The NIT MCA Common Entrance Test (NIMCET) is a national-level entrance examination conducted by National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli at Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. It is conducted for admission to the Master of Computer Applications (MCA) programme offered by 11 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and 2 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) across India.

For the 2026–27 academic year, admission to the MCA programme at NITs in Agartala, Allahabad, Bhopal, Delhi, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Meghalaya, Patna, Raipur, Tiruchirappalli, and Warangal, and IIITs at Bhopal and Vadodara, will be based solely on the rank obtained in NIMCET-2026.

Eligibility

Indian nationals who have secured at least 60% marks or 6.5 CGPA (or 55% / 6.0 CGPA for SC/ST/PwD candidates) in a minimum three-year undergraduate programme with Mathematics or Statistics as one of the subjects, or a B.E./B.Tech. degree, from a recognized university or institution are eligible to apply.

Students who are currently appearing for their final undergraduate examinations in 2025-26 may also apply. However, they must provide a certificate from the head of their institution confirming their candidature. All candidates must submit proof of meeting the eligibility criteria during counselling/admission, not later than 30 September 2026, otherwise their admission may be cancelled.

Candidates who have completed or are completing a three-year bachelor’s degree through Open Universities with Mathematics or Statistics are also eligible, provided the programme is approved by UGC, AICTE, and the Distance Education Council (DEC) of the Government of India.

Exam Structure

NIMCET-2026 will be conducted as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) on 06 June 2026 (Saturday) from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The exam will consist of 120 multiple-choice questions divided into three parts with a maximum of 1000 marks.

Part I – Mathematics (70 minutes | 2:00 pm–3:10 pm)

50 questions, 12 marks each, with 3 marks deducted for every wrong answer.

Part II – Analytical Ability & Logical Reasoning (30 minutes | 3:10 pm–3:40 pm)

40 questions, 6 marks each, with 1.5 marks deducted for each wrong answer.

Part III – Computer Awareness & English (20 minutes | 3:40 pm–4:00 pm)

Computer Awareness: 20 questions, 6 marks each, –1.5 for wrong answers

English: 10 questions, 4 marks each, –1 for wrong answers

Each section will appear sequentially, and candidates must complete each section within the allotted time. Switching between sections is not allowed. The question paper will be in English only.

Candidates scoring zero or negative marks in Mathematics or in total will be disqualified. Ranks will be assigned based on the marks obtained in NIMCET-2026.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online through the official website of NIMCET. The last date to apply is 01 May 2026 (5:00 pm).

The application fee is:

₹2,500 for General/OBC candidates

₹1,250 for SC/ST/PwD candidates

Payment can be made online through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. Candidates must select three test centres in order of preference.

Admit Card

Eligible candidates can download their admit cards from 27 May 2026 until 11:30 am on 06 June 2026 from the official website.

Admission Procedure

Admission to all 13 participating NITs and IIITs will be based on NIMCET-2026 rank and the choice of institutes filled by candidates.

Qualified candidates must register for online counselling and fill their preferred institutes between 30 June 2026 (10:00 am) and 03 July 2026 (5:00 pm). Candidates must lock their choices before the deadline, after which all choices will be automatically locked.

Further details regarding the counselling process are available in the official information brochure on the NIMCET website.