NEET vs JEE: A Comprehensive Comparison

Thinking about becoming a doctor or an engineer? In India, it all starts with cracking either NEET vs JEE—the big entrance exams that can make or break your dream! NEET is your ticket to top medical colleges, while JEE can land you a spot in prestigious engineering institutions like IIT. While choosing between these two isn’t easy—it’s like being at a crossroads where both paths look equally challenging and rewarding.

Several students wonder, “Should I choose biology for NEET or tackle advanced math for JEE?” or “NEET vs JEE, which is best?” and so on. It’s not just about picking a career but choosing an exam that matches your strengths and interests. This article will help you understand the key differences between the NEET and JEE exams. We will also determine their difficulty level (NEET vs. JEE, which is tough), career prospects, and salary potential in India.

NEET vs JEE: Overview of the Exams

NEET and JEE are top-notch competitive exams in India, enabling candidates to be admitted to their dream college. Now, the challenge is deciding which is best for you – NEET vs JEE? Below, we have provided a comprehensive overview of NEET vs JEE. Let’s take a look:

NEET

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is the full form NEET, India’s common entrance exam for medical aspirants, considered one of the toughest exams alongside JEE, leading to MBBS, BDS, and other medical courses. It is conducted once a year by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to several medical seats across India. As of 2024, National Medical Counselling (NMC) offered 196,515 seats, including those in the government and under NEET.

NEET tests aspirants’ knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) through offline (pen-and-paper) mode with multiple-choice questions (MCQs). To appear in this entrance exam, candidates must complete their 10+2 with PCB and a minimum of 50% marks (40% for reserved categories). The primary aim of the NEET exam is to provide a fair chance for all candidates to get admission to various top medical colleges, both private and government.

Key Highlights

The table below provides you with a detailed overview of the NEET exam:

Name of Exam	NEET
Full-Form	National Eligibility Entrance Test
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Level of Exam	National
Exam Type	Medical Entrance Exam
Main Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Stream	Science
Courses Offered for Admission through NEET	MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BHMS, and Nursing
Colleges	Both Government and Private Colleges in India

JEE

Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination, or IIT JEE, is the most prestigious exam for aspirants seeking admission to top engineering institutions (like IIT, NITs, etc) in India. JEE is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and has two steps:

• JEE Main: The first step, usually conducted twice a year to test aspirants’ knowledge of subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and mathematics
• JEE Advanced: The second step, conducted only for those students who qualified for JEE Main with a good percentile and seeking for getting admission to IITs

IIT JEE Main is a computer-based test including 90 questions (30 from each subject) with both MCQs (multiple-choice questions) and NVQs (numerical value questions). To take this test, aspirants must have passed or appeared for 10+2 with PCM the same year. The primary aim of the IIT JEE exam is to evaluate students’ problem-solving skills and ability to respond in different scenarios. Qualifying for the IIT JEE exam can help candidates get admission to their dream colleges. 

Key Highlights

This table includes the key highlights related to the IIT JEE exam:

Name of Exam	JEE Main
Full-Form	Joint Entrance Examination Main
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Level of Exam	National
Exam Type	Engineering Entrance Exam
Main Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Stream	Science
Courses Offered for Admission through IIT JEE	BE/BTech, BArch, and BPlan
Colleges	Both Government and Private Colleges in India

NEET vs JEE: Difficulty Level Comparison

Here’s a comparison table between NEET vs JEE based on syllabus and exam structure. 

Parameters	NEET	JEE
Exam Structure	Single exam (NEET-UG)	Two stages: JEE Main and JEE Advanced
Exam Frequency	Once a year (May)	Twice a year (January and April)
Number of Attempts	Candidates should be at least 17 years old. (if he/she is over 25 years old, then needs a Supreme Court order to appear in the NEET exam)	For 3 consecutive years
Examination Mode	Offline (pen-and-paper test)	Computer Based Test (CBT) for BE/BTech/BArch/BPlanOffline for the Drawing section in BArch
Duration	3 Hours 20 minutes	3 Hours (for BTech/ BArch/ BPlan)3.5 Hours (for BArch and B.Planning both)4 hours (for PwD candidates)
Paper Pattern	Objective	JEE Main (Objective)JEE Advanced (Objective + Subjective)
Number of Questions	200 questions (180 to be answered)	JEE Main: 90 questionsJEE Advanced: 108 questions (54 in each paper)

Whether NEET vs JEE is tougher is a perennial debate among students and educators. In recent years, both national-level exams have witnessed a rise in difficulty levels. New exam patterns and increased emphasis on conceptual understanding demanded rigorous preparation and exceptional performance. However, determining NEET vs JEE, which is tough, may require different perspectives. Usually, the following criteria are followed by most experts after analysing previous years’ patterns:

• IIT JEE Mains  (least difficult)
• NEET (difficult)
• JEE Advanced (most difficult)

JEE tests physics, chemistry, and mathematics, with JEE Advanced particularly challenging due to its complex problem-solving requirements. The syllabus for JEE is more extensive and mathematically rigorous, particularly in Physics.

