Beginner's Guide

SSLC

Secondary School Leaving Certificate

The Class 10 board exam and certificate in Karnataka, conducted by KSEAB. Passing it is what lets you choose a stream.

PUC

Pre-University Course

Classes 11 and 12 in Karnataka, called 1st PUC and 2nd PUC, run by the Department of Pre-University Education. Elsewhere in India this is simply called "Class 11 and 12" or "Intermediate".

Stream

The subject group you pick after Class 10 — Science, Commerce or Arts. It decides which degrees you can apply for later, though many doors stay open.

PCMB

Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology

A Science combination that keeps BOTH medical and engineering open, because Biology lets you sit NEET and Maths lets you sit JEE or KCET.

PCMC

Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Computer Science

A Science combination aimed at engineering, IT, AI and data science. Without Biology you cannot sit NEET, so medical is closed off.

Entrance exam

A separate test taken after Class 12 to win a seat in a professional course. Your board marks alone are usually not enough.

KCET

Karnataka Common Entrance Test

The Karnataka state entrance test, run by KEA. Used for engineering, farm science, nursing and other courses in Karnataka colleges. Needs Karnataka domicile for state-quota seats.

NEET UG

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test

The single national medical entrance exam, run by NTA. Required for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and B.Sc Nursing — and from 2026-27 for several allied health courses too.

JEE Main

Joint Entrance Examination

The national engineering entrance exam run by NTA, held in two sessions. It opens NITs and IIITs, and qualifies you for JEE Advanced, which is the route to the IITs.

COMEDK UGET

A separate entrance test for private and deemed engineering colleges in Karnataka, run by a consortium of those colleges. Open to students from any state.

CUET UG

Common University Entrance Test

A national test run by NTA used by central and many other universities for BA, B.Sc and B.Com admissions.

DCET

Diploma Common Entrance Test

Karnataka test that lets a diploma holder join the SECOND year of an engineering degree directly. This is called lateral entry.

Cut-off

The lowest rank or mark that actually got a seat in a college last year. It changes every year and differs by category, so treat old cut-offs as a rough guide only.

Diploma

A 3-year practical engineering course taken straight after Class 10 at a polytechnic. You can work after it, or use DCET to join a degree in the 2nd year.

Lateral entry

Joining a degree course directly in its second year because you already hold a diploma. It saves a year: SSLC to engineering degree in 5 years instead of 6.

Integrated course

A single course that combines two degrees, such as the 5-year LLB taken straight after Class 12 instead of doing a degree first.

Internship

A period of supervised practical work built into a course. In medicine, dentistry and several health courses it is compulsory before you can practise.

Honours degree

Under NEP 2020 a bachelor degree can run 4 years instead of 3. The extra year adds research and is called an Honours or Honours-with-Research degree.

PG / Postgraduate

A degree taken after your bachelor degree — M.Tech, M.Sc, MA, MBA, MD and so on. Usually 2 years.

PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

The highest research degree, usually 3 to 5 years after a masters. It is the normal route to becoming a professor or a research scientist.

D.El.Ed

Diploma in Elementary Education

A 2-year teacher-training diploma taken after Class 12, the usual route to teaching Classes 1 to 5 in a government school once you also clear the TET.

ITI

Industrial Training Institute

A trade school you can join right after Class 10 (some trades after Class 8). Courses run 1 to 2 years in trades like electrician, fitter, welder or plumber.

NCVT

National Council for Vocational Training

The body whose certificate makes an ITI trade qualification nationally recognised by employers.

Apprenticeship

Paid on-the-job training with a real employer under the Apprentices Act, 1961. Under the NAPS scheme the government shares part of the stipend with the employer.

NSQF

National Skills Qualifications Framework

A national ladder that grades skill qualifications by what a person can actually do. It was revised in June 2023 to run from Level 1 to Level 8, and lets vocational learning connect back into regular education.

Vocational education

Short, job-focused training after Class 10 — from 3 months to 2 years — in fields like healthcare support, IT, retail or agriculture. Designed to get you employed quickly.

CTC / LPA

Cost to Company / Lakhs Per Annum

How Indian salaries are quoted: the total yearly package, in lakhs. "₹6L" means six lakh rupees a year before deductions — the amount reaching your bank each month is lower. One lakh (L) is 100,000; one crore (Cr) is 100 lakh, or 1,00,00,000.

