Selection for admission to professional colleges in Pondicherry, including privately managed colleges, are made through the Joint Entrance Test (JET) conducted by the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC). One has to clear the JET for admission to the first year professional degree courses such as medical, engineering, dentistry, veterinary and animal sciences, agricultural science, BPharm, BSc (nursing), in colleges like Pondicherry Engineering College, Mahatma Gandhi Dental College, Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mother Theresa Institute of Health Sciences educational institutions.

The sale of the information bulletin starts in the second week of April and the last date for receipt of the completed application forms is usually in May. The application form can be obtained in person for Rs 315 or may also be obtained by post by sending a request along with two self-addressed slips (neatly typed or hand- written) and a crossed demand draft for Rs 365, drawn in favour of ?The Convenor, CENTAC?, payable at Pondicherry, and sent to CENTAC , Pondicherry Engineering College Campus, Pondicherry 605014. For more details, contact the above mentioned address directly or call 020 22934049/50 or log on to www.centac.pon.nic.in.

Eligibility

The minimum academic qualification is a pass in the 10+2 examination or its equivalent. For BTech, it is mandatory to have mathematics and physics as compulsory subjects along with either chemistry or biotechnology or computer science or biology (botany and zoology) as an optional subject, with 45 per cent marks in the aggregate.

For BDS, MBBS, BPharm, BSc (nursing), BPT and BSc (MLT), BSc (agriculture), you should have passed with English, biology or botany and zoology, physics, and chemistry with 50 per cent marks in the aggregate (40 per cent for SC candidates).

The minimum eligible age is 17 years.

Entrance exam

The JET is conducted in the last week of May in various centres in Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Candidates from other states or union territories seeking admission to the BTech course offered by the Pondicherry Engineering College can apply on the basis of their AIEEE marks and are not required to appear in JET. NRIs or NRI-sponsored candidates or foreign nationals can apply to the BDS degree course (5 seats) offered by Mahatma Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences through JET.

Pattern of exam

The entrance test consists of three papers ? Paper I (mathematics), Paper II (physical sciences: physics, chemistry) and Paper III (biology) ? of two hours? duration each. For BDS, BPharm, BSc (nursing), BPT, and BSc (MLT), BSc (Agriculture) courses, you will only have to attempt Paper II and III.

How to prepare

It is important to be clear and thorough on all concepts and have regular practice of attempting the objective-type questions accurately. Some of the books you can refer to are Physics 10+2 by H.C. Verma, Krishna and Lodiwala and Chemistry by O.P. Agarwal, Dinesh and Tata McGraw Hill publishers. You can practise biology from MP Kaushik and Ramesh Gupta. Various guides for the entrance exam such as Parihar, Bhatia, Shivam and Vishal are found at major bookshops.

sample test paper

Paper I (Mathematics)

The value of m for which the sum of squares of the roots of the equation (x+1) ( x+3) + m (x-1) = 0 is minimum equal to :-
a) – 5 b) –3 c) 0 d) 2

Paper II (Physics, Chemistry)

Two point charges +3 : c and +8 : c repel each other with a force of 40 N. If a charge of -5 : c is added to each of them, then the force between them will become
a) – 10 N b) + 10 N
c)+ 20 N d)– 20 N
lAn organic liquid reacts with sodium metal and evolves hydrogen gas. On reaction with Lucas reagent it gives immediate cloudiness. The liquid is likely to be:
a) a primary alcohol b) a tertiary alcohol c) an aldehyde
d) an ester

Paper III (Biology)

Which of the following is not a stem modification?
a) arrowroot b) garlic c) ginger d) sweet potato

One of the organs that excretes water, fat and various catabolic wastes is the
a) kidney b) skin c) spleen d) salivary glands