Who is eligible to sit the IOE entrance exam?
You need Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in classes 11 and 12, and either 45% of total marks or a minimum C grade in every subject under letter grading. Candidates still awaiting results may apply.
The requirement is a science background with mathematics, plus a minimum result. You do not need to have your certificate in hand to apply.
The academic requirement
- Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics taken in classes 11 and 12.
- From Tribhuvan University or an institution it recognises.
- Proficiency Certificate Level, higher secondary, A Level, an engineering diploma, or an equivalent examination.
- A minimum of 45% of total marks. Under letter grading, NEB candidates need a minimum C Grade in every subject in the Final Grade.
You can apply before your result arrives
Candidates who have appeared in the class 12 or equivalent final examination, or in the sixth-semester examination of an engineering diploma, may apply and sit the entrance. You are not excluded for waiting on a result.
The entrance is the whole of the merit score
The entrance result carries 100% of the weight. Your +2 marks decide whether you are eligible to sit, and nothing more. A strong +2 does not lift your rank and a weak one does not lower it, provided you clear the eligibility bar.
And the threshold that does not exist
There is no published minimum percentage in the entrance itself that separately qualifies you to apply for a campus. The rule is that applicants whose names appear in the merit list may apply for campus admission. Anyone quoting you a fixed pass percentage for that step is inventing it.
Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the booklet, page 11. Confirm the current year’s wording, grade conversion and document rules in that year’s booklet.
Sources
- IOE B.E./B.Arch Booklet 2083 · published 7 August 2026 · read 18 August 2026
Last reviewed by Ram Raj Thapa, Admissions Officer, Imperial College of Engineering. Every figure on this page is cited to the document it came from.