Master List of Agriculture Exams & Career Opportunities

National-level

The important current change is that ICAR UG admissions are through CUET-UG, rather than the old standalone ICAR AIEEA-UG examination. ICAR's 2026 notice specifically refers to candidates appearing in CUET-UG 2026 for ICAR Agriculture & Allied Sciences admissions.

Major UG courses

• B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture
• B.Sc. Horticulture
• B.Sc. Forestry
• B.F.Sc.
• B.Sc. Community Science
• B.Tech Agricultural Engineering
• B.Tech Food Technology
• B.Tech Dairy Technology
• B.Tech Biotechnology
• B.Tech Food & Agriculture-related disciplines
• Sericulture
• Agribusiness
• Agricultural Economics
• Dairy Science
• Fisheries Science
• Veterinary Science

ICAR's agricultural-university system covers a large network of State Agricultural Universities, Central Agricultural Universities, ICAR deemed universities and other universities with agriculture faculties.

These are particularly important for students after 12th.

Important: state entrance structures change frequently, so these should be treated as an exam-family list rather than a promise that every examination is conducted every year.

This is one of the biggest examination categories for agriculture students.

National

1. ICAR AIEEA-PG
2. CUET-PG
3. ICAR PG counselling
4. IARI PG entrance/admission
5. NDRI PG admission
6. IVRI PG admission
7. CIFE PG admission
8. CAU PG admissions
9. BHU PG/CUET-PG
10. AMU PG
11. Central University agriculture admissions

Major PG subjects

• Agronomy
• Genetics & Plant Breeding
• Seed Science & Technology
• Plant Pathology
• Agricultural Entomology
• Nematology
• Soil Science
• Agricultural Chemistry
• Agricultural Economics
• Agricultural Extension
• Agricultural Statistics
• Horticulture
• Vegetable Science
• Fruit Science
• Floriculture
• Plant Physiology
• Molecular Biology & Biotechnology
• Plant Genetic Resources
• Plant Breeding
• Animal Husbandry
• Dairy Science
• Fisheries
• Forestry
• Food Science & Technology
• Agricultural Engineering
• Agricultural Meteorology
• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Microbiology

ICAR

Major ICAR examinations

The 2026 NTA portal currently lists both AIEEA-PG and AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.).

Major national examinations

For agriculture specifically, ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF is the flagship examination for doctoral admissions within the ICAR-AU ecosystem.

ASRB — the biggest category

Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board conducts major recruitment/eligibility examinations for agricultural scientists.

ASRB examinations

1. ASRB NET
2. Agricultural Research Service — ARS
3. Subject Matter Specialist — SMS (T-6)
4. Senior Technical Officer — STO (T-6)
5. Other ASRB recruitment examinations/notifications

Career possibilities

• Agricultural Scientist
• Scientist
• Assistant Professor/eligibility through NET
• Subject Matter Specialist
• Senior Technical Officer
• ICAR institute scientist
• Agricultural University faculty
• Research positions

This category is much larger than agriculture-specific exams.

UPSC

Agriculture-specific / agriculture-relevant

1. UPSC Indian Forest Service — IFoS
2. UPSC Civil Services Examination — IAS/IPS/IRS etc.
3. UPSC Combined Medical/other exams where eligibility permits
4. UPSC Engineering Services — Agricultural Engineering candidates where applicable
5. UPSC Combined Defence Services
6. UPSC NDA — after Class 12
7. UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant

Especially important for Agriculture graduates

Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is one of the most relevant high-level UPSC examinations for agriculture/forestry/environment-oriented graduates.

One of the most important agriculture-sector competitive examinations.

NABARD Grade A

Agriculture students can target:

• NABARD Grade A – Agriculture
• General discipline
• Other relevant specialist disciplines

NABARD Grade B

When notified.

Career:

Assistant Manager → Manager → senior banking/development roles

BANKING EXAMS FOR AGRICULTURE STUDENTS

IBPS

1. IBPS Agriculture Field Officer — AFO
2. IBPS PO
3. IBPS Clerk
4. IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I
5. IBPS RRB Officer Scale-II
6. IBPS RRB Officer Scale-III
7. Other specialist officer examinations

SBI

1. SBI Specialist Officer — Agriculture
2. SBI PO
3. SBI Clerk
4. Other agriculture/specialist recruitment

Other banks

• Bank of Baroda
• Punjab National Bank
• Canara Bank
• Union Bank
• Central Bank of India
• Indian Bank
• UCO Bank
• Bank of India
• Regional Rural Banks

Recruitment patterns vary by year.

• FCI recruitment
• FCI Assistant Grade
• FCI Technical posts
• Food safety/quality-related positions where eligible
• Warehousing-related recruitment
• Central Warehousing Corporation
• State Warehousing Corporations

AGRICULTURE + INSURANCE

• AIC — Agriculture Insurance Company
• Agriculture specialist positions
• Administrative positions
• AO/management recruitments
• Insurance-sector specialist recruitment
• NIACL
• NICL
• New India Assurance-related recruitment
• United India Insurance
• Oriental Insurance

Eligibility must always be checked against the individual notification.

