ICAR UG EXAMINATION

Agriculture and the allied fields have a huge scope in the near future for a country like India. Even if other industries may face downsizing, agriculture can never fall prey because “food” is the basic necessity for life. Feeding will never face a recession or a slowdown. For a couple of years, the agriculture industry showed development in technology, research, and innovation and has multiplied the scope of agriculture in a big way. Agriculture being the backbone of the Indian economy, an Undergraduate degree in Agricultural and Allied Sciences has become a career option for many young individuals. Not just in farming, but these courses have helped individuals work at high profiles in both corporates and government offices. Studying in the prestigious ICAR Colleges may help contribute to the agricultural sector and secure your bright future. This article will let you know the details of the ICAR exam and its benefits. 

   

What Is ICAR Exam?

The Indian Council For Agricultural Research (ICAR) All India Entrance Examination for Examination (AIEEA) UG is an exam organized to shortlist applicants for undergraduate agricultural and allied sciences programs. The organization comes under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

ICAR conducts this examination to fill 15% of UG seats in the agricultural universities. This council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture in the country. 

The courses include agricultural engineering and marketing, fisheries, forestry, home sciences, sericulture, dairy technology, and food and science technology. India has one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world, with 101 ICAR institutes and 71 agricultural universities. The exam is conducted through Computer Based Test where the questions are objective-type with multiple-choice questions. 

 

ICAR UG Eligibility Criteria:

A candidate must check for the ICAR eligibility criteria before applying for the examination. Failing to meet the ICAR AIEEA criteria will make the candidates lose their candidacy for admission. The following are the criteria for ICAR AIEEA.

1. Only candidates above the age of 16 years can apply for the examination.
2. A candidate should qualify their Class 12th from CBSE Board or its equivalent from a recognized Board/University.
3. A student from the General category must score an aggregate of 50% in the previous board examination. The minimum marks required for SC, ST, and PWD category is 40% as aggregate.
4. The nationality of the applying candidate should be Indian only.

 

ICAR AIEEA UG Exam Pattern:

The ICAR AIEEA exam is conducted in online mode. It is subdivided into two streams on the basis of their stream during intermediate. It comprises 180 questions, and the time limit for solving these questions is 150 minutes. The total mark is 480. Each question is a multiple-choice question with four options, out of which the candidate has to select one correct response. For each correct answer, four marks will be awarded. One mark is deducted for each incorrect answer from the total score. The medium of the question paper is in both English and Hindi. The questions in ICAR AIEEA will be from subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and Agriculture, of which one has to attend any three. If you are preparing for NEET, it might be easier for you to sit for the examination as both exams have similar syllabus and examination patterns, except the mathematics subject for AIEEE, for candidates seeking admission to Agricultural Engineering. 

Like any other national or state-level engineering and medical tests, equal importance is given to all subjects and chapters in the ICAR exam. 

 

ICAR AIEEA Counseling:

The counseling process is conducted in online mode after the council releases the rank card and counseling letter on the official website of ICAR. All the qualified candidates will have to register for the counseling process by filling out the online form with the mandatory details and paying the registration fee. After this, the candidate needs to fill their choices of courses/universities in the stipulated time period. They can update their choices umpteen times before the last date or until they lock their choices. The council will take the option you selected at the end and move further with the counseling process. The eligible candidates will be allotted seats after document verification and the fee payment of seat acceptance. Note that the candidate is not required to report physically for admission during any round of counseling. However, the candidate needs to produce the original documents during physical verification by the university during registration in the allotted university.   

 

5 Tips For Better Preparation

1. Study topic-wise.
2. Go through the official syllabus and make short notes when studying a particular subject. 
3. Revise the chapters on a regular basis.
4. Prepare a timetable and try to stick to it.
5. Practise more and more sample papers.

 

Also Check:-

• 10 useful tips for ICAR aspirants

Career Options After Agricultural Studies at ICAR Colleges:

 

1. Indian Forest Service-

It is one of the most prestigious services where you can work at different posts in forest departments of the Central or State Government. An IFS can hold positions such as quality assurance officer, production manager, field officer, operations manager, etc.

 

2. Banking-

Students after studying at ICAR colleges may work in the banking sector and deal with agricultural finance and related issues. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development recruits graduates and postgraduates for key positions.

 

3. Research-

You can be among the agricultural scientists and work in laboratories, conduct research and experiments and propose methods to increase agriculture. Research scientists help examine animal diseases, cures, treatments, and solutions.

 

4. Engineering-

Agricultural engineers work on the mechanical side of agriculture and help design, develop, install, and maintain agricultural machinery that improves the efficiency in these sectors.

 

5. Corporate-

Corporate job includes monitoring and administrative positions in fertilizer manufacturing, agriculture product marketing companies, food processing units, etc.

 

Conclusion:

If you want a career in the agricultural sector, you should go for ICAR Exams. Prepare well, and to help you guide you through your path, we at SciAstra will ensure that you get the authentic resources and get the expertise of the best mentors. Start your preparation early and ensure you have enough time to revise the syllabus.