Many institutions that offer genetic engineering at the undergraduate or graduate levels require applicants to be compliant with the 10+2 educational pattern. This refers to the number of years you dedicate to each educational level. Ten refers to the combined number of elementary and secondary education while the +2 refers to the number of years you spend in higher secondary schools. For graduate courses, the modified 10+2+3 pattern is used with the last +3 referring to the number of years you spend in higher education prior to pursuing a genetic engineering degree at the master's or doctorate level.
Aside from following a 10+2 (+3) system of education, applicants for a genetic engineering course are also advised to have math and biology subjects in their +2 and +3 phases. This will ensure that they have a firm grasp of the basic concepts in biology and math prior to proceeding with higher order genetic engineering lessons. The number of total units for each general subject is not specified but it should be sufficient enough to cover most of the key areas. In particular, students must have had at least two genetics courses and three calculus courses -- both integral and differential calculus -- in order to be accepted for a genetic engineering course.
At the +2 phase, which is commonly known as 12th grade, students need to post at least a 55 percent pass mark in all of their subjects prior to being admitted to a genetic engineering course. The requirement varies from university to university, however, with some schools having higher qualifications. The application must also realize that the courses tend to be very limited and selection is dependent on grade 12 marks, so having a higher mark will put you at an advantage over other applicants.
Most schools offer their own entrance examinations and use them as the basis for admitting students to specialized courses such as genetic engineering. For India, there is a Joint Entrance Exam administered by the Indian Institute of Technology. A total of 17 colleges use the results of this exam as criterion for admitting students into their programs. Students looking to take a genetic engineering course will need to pass this exam.