NEET, which focuses on biology, physics, and chemistry, may appear more straightforward at first glance, but the competition is fierce—the ratio of applicants to seats makes it highly competitive. For instance, NEET offers around 55,000 government seats, while JEE provides approximately 50,000 seats across IITs, NITs, and IITs. This intense competition for limited seats makes NEET equally demanding.

Best Career Opportunities After NEET and JEE

After NEET and JEE, you can pursue various careers in the medical, engineering, and other sectors. These career options offer lucrative salaries with potential growth in the future. Let’s discuss them:

Career Options After NEET

Below we have mentioned some top-notch career options after NEET:

Doctor

Appearing for NEET is an ideal way to start your career as a doctor. However, doctors can also continue their practice or higher studies in a particular course, like cardiology, paediatrics, or respiratory. The average salary starts at ₹35,000/month.

Pharmacist

Being a pharmacist can be another lucrative career opportunity after NEET. To begin, you can enrol in the B.Pharm course, straightforward PG/NET, or join as a pharmacist in a reputable healthcare centre. The average salary starts at ₹20,000/month.

Dentist

Candidates interested in oral health care can initiate their careers as dentists after NEET. A dentist can work at a private or public hospital or set up an individual clinic to offer oral care. The average salary of fresh graduates is ₹25,000/month.

Clinical Research

Clinical research is the most prominent career option after NEET at national and international levels. Securing high ranks in NEET can help you to get jobs in ICMR, CCMB, WHO, and other prestigious research institutes. The average salary starts at ₹6 lakhs/annum.

Nutritionist

There is a very high demand for nutritionists as you can help prevent or manage several life-threatening diseases like obesity, cardiac issues, or diabetes. With some expertise and certificates, you can efficiently work as a sports nutritionist in a school, college, or hospital. The average salary starts at ₹22,000/month.

Career Options After JEE

Several career options are available after JEE, such as data analyst, educator, and more. Let’s understand them in detail:

Data Analytics

Data analytics or scientists analyse and interpret large amounts of data sets to evaluate how data is stored in databases. You can learn several programming and analytical skills by enrolling in a data scientist course. The average salary starts at ₹6 lakhs/annum.

Government Jobs

After graduating from IIT, numerous doors opened in PSUs (Public Sector Unions) and government sectors. You can prepare for competitive exams like GATE, SSC, Union Public Commission Services (UPSC), or more. The base salary for a government employee starts at ₹7L–₹15.9 lakhs/annum with additional benefits

Research and Development (R&D)

In R&D, you can join as a research engineer, research assistant, technical assistant, and more with an excellent salary package. The average salary starts at ₹25,000/month.

NEET vs JEE: Which is Better for Your Future?

Most students want to be doctors or engineers after high school. However, both are equally respected for their societal contributions. Based on their nature of work, doctors are considered lifesavers who care for community health. On the other hand, engineers participate as developers and inventors in society. For instance, based on their expertise, they are responsible for designing and creating the country’s infrastructure, such as highways, bridges, tracks, etc.

Besides these perks, students belonging to these professionals may experience some challenges. Here are some of them:

• Difficulty in finding suitable job opportunities with a decent salary.
• Maximum industries are situated in the countryside.
• High competition can limit your chance to grab the best opportunity.
• Many candidates found these fields hectic and challenging, requiring energy and time.

NEET and JEE offer long-term career prospects with diverse opportunities and strong growth potential. However, you should pre-plan what excites you more and where you want to see yourself after 5-10 years. Focus on planning long-term goals while considering your family history, financial background, and other relevant factors because both professions require a significant investment.

NEET vs JEE: Which Path to Choose?

Choosing NEET vs JEE is a significant decision that shapes your career path – both lead to rewarding peaks in different directions! While NEET opens doors to medical careers with its PCB focus, JEE paves the way for engineering aspirants through PCM. Neither path is inherently “better” or “easier” – it all comes down to your interests, strengths, and career goals.

It is relatively more complicated than NEET in complex problem-solving capacities but has fewer seats for NEET; hence, it is highly competitive. Both exams contain several common topics, so if you want, you can prepare for the NEET and JEE exams simultaneously. Remember, success in either exam requires dedication and innovative strategy, so plan according to what you are genuinely passionate about.

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