January 2026 registrations: NEET UG, WBJEE, KCET and other key entrance exams opening this month

January 2026 is set to be a busy month for students preparing for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions across India. Several national and state-level entrance examinations are either opening registrations this month or are expected to do so based on previous schedules.

If you are tracking multiple exams at once, this is the period when application portals begin to go live. From medical and engineering tests to design and management entrances, candidates need to stay alert to official updates and deadlines.

Medical and engineering entrances to watch closely
NEET UG 2026 remains the single national-level medical entrance examination for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses. The exam is conducted once a year by the National Testing Agency (NTA). While no official notification for NEET UG 2026 has been released so far, the National Medical Commission has already issued the syllabus, covering Physics, Chemistry and Biology. In the previous cycle, NEET UG 2025 was held on May 4, with registrations opening on February 7 and closing on March 7.

JEE Main 2026 Session 2 is expected to open its application window in the last week of January, following the pattern of earlier years. The first session of JEE Main 2026 exams is scheduled between January 21 and January 30, after which NTA is likely to announce details for the April session.

BITSAT applications are already underway. The Birla Institute of Technology and Science conducts the BITS Aptitude Test for admissions to its undergraduate programmes. The application window opened on December 15 and will remain open till March 16 for Session 1. For Session 2, applications will be accepted from April 20 to May 2 through the official admissions portal.

State-level CETs opening applications
MHT CET is undergoing a major change from the 2026–27 academic cycle. The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test will now be conducted twice a year. From 2026, the exam will be held in April and May, with appearing for at least one session made mandatory for professional course admissions. Students who attempt both sessions will have the better score considered.

The CET Cell has released a tentative schedule. MAH MHT CET 2026 for the PCM group is planned from April 11 to April 19, while PCB group exams are scheduled from April 21 to April 26. The MAH MBA/MMS CET 2026 will take place from April 6 to April 8.

AP EAMCET 2026 will serve as the admission gateway for engineering, agriculture and pharmacy programmes in Andhra Pradesh. The examinations are scheduled across multiple dates in May, with agriculture and pharmacy exams conducted over four sessions. Registration will be available through the same official portal.

KCET, conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority, is another exam likely to open registrations this month. While no dates have been announced for 2026 yet, the 2025 registration window opened on January 23 and closed on February 24. The exam was held in mid-April in two daily shifts.

Design, fashion and private university exams
NIFT 2026 registrations are already open through the NTA portal. The application process began on December 8. Candidates can apply without a late fee until January 6, while applications submitted between January 7 and January 10 will require an additional late fee of Rs 5,000.

VITEEE 2026 registrations started earlier on October 24, 2025. The tentative deadline to apply is March 31. The examination is scheduled from April 28 to May 3, with results expected in the second week of May, followed by online counselling.

AEEE 2026 registrations are also active. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has opened applications for its BTech entrance exam. The deadline to apply for Phase 1 is January 15. Applications must be submitted online, along with the prescribed registration fee.

Other national and state entrances expected in January
Based on previous trends, WBJEE 2026 applications are expected to open in January. The exam will be held offline by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board for admission to the engineering, technology, pharmacy, and architecture programmes. It is anticipated that the last date for registration will be in February.

OJE 2026 announcements are anticipated on the official website, with registrations expected to commence in the last week of January and continue till March. Last year, the exams were held in May, and the applications were opened at the end of January.

TS EAMCET 2026 will be conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad. The engineering entrance exam is scheduled on May 9, 10 and 11, while agriculture and pharmacy exams will be held on May 4 and May 5.

TANCET 2026, a test organized by Anna University for MBA and MCA admissions, is anticipated to take the lead with its registrations also in January after the last time when the applications were started on January 24.

Postgraduate entrance updates
CUET PG registrations are in progress. NTA started the application window on December 14, 2025, and it will end on January 14, 2026. The exam will offer admission to master's courses at central, state, private, and deemed universities.

This year, candidates can select up to four exam city preferences, limited to the state of their permanent or current residence, while filling the application form.

With multiple exams opening registrations in January, students are advised to regularly check official websites and keep documents ready to avoid last-minute delays.
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