What is the IOE and the entrance exam?

The Institute of Engineering (IOE) is a collection of constituent and affiliated engineering colleges under the common umbrella of Tribhuvan University (TU).

 

Campuses that are directly run by IOE/TU are:

  • Pulchowk Campus, Lalitpur

  • Thapathali Campus, Kathmandu

  • Purwanchal Campus (Eastern Region Campus), Dharan

  • Pashchimanchal Campus (Western Region Campus), Pokhara

  • Chitwan Engineering Campus, Rampur, Chitwan

Campuses that are affiliated with IOE/TU are:

  • Advanced College of Engineering and Management, Kupondol, Lalitpur

  • Himalaya College of Engineering, Chyasal, Lalitpur

  • Janakpur Engineering College

  • Kantipur Engineering College, Dhapakhel, Lalitpur

  • Kathford International College of Engineering and Management, (Gwarkho), Lalitpur

  • Kathmandu Engineering College, Kalimati, Kathmandu

  • Khwopa College of Engineering, Libali, Bhaktapur

  • Lalitpur Engineering College, Chakupat, Lalitpur

  • National College of Engineering (NCE), Talsikhel, Lalitpur

  • Sagarmatha Engineering College, Sanepa, Lalitpur

To study undergrade (B.E., B.Arch) in these universities, you need to qualify for a centralized entrance exam taken by the IOE examination board.  Based on your merit (Rank), you can study in a particular campus or a particular program. The entrance exam normally takes place in Bhadra (August).

 

Eligibility and Application

 

The student must have passed 10+2 Science (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, and at least two Mathematics papers. There is often a minimum aggregate (cut-off score) for the qualifying exam.

 

The application is done online through the IOE entrance website (entrance.ioe.edu.np). You need to fill up your necessary details, and should also fill up the reservations information if you are eligible. Afterwards, you may need to pay NPR 2000 as an exam fee. After doing this, your details will be monitored and verified manually after a few days.

 

 

How does the entrance exam look?

 

IOE entrance exam is a two-hour computer-based test (CBT). You can select your test centre and test date. The exam typically lasts about a week. There will also be multiple shifts in a day. The questions will be different in all shifts. There will be 60 questions of 1 mark weight and the remaining 40 of 2 marks. The full marks will be 140. You will get multiple-choice questions (MCQs) where you have to select the best answer among 4 choices. There will be a negative marking of 10% for each incorrect answer. This means a 0.1 mark deduction for 1 mark weight questions and a 0.2 mark deduction for 2 mark weight questions. Questions will come from physics, chemistry, mathematics, and English.

 

Subject-wise marks distribution:

Mathematics~50

Physics ~40

Chemistry ~30

English ~20

Questions will cover the topics from grades 11 and 12. There may also be some questions that you need to prepare beyond your high school curriculum.

 

 

Results and Selection

 

You can expect your results after a few days of the last shift exam (normally 2-3).  Those who do not qualify won’t have their results in the result sheet. Afterwards, looking at the past trends, you should fill out a priority form. As per your rank and reservations (if you have any), you can select your college and intended course. You can fill out priority forms for different campuses. The fee is around NPR 500 for each. If you do not qualify for your intended campus and course, you can always reach out to affiliated colleges. They will provide you with substantial scholarships based on your rank. Those who do not qualify for the exam can check out other colleges’ specific entrance exams for admission.