made mandatory as per the university guidelines to have studied at the graduate level. For example, for admission into MSc Botany, the university may require a candidate to have studied Botany as a subject at the graduate level.

IGNOU PG Diploma or Certificate Courses

IGNOU also offers several postgraduate diploma and certificate courses with direct admission and no entrance examination. These courses are open to eligible candidates from all backgrounds to keep up with industrially relevant skills and knowledge in a shorter duration of time. Since these are postgraduate-level programmes of one year, generally, students who have completed an undergraduate degree with equivalent qualifications are eligible to take admission into these courses.

IGNOU Diploma and Certificate Courses

Diploma and certificate courses can be pursued by candidates after completing their Class 10 or Class 12 education, depending on the specific eligibility criteria of the course. Admission to these courses is also done on a direct basis without the need to pass any entrance examination. However, there might be limited seats for particular courses, and therefore, admission is done on a merit basis.

Which Courses Require an Entrance Exam at IGNOU?

As previously discussed, while most programmes do not require candidates to pass any entrance examination for admission, students need to pass the test held by IGNOU admission for the particular courses we are to discuss below, due to their specialised professional nature. Admission to all these courses is done on the basis of the entrance examination score, followed by counselling or interview rounds.

1. PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Considered the highest academic qualification, a PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, requires candidates to pass the research entrance test conducted by IGNOU in various disciplines. Candidates can also apply on the basis of the UGC NET examination, provided they have qualified for the JRF exam or NET and meet the specific eligibility criteria set by the university for admission into the PhD programme. Shortlisted candidates are required to appear for an interview and present their research proposal. Final admission is done on a merit basis.

2. BEd (Bachelor of Education)

The Bachelor of Education, or B.Ed., course is another programme offered by IGNOU that requires candidates to clear a national-level entrance exam conducted by the university. The final selection is done on the basis of the entrance examination score, followed by counselling.

3. Post-basic BSc Nursing

IGNOU offers admission to the post-basic BSc nursing course through an entrance exam typically held twice a year, either in Jan/February or June/July, for the in-service nurses with GNM qualifications. Candidates have to qualify for the entrance test and appear for the counselling round for admission into the nursing colleges affiliated with the University.

*Please note that IGNOU no longer conducts OPENMAT (Indira Gandhi National Open University Open Management Aptitude Test) for MBA courses. The admission to the MBA course offered through the entrance mode at IGNOU has now shifted to a merit-based system for direct admission through the online portal without the need for any entrance exam.

How to Apply for the Entrance Exam?

If you are interested in taking admission into courses offered by the candidates that require an entrance test, it is mandatory to fill out the IGNOU application form and submit all relevant details and documents so that you can receive the official details of when and where the entrance examination is scheduled.

1. Log in to the official website of the university and register yourself as a student.
2. Create your ABC ID on the SAMARTH portal.
3. Verify the eligibility criteria and entrance examination details before proceeding further to pay the examination fee or the course fee.
4. Fill out the IGNOU exam form, submit all your details, and upload scanned copies of all relevant documents.
5. Pay the entrance IGNOU exam fee using a debit card, credit card, or online banking services. The entrance fee varies depending on the course you are applying for.
6. Review and submit the application form and exam form to IGNOU and download them for future reference.
7. IGNOU shall release the admit card a few days before the entrance examination date. Log in with your credentials, and download the admit card containing the examination date, time, and the details of your allotted centre.
8. Appear for the entrance examination on the scheduled date and carry all the necessary documents stated in the admit card.
9. IGNOU publishes the examination results on the official website. Shortlisted candidates would be called for counselling, such as the interview round.
10. Keep checking for the IGNOU admission status by checking the official website. Admission to the course shall be based on merit, provided all relevant documents are submitted, and verification has been duly done.

When to Fill out the Entrance Exam Form?

The admission to the programmes at IGNOU starts around June/July each year for the various programmes. Since the admission drive is conducted twice a year for many programmes, you may also apply in the January session. The application forms are released in mid-December or Jan and mid-May/June and close towards the end of Jan/July, tentatively. The entrance exam may be conducted in Feb and Sep/Oct, depending on the final schedule as released by IGNOU admission status.

Important Notes to Remember for IGNOU Admission

Whether you are taking admission to a course at IGNOU that requires an entrance exam or not, there are a few points that you should always remember when applying for admission to a course at Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi, so that your application is not rejected.

1. Creating an ABC ID, or Academic Bank ID, on the SAMARTH portal is mandatory to apply for admission at IGNOU. Without this, you may not be able to submit your application form or register yourself as an applicant on the IGNOU website.
2. It is always important to check the eligibility criteria for the particular course that you are interested in taking admission into. There are specific programmes that may not require you to sit for an entrance exam, but you should have studied that particular subject at your previous academic level, which you would study for your chosen course at IGNOU.
3. There is no age barrier for taking admission into courses at IGNOU. There might be a minimum age for a few courses, and also a candidate always has to fulfil the academic requirement for admission into a course.
4. Submit all relevant details and upload scanned copies of all the relevant documents for admission so that, upon verification, your application form is not rejected.
5. If any course requires you to sit for an entrance exam, pay the fee for the entrance exam before the due date; failing which, you may not be able to take admission into the course.
6. Keep checking the IG and website regarding the release of the admit card for the courses that require an entrance exam. Clearly check the date, time, and venue of your address exam, arrive on time, and carry all the necessary documents with you.
7. After submitting your application, if you are not interested in taking part in the course, clearly check the details for the fee reimbursement for the course. IGNOU has specific criteria for cancelling your admission and reimbursing after a specific period of time. The registration fee is irreversible.

Takeaway

IGNOU is the largest open university in India, with over 30 lakh students enrolled in various courses. IGNOU offers general programmes as well as professional courses with no age barrier for interested candidates. However, applicants must fulfil the eligibility criteria in order to be eligible for admission to their desired courses. 

While the majority of courses offered at IGNOU do not require candidates to appear for any entrance examination, there are certain specific professional courses, such as the B.Ed. Course, Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing programme, PhD, etc, for which admission is done on the basis of the entrance examination score and counselling rounds. Candidates are finally admitted into their course on the basis of the merit list.

FAQs

Q.1 Do I need to pass an entrance exam to take admission into the IGNOU BA course?

No, IGNOU does not require candidates to pass any interest for taking admission into the BA course. Students can apply on the basis of their aggregate at the Class 12th level or CUET-UG examination scores.

Q.2 Which exams at IGNOU require you to pass an entrance test?

PhD programmes, the BEd course, the Post Basic B.Sc. The nursing programme and a few other programmes require candidates to pass an entrance examination to be admitted.

Q.3 How is admission done at IGNOU for courses that require an entrance exam?

For courses offered at IGNOU that require candidates to pass an entrance exam, admission is done on the basis of entrance examination scores, followed by counselling. Students whose names appear in the merit list are eligible for admission.

Q.4 When does admission take place at IGNOU?

At IGNOU or Indira Gandhi National Open University, the admission drive takes place twice a year, in January and June/July, for various UG, PG, PG diploma, diploma, and certificate courses.