What Is the Difference between IIT and JEE?

Curious about the difference between IIT and JEE? Since you asked this question, there must be some lingering doubt about it. No problem, we will clear all your doubts right away.

JEE stands for Joint Entrance Exam. It is an all-India level entrance examination taken to get admission into engineering colleges like IITs, NITs and other colleges.

IIT stands for Indian Institute of Technology, which is the name of India’s most prestigious engineering colleges situated across various states.

The JEE exam is divided into two parts JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Let us now understand the difference between IIT and JEE.

Difference between IIT and JEE - End of All Confusion

JEE is the entrance examination you will need to crack to get admission into one of the 23 IITs and other colleges participating in the admission procedure. 

JEE is the examination you take, and IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) refers to any of the colleges you will get admission to based on your score in the JEE exams, which is a two-part examination. 

Hope this explains the difference between IIT and JEE. It is to be understood that IIT and JEE are not distinctly different from each other, rather they move hand in hand with mutual cooperation with each other. 

Are State JEE Exams Different Anyway? 

Clarity is crucial when navigating through entrance exams, especially considering other exams like the state engineering exams in West Bengal, and the West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam, also using the 'JEE' suffix. Ensure precision in identifying the specific exams you're preparing for. 

Avoid elementary errors, and remember that JEE encompasses disciplines like BE/BTech, B.Arch, and B.Planning. 

This distinction prevents confusion and ensures accurate preparation for your targeted exams.

Disparities between IIT JEE and JEE

Wondering what exactly is the difference? IIT JEE and JEE refer to the same examination you take to get into the IITs. Do not get confused with the Joint Entrance Exams of other States, they are also shortened as JEE but come prefixed with the name of the State, for example, West Bengal JEE.

As mentioned before, JEE stands for Joint Entrance Exam. It is a highly competitive examination with over 9 lakh candidates appearing each year. Out of these 9 lakh applicants, only 12,000 qualify to get into IITs. Quite staggering, right? But you need to have a clear picture of the competition and prepare accordingly.

This is primarily the difference between IIT and JEE.

Difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced

Once you have understood the difference between IIT and JEE, know that the Joint Entrance Exam is divided into two parts. The first exam is Main and the second exam is Advanced.

JEE Main is the first examination you will need to appear for if getting into the IITs is your dream. This exam is conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency) and this year will be held from January 24th to February 1st, 2024.

If you get the qualifying marks (to be announced later) for JEE Main, you are eligible for the JEE Advanced examination. 

The difference in the structure of both these examinations is not considerable. However, there is a significant difference in the difficulty level.

What Happens after JEE?

After you sit for Joint Entrance Exam Main and get your score, you may or may not have qualified for JEE Advanced.

If you do qualify for JEE Main, you may sit for JEE Advanced. Depending on the various outcomes, there are some options for you.

What Happens with the JEE Main Score?

JEE Main is the first round of the screening examination. After the IIT JEE Main examination, you will score an All India Rank. With that Rank you will be eligible for the following:

• Admission into any of the 32 NITs (National Institutes of Technology).

• Admission into any of the 18 IIITs (Indian Institution of Information Technology).

• Admission into any of the 19 CFTIs (Centrally Funded Technical Institutes).

• Admission into any other participating engineering colleges.

• Eligibility for the IIT JEE Advanced exam.

Eligibility for NITs, IIITs and CFTIs

Admission into any of the B.E./B.Tech/B.Arch/B.Planning courses in the NITs, IIITs and CFTIs will be through Central Seat Allocation Board.

The eligibility for NITs, IIITs and CFTIs is given below:

• An All India Rank in JEE Main.

• A score of at least 75% marks in the 12th standard examination.

• Candidates will have to be in the top 20 percentile in the class 12 examination/Qualifying examination conducted by the respective Boards.

• For SC/ST candidates, the qualifying marks would be 65% in the class 12 examination/qualifying examination.

This is the eligibility requirement for admission into any NITs, IITs and CFTIs.

JEE Advanced Eligibility

Only around 2 lakh of the 9 lakh applicants who sit for JEE exam become eligible for appearing in the IIT JEE Advanced Examination. The Advanced Exam is conducted by any one of the IITs on a rotational basis. This year IIT Bombay is conducting JEE Advanced on the 26th of May Sunday. 

The Eligibility for JEE Advanced is as Follows

• The candidate must have passed the class 12 examination or equivalent qualifying examination with at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC, ST, and PwD).

• The candidate will have to be in the top 20 percentile of the successful candidates in their respective Board examinations.

Eligibility for Admission into IITs

So, what makes a candidate eligible for admission into the IITs?

The IITs have specific eligibility criteria for admission, which include:

• Age limit

• Number of attempts

• Year of passing class 12 or equivalent examination

You can always check these out on their respective websites.

The other criteria for admission into the IITs are that the candidates will have to qualify in the JEE Main 2024 and the JEE Advanced 2024.

As an aspirant, you should mentally prepare yourself. Considering the odds, is this really what you want to do? The road to IIT takes serious dedication, hard work and effort. Be very serious and dedicated with your preparation as it will require an investment of considerable time and resources.

What Happens with the JEE Advanced Score?

Marks scored in the IIT JEE Advanced examination make you eligible for the following:

1. Admission into the IITs (Indian Institute of Technology)

2. Indian School of Mines (IISM) or IIT (ISM) Dhanbad (new name)

3. IISER (Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research)

4. RGIPT (Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology)

5. IISc (Indian Institute of Science)

These are the institutes which take you in based on the JEE Advanced score.

Hope you become one of the lucky few who clear both the Main and JEE Advanced!

Chart Your Plan Well in Advance

Hope you have understood the difference between IIT and JEE. What is left for you to do is sit down, have a serious thinking session, and decide for yourself if you are up for the challenge.

Think of what your end game in life is. Do not just drift through life. Find out what your passions really are and pursue your career accordingly. You need to be serious about preparation because if not IITs, then NITs are just as good.

Remember no one can study on your behalf. It is you alone who can decide what you are capable of, so take the help of your parents, teachers, and mentors.