The state government is considering replacing the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GujCET) with the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) mains for admissions to engineering and pharmacy colleges starting in 2025.
Despite most institutions currently using GujCET, some private universities in Gujarat already use JEE. While the previous shift to JEE mains in 2013 aimed to boost local students’ competitiveness nationally, the state reverted to GujCET in 2017.
It is learnt that even with the move from GujCET from JEE, merit list composition will remain the same that is 60% from board exam scores and 40% from JEE mains scores. Previously, it was based on Class 12 board exam and GujCET scores in the same ratio.
About 70,000 students yearly take the A-group (physics, chemistry, and mathematics) in Class 12 exams by Gujarat’s education board and others. The proposal to replace GujCET with JEE as the sole entrance test for engineering and pharmacy is being considered due to students’ burden of taking both exams. Roughly 90% of Class 12 students sit for both JEE exams annually.
The key difference between GujCET and JEE is their syllabus focus. GujCET emphasizes Class 12 syllabus, whereas JEE covers both Classes 11 and 12 equally.