Government job

A post in a state or central government body, usually filled through a competitive exam such as UPSC, KPSC or SSC. Valued for security and pension.

PSU

Public Sector Undertaking

A government-owned company such as BHEL, BEL or NTPC. Many recruit engineers through GATE scores.

Regulator / Council

The body that decides how long a course runs and whether a college may offer it — for example NMC for medicine, DCI for dentistry, INC for nursing, AICTE for engineering.

GATE

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering

A national exam mainly used to get into an M.Tech, but a good score is also the standard route into engineering jobs at government-owned companies (PSUs).

CDS

Combined Defence Services Examination

The exam for graduates, run twice a year by UPSC, that leads to officer training in the Army, Navy or Air Force.

AFCAT

Air Force Common Admission Test

The Indian Air Force's own entrance exam for flying and ground-duty officer posts, separate from the NDA and CDS routes.

UPSC

Union Public Service Commission

The central body that conducts India's top recruitment exams, including the Civil Services Examination, NDA and CDS.

SSC

Staff Selection Commission

The central body that recruits staff for most non-gazetted central government posts, through exams such as CGL and CHSL.

CGL

Combined Graduate Level

The SSC exam for graduate-level central government posts such as Inspector or Auditor.

CHSL

Combined Higher Secondary Level

The SSC exam for central government posts that only need a Class 12 pass, such as Lower Division Clerk.

KPSC

Karnataka Public Service Commission

Karnataka's state-level equivalent of UPSC — it recruits state government officers, engineers, doctors and teachers through its own exams.

KAS

Karnataka Administrative Service

Karnataka's own administrative service, recruited by KPSC — the state-level equivalent of joining the IAS.

IAS

Indian Administrative Service

The senior administrative service recruited nationally through UPSC CSE, whose officers run districts and government departments.

IPS

Indian Police Service

The senior police service recruited nationally through UPSC CSE, whose officers lead police forces across the states.

IFS

Indian Forest Service

The senior forestry and wildlife service recruited nationally through UPSC, alongside its own separate exam.

IBPS

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection

The body whose common exam most public-sector banks use to hire clerks and probationary officers.

RBI

Reserve Bank of India

India's central bank, which also recruits its own officers and assistants through a separate exam from IBPS.

NABARD

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

A government development bank that recruits agriculture and rural-development officers through its own exam.

ICAR

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

India's apex agricultural research body, which runs research institutes and recruits agricultural scientists.

ARS

Agricultural Research Service

The exam, conducted for ICAR, that recruits agricultural scientists into its research institutes.

CSIR

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

India's largest network of government science research laboratories, which recruits scientists directly and through the joint CSIR-UGC NET exam.

ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation

India's national space agency, which recruits engineers and scientists through its own entrance exam, separate from GATE.

DRDO

Defence Research and Development Organisation

India's defence research agency, which recruits engineers and scientists to design military technology.

AIIMS

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

A network of premier government medical institutes that also recruit doctors, nurses and other health staff directly.

ESIC

Employees' State Insurance Corporation

A government body providing health insurance to workers, which also runs its own hospitals and recruits doctors and nurses.

NHM

National Health Mission

A government programme that hires doctors, nurses and health officers, often on contract, to strengthen public healthcare.

CAPF

Central Armed Police Forces

Forces such as the CRPF and BSF, which recruit doctors, engineers and other specialists as well as combat officers.

PWD

Public Works Department

The state department that builds and maintains roads and buildings, and is a major recruiter of civil engineers.

AYUSH

Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy

The government ministry and colleges covering India's traditional medicine systems — an alternative route into a health career for students who don't clear NEET for MBBS.

CDSCO

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation

India's national drug regulator, which approves new medicines and recruits pharmacy graduates as drug inspectors.

FSSAI

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

India's food safety regulator, which recruits food-science and nutrition graduates as food safety officers.

KVS

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

The central government school network for central-government-employee families, which recruits its teachers separately from state governments.

NVS

Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti

The central government network of residential schools for rural talent, which recruits its own teachers separately from state governments.

TGT

Trained Graduate Teacher

A school teaching post for Classes 6 to 10, one grade below a PGT.

PGT

Post Graduate Teacher

A senior school teaching post for Classes 11 and 12, needing a postgraduate degree in the subject taught.

SEBI

Securities and Exchange Board of India

India's stock market regulator, which also recruits officers through its own entrance exam for finance and law graduates.