AGRICULTURE + FOOD SECTOR

Central/State

• FCI
• CWC
• SWC
• NAFED
• NCCF
• Warehousing organisations
• Food processing departments
• Food safety departments
• Quality-control positions
• Food technologist positions
• Agricultural marketing departments

AGRICULTURE + FERTILIZER / SEED / PESTICIDE INDUSTRY

Government/semi-government opportunities can include recruitment in:

• National Seeds Corporation — NSC
• State Seed Corporations
• IFFCO
• KRIBHCO
• RCF
• NFL
• FACT
• Fertilizer companies
• Agrochemical organisations
• Seed corporations
• Plant protection organisations

Posts can include:

• Agriculture Officer
• Field Officer
• Marketing Officer
• Technical Officer
• Seed Officer
• Research Officer
• Quality Control Officer
• Management Trainee
• Assistant Manager
• Field Executive

Agriculture graduates are eligible for many general SSC examinations depending on the post's qualification.

SSC

1. SSC CGL
2. SSC CHSL
3. SSC MTS
4. SSC CPO
5. SSC Selection Post
6. SSC GD
7. Other post-specific recruitment

RAILWAY EXAMS

Agriculture graduates can also appear for applicable RRB recruitments:

• RRB NTPC
• RRB Group D
• RRB JE — where qualification matches
• RRB ALP — where qualification matches
• Other RRB technical/non-technical posts

Major organisations to monitor:

ICAR

• IARI
• IIHR
• IIMR
• IIPR
• IISR
• CRIDA
• CRRI
• NRRI
• NBPGR
• NIPB
• NBPGR
• NBSSLUP
• CIAE
• CIFE
• NDRI
• IVRI
• NIHSAD
• IARI regional stations
• National research centres

Other

• DBT institutes
• CSIR institutes
• DST institutes
• BARC
• DRDO
• ISRO
• ICMR
• Universities
• State agricultural universities

UPSC

Indian Forest Service — IFoS

State

• Forest Ranger
• Assistant Conservator of Forests
• Range Forest Officer
• Forest Extension Officer
• Forest Department technical posts

Entrance

• Forestry UG/PG entrances
• ICAR admissions
• State agricultural university admissions

AGRICULTURE + ENVIRONMENT

• UPSC IFoS
• State Forest Services
• Environmental Scientist
• Pollution Control Board recruitment
• Environmental Officer
• Research Fellow
• Soil/Water conservation posts
• Climate-change projects
• Agricultural meteorology positions

After M.Sc./PhD:

UGC-NET

For eligible subjects.

CSIR-NET

For eligible science subjects.

ASRB-NET

Extremely important for agricultural universities.

University recruitment

• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Technical Officer

ASRB NET is particularly important because ASRB's examination system specifically covers agricultural disciplines.

After PhD, the examination changes from conventional "entrance exams" to fellowships, recruitment and research-selection processes.

National

• CSIR Research Fellowships
• UGC fellowships
• DBT postdoctoral fellowships
• ICAR postdoctoral/research fellowships
• DST fellowships
• SERB/ANRF research fellowships
• ICMR fellowships
• Institutional postdoctoral fellowships
• University postdoctoral fellowships

International

Agriculture/plant science PhDs can target:

• Fulbright
• Commonwealth
• DAAD
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie
• JSPS
• EMBO
• Humboldt
• TWAS
• CGIAR fellowships
• University-specific postdoctoral fellowships

These are generally fellowship/research-selection routes rather than competitive examinations.

Important examinations/fellowships

An agriculture graduate is not restricted to agriculture jobs.

UPSC

• IAS
• IPS
• IFS
• IRS
• IAAS
• Indian Railway services where applicable
• Other Group A services

State PSC

Every state has:

• State Administrative Service
• Deputy Collector
• SDM-level services
• Block Development Officer
• Revenue Officer
• Rural Development Officer
• Cooperative Officer
• Agriculture Officer
• allied administrative posts

• NDA — after 12th
• CDS
• AFCAT
• CAPF
• Territorial Army — eligibility dependent
• Defence civilian technical/research posts
• DRDO recruitment
• Defence research fellowships

1. CUET-UG – ICAR Agriculture
2. ICAR AIEEA-PG
3. ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF
4. ASRB NET
5. ASRB ARS
6. ASRB SMS
7. ASRB STO
8. NABARD Grade A
9. IBPS AFO
10. SBI Agriculture Officer
11. UPSC IFoS
12. UPSC CSE
13. UGC NET
14. CSIR NET
15. DBT-BET
16. GATE
17. FCI recruitment
18. AIC recruitment
19. NSC recruitment
20. State Agriculture Officer
21. State ADO
22. State AAO
23. RAEO
24. RHEO
25. Agriculture Supervisor
26. Agriculture Extension Officer
27. Horticulture Officer
28. Assistant Director Agriculture
29. Scientist recruitment
30. Assistant Professor recruitment

I would not market this as simply “Agriculture Exams”. A much stronger structure would be:

AGRICULTURE EXAM UNIVERSE

After 12th
→ UG Entrance

B.Sc. Agriculture
→ Government Jobs + Banking + PG Entrance

M.Sc. Agriculture
→ NET + ARS + Scientist + PhD

PhD Agriculture
→ Scientist + Professor + ARS + Research

Post-Doc
→ Scientist + Faculty + International Research

And underneath that:

CENTRAL EXAMS

STATE-WISE EXAMS

ENTRANCE EXAMS

RESEARCH EXAMS

BANKING EXAMS

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT JOBS

TEACHING EXAMS

SCIENTIST RECRUITMENT

INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS