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Beyond Doctor, Engineer, CA

Part One: Before you choose, chapter 4

Which stream opens which door

What PCM, PCB, Commerce and Humanities students can apply for

A stream is the fixed group of subjects you pick in Classes 11 and 12. PCM is Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics; PCB swaps Mathematics for Biology. Find your stream’s column and read down it.

Use the interactive stream checker
RouteCh.PCMPCBCom.Hum.
B.Des through UCEED, NID DAT and NIFT6YesYesYesYes
NIFT B.FTech6YesMathsMathsMaths
B.Arch through NATA or JEE Main Paper 2A7YesMathsNoNo
B.Plan through JEE Main Paper 2B7YesMathsMathsMaths
BFA and BVA at public art colleges8YesYesYesYes
Animation, film, media and game art9YesYesYesYes
IIIT Delhi B.Tech in Computer Science and Design10YesUCEEDUCEEDUCEED
IISER BS-MS through IAT11YesYes*NoNo
NISER and CEBS through NEST11YesYesNoNo
IISc BS (Research)11YesNoNoNo
ISI B.Stat and B.Math; CMI11YesMathsMathsMaths
IIT Madras online BS12YesYesYesYes
Law through CLAT and AILET13YesYesYesYes
Integrated management through IPMAT and JIPMAT14YesYesYesYes
DU BA (Hons) Psychology, History, English, Political Science, Sociology15YesYesYesYes
DU BA (Hons) Economics15YesMathsMathsMaths
DU BMS14YesMathsMathsMaths
Private liberal arts (Ashoka, Krea, FLAME)15YesYesYesYes
CA, CS and the actuarial ACET16YesYesYesYes
Hotel management through NCHM JEE17YesYesYesYes
NDA16AllArmyArmyArmy
Merchant navy through IMU CET16YesMathsNoNo
Art and design abroad18YesYesYesYes
Yes
Open
Yes*
Open, but check the 2028 brochure
Maths
Needs Mathematics in Class 12 (DU BMS also accepts Applied Mathematics)
UCEED
Only through the UCEED route, because the JEE route needs PCM
Army
NDA Army wing only; the Navy and Air Force wings need Physics and Mathematics
All
All wings open
No
Closed

IISc BS needs PCM under the 2026 rules. NEST accepts Biology in place of Mathematics. For art and design abroad, check each course.

Official links and free material