ICAR 2027 is the route to ICAR quota seats in agricultural universities. NTA conducts the exams: CUET (ICAR-UG) for Bachelor’s courses, AIEEA (PG) for Master’s and AICE-JRF/SRF for PhD. ICAR then runs online counselling. Dates are not out yet; the PG and PhD exams are expected in July 2027.
ICAR 2027
This page explains which ICAR exam you need, the 2027 dates, how to apply, the exam pattern and how ICAR counselling and scholarships work.
| Full name | ICAR admissions: CUET (ICAR-UG), AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | NTA conducts the entrance exams; ICAR runs the online counselling |
| Exam level | National |
| Courses / Purpose | ICAR quota seats in Bachelor's, Master's and PhD programmes in agriculture and allied sciences, plus ICAR scholarships |
| Exam date | PG and PhD expected July 2027 (4 July in 2026); UG through CUET UG, expected May 2027 |
| Application | PG and PhD expected from May 2027 at exams.nta.nic.in/icar; UG through the CUET UG form |
| Application fee | General: Rs 1,300 (PG), Rs 2,000 (PhD); lower for reserved categories (2026) |
| Eligibility | UG: Class 12 in your CUET subjects; PG: 4-year Bachelor's; PhD: Master's, with a minimum OGPA |
| Mode | Computer-based test |
| Questions and marks | PG and PhD: 120 MCQs, 480 marks, 2 hours each |
| Negative marking | 1 mark deducted per wrong answer in PG and PhD (+4 for a correct one) |
| Official website | exams.nta.nic.in/icar |
ICAR 2027 Important Dates
NTA has not announced the 2027 dates yet. Based on 2026, the PG and PhD forms are expected in May 2027, the exams in July 2027 and counselling from September 2027.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Information bulletins | May 2027 Expected |
| Online application | May 2027 Expected |
| CUET (UG (via CUET UG)) | May 2027 Expected |
| Exam city intimation | June 2027 Expected |
| Admit cards | July 2027 Expected |
| AIEEA | July 2027 Expected |
| Provisional answer keys | August 2027 Expected |
| Results | August 2027 Expected |
| ICAR online counselling | September 2027 Expected |
Which ICAR exam do you need for 2027?
It depends on the degree you want. ICAR does not hold a separate UG exam any more: Bachelor’s seats are filled from CUET UG scores, while Master’s and PhD seats have their own NTA exams on one day.
| Level | Exam (conducted by NTA) | ICAR quota seats (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s (B.Sc. Hons., B.Tech. and others) | CUET (ICAR-UG), part of CUET UG | 20% in agricultural universities; 100% at IARI, IVRI, NDRI, RLBCAU Jhansi and Dr. RPCAU Pusa |
| Master’s (M.Sc., M.Tech., MVSc and others) | AIEEA (PG) | 30% in agricultural universities; 100% at ICAR deemed universities, RLBCAU Jhansi and Dr. RPCAU Pusa |
| PhD with JRF/SRF fellowship | AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) | 30% in agricultural universities; 100% at ICAR deemed universities, RLBCAU Jhansi and Dr. RPCAU Pusa |
Each exam has its own detailed page: ICAR UG (CUET ICAR-UG), ICAR AIEEA PG and ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD).
How to Apply for ICAR 2027
You apply for the PG and PhD exams on exams.nta.nic.in/icar once NTA publishes the 2027 bulletins, expected in May 2027. For UG seats you do not fill a separate ICAR form: you take CUET UG with an ICAR subject combination such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB), Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) or Physics, Chemistry and Agriculture (PCA).
Apply Online for ICAR 2027
Applications for ICAR 2027 are expected in May 2027.
- Go to exams.nta.nic.in/icar and read the bulletin of the exam you want, AIEEA (PG) or AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD).
- Register with your own mobile number and email ID and note your application number.
- Fill in your details, qualifying degree and OGPA, and choose your subject group (PG) or subject (PhD) and exam cities.
- Upload your photograph, signature and any category or PwBD certificate.
