* For higher secondary education (equivalent to high school): There isn't a nationwide standardized test for admission to all colleges. Individual states have their own board examinations (e.g., CBSE, ICSE, state boards). These board exams are crucial for college admissions.
* For undergraduate admissions: Several entrance examinations are used for admission to different types of undergraduate programs. These include:
* JEE (Joint Entrance Examination): This is a crucial exam for admission to undergraduate engineering programs at the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and NITs (National Institutes of Technology). There are two main levels: JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
* NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test): This is the main entrance examination for undergraduate medical and dental programs in India.
* Other entrance exams: Many other universities and colleges conduct their own entrance examinations for specific courses. These vary greatly.
* For postgraduate admissions: Similar to undergraduate admissions, there are numerous entrance exams for postgraduate programs. These are often specific to the field of study and the university. Examples include CAT (Common Admission Test) for MBA programs, GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) for engineering postgraduate programs, and various other subject-specific tests.
In short, while there isn't a single national standardized test like in some other countries, a variety of crucial standardized tests exist in India for different educational levels and fields of study. The specific tests a student needs to take depend heavily on their academic goals and the institutions they wish to attend.