- Pay the fee online and download the confirmation page.
| Category | AIEEA (PG) fee, 2026 | AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) fee, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| General / Unreserved | Rs 1,300 | Rs 2,000 |
| OBC-NCL, UPS, EWS | Rs 1,255 | Rs 1,955 |
| SC, ST, PwBD, Third gender | Rs 675 | Rs 1,075 |
In 2026 the form was open from 8 May to 10 June 2026 (extended from 7 June), and the correction window ran from 12 to 14 June 2026. The fee is not refunded.
Who can apply for ICAR 2027?
Eligibility differs by level. The rules below are from the 2026 bulletins and brochures, the latest ones.
- UG: you must have passed Class 12 in the same subjects you take in CUET (ICAR-UG). A zero or negative CUET (ICAR-UG) score makes you ineligible for ICAR counselling.
- PG: a 4-year or longer Bachelor’s degree matching your subject group, with an OGPA of 6.60 out of 10 or 60% marks (5.60 or 50% for SC, ST, PwBD and third gender), and age at least 19 years.
- PhD: a Master’s degree in the matching subject, with an OGPA of 6.50 out of 10 or 60% marks (5.50 or 50% for SC, ST, PwBD and third gender), and age at least 20 years.
- Final-year students can apply for PG and PhD if they finish the degree by the date in the bulletin.
What is the ICAR 2027 exam pattern?
The PG and PhD exams follow the same format: a 2-hour computer-based test with 120 multiple-choice questions for 480 marks, in English only. The table shows the 2026 pattern.
| Exam | Questions | Marks | Duration | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIEEA (PG) | 120 MCQs from your major subject group | 480 | 2 hours | +4 correct, -1 wrong |
| AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) | 120 MCQs: Part A 20, Part B 50, Part C 50 | 480 | 2 hours | +4 correct, -1 wrong |
| CUET (ICAR-UG) | CUET UG papers in your three subjects | As per CUET UG | As per CUET UG | As per CUET UG |
In 2026 both exams were held on 4 July: AIEEA (PG) from 10 AM to 12 noon and the PhD exam from 3 to 5 PM, at 162 centres in 115 cities. See the ICAR syllabus for the subjects tested.
How does ICAR counselling work?
ICAR fills its quota seats through online counselling at icarcounseling.com, separately for UG, PG and PhD, using the merit ranks it prepares from NTA scores.
- Register on the counselling portal and pay the non-refundable counselling fee of Rs 500.
- Upload your documents and fill your choices of course and university.
- Check the seat allotment; there are four rounds and a mop-up round, and you can opt for upgradation only in rounds 1 to 3.
- Respond to university queries online and pay the Rs 10,000 seat acceptance fee, which is part of the admission fee.
- Download the provisional admission letter and join the university.
Document verification and fee payment are online, so you do not report in person during the rounds; you report to the finally allotted university after counselling. Not more than 40% of ICAR seats in a subject and category at a university go to candidates from one state. These rules are from the 2026 brochures.
What scholarships come with ICAR seats?
- UG: National Talent Scholarship of Rs 3,000 a month for students admitted on ICAR quota seats in a university outside their home state.
- PG: the ICAR-PG scholarship of Rs 12,640 a month for two years for a limited number of meritorious candidates, and NTS (PG) for eligible students.
- PhD: the JRF/SRF fellowship of Rs 37,000 a month in years 1 and 2 and Rs 42,000 in year 3, awarded at counselling.
ICAR 2027 Official Notices and Downloads
- PDFICAR AIEEA (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin (latest) (8 May 2026)Official site · cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.inOpen
- PDFICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) 2026 Information Bulletin (latest) (8 May 2026)Official site · cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.inOpen
- PDFICAR-UG Online Counselling Brochure 2026, CUET (ICAR-UG) (latest)Official site · icarcounseling.comOpen
- PDFICAR AIEEA (PG) 2026 Online Counselling Brochure (latest)Official site · icarcounseling.comOpen
- PDFICAR AICE (PhD) 2026 Online Counselling Brochure (latest)Official site · icarcounseling.comOpen
- LINKICAR exams official website (NTA)Official site · exams.nta.nic.inOpen
- LINKICAR counselling portalOfficial site · icarcounseling.comOpen