The Army has two technical entries that need no written examination. The 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES) is for Class 12 students with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics: the Army’s page asks for 60% aggregate in those subjects and for JEE (Main) to have been taken. The Technical Graduate Course (TGC) is for engineering graduates in notified streams. Candidates for both go to a Services Selection Board, and both end in a commission. TES takes five years from joining, with the first year at OTA Gaya. TGC takes one year, at IMA.
This guide quotes the Army’s own career pages, which we read on 12 October 2026, and flags where those pages leave something unsaid. The notification for each course, which is on the Army’s recruitment portal, is the final authority on dates and shortlisting.
TES and TGC at a glance
| 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES) | Technical Graduate Course (TGC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Class 12 students with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics | Engineering graduates (BE or BTech) in notified streams |
| Age | 16½ to 19½ | 20 to 27 |
| Qualification | 10+2 PCM with 60% aggregate and appeared in JEE (Main) | BE or BTech in the streams the Army notifies |
| Marital status | Unmarried | Unmarried |
| Written examination | None by UPSC | None; the Army’s IMA page says engineers need only be selected by the SSB |
| Intake | 90 a course, twice a year, per the Army’s page | As notified, twice a year |
| Likely SSB period | August to October and February to April | March to April and September to October |
| Training academy | OTA Gaya, then Cadet Training Wings | Indian Military Academy, Dehradun |
| Training duration | Five years in all (one year, then four years at the Cadet Training Wings) | One year |
| Course starts | January and July | January and July |
The date windows are from the Army’s career pages. The notification published for each course sets the real dates.
TES entry: eligibility
The Army’s page for the scheme lists the conditions in short form: age 16½ to 19½, a Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, 60% aggregate, appeared in JEE (Main), and unmarried. The page for OTA Gaya, where the cadets train first, words the same conditions as 10+2 (PCM) with 60% aggregate marks in the PCM subjects from recognised education boards, and the JEE (Main) examination.
What about the JEE percentile?
This is the point readers ask about most. The Army’s pages say only that you must have appeared in JEE (Main). They do not print a percentile or rank cut-off for TES. The figures you see on other sites vary from year to year and are not taken from those pages. How applications are shortlisted is explained in the notification for each course on the Army’s recruitment portal, so read the current one before you apply.
TES or NDA?
Both are open to Class 12 students in a similar age band. The NDA needs a UPSC written examination and leads to the three services. TES is only for the Army and chooses candidates without a written examination. Our NDA vs CDS vs AFCAT guide compares the main routes, and our NDA eligibility criteria page covers the NDA rules.
TES training: the five years
The OTA Gaya page describes the pattern clearly.
- Year one at OTA Gaya. The cadets, 10+2 students, undergo one year of Basic Military Training. The Academy, on an estate of about 870 acres in hilly terrain at Paharpur, Gaya, trains Gentleman Cadets of the Technical Entry Scheme and the Special Commissioned Officers course to lead an infantry platoon.
- Three years of degree course. After basic training the cadets go to the Cadet Training Wings at Mhow, Pune and Secunderabad for a degree course of three years.
- Commissioning at OTA Gaya. On completing three years of the degree they return to Gaya for the Passing Out Parade and are commissioned.
- Final year as officers. After commissioning, these officers go back to their Cadet Training Wings to finish the last year of the degree.
The Army’s scheme page sums this up as five years, one year plus four years at the wings, with Permanent Commission after four years.
TGC: the Technical Graduate Course
TGC is for engineers. The Army’s page for the entry lists age 20 to 27 (born between 2 January and 1 January of the relevant years for a January course, and 2 July to 1 July for a July course), a BE or BTech degree in notified streams, and unmarried status. Applications are notified in April and October, with applications received in April to May and October to November. The training academy is IMA and the duration is one year.
The Army’s IMA page explains the selection: technical graduates need not sit a written examination and are selected by the Services Selection Boards. An older official TGC notification, from 2016, shows the Army shortlisting applications on a cut-off percentage for each engineering stream before calling candidates to Allahabad, Bhopal or Bangalore, and says interviews took place at one of these Army selection centres. That notice is old, so use it only to see the pattern, and read the current one for the real rules.
On commissioning, TGC officers join the same Lieutenants’ rank as other IMA entries. The Army’s page adds that UES and TGC (with BE) entries receive one year of ante-dated seniority over their course mates, to make up for the time spent earning the engineering degree. Our IMA Dehradun guide shows where TGC sits among the other IMA entries.
From application to SSB to the academy
The flow is similar for both entries, and neither has a UPSC written examination.
- Apply on the Army’s recruitment portal when the notification opens, with the marks and qualifications the notification asks for.
- The Army shortlists applications. For TES the shortlisting uses what the notification says; for TGC it has been by cut-off percentage in each stream in the older notice we saw.
- Shortlisted candidates receive an SSB call-up and are allotted one of the Army’s selection centres. The SSB has two stages over five days. Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating test and the Picture Perception and Discussion Test. Stage II covers psychology tests, group tasks and the interview. See our SSB interview process guide for each test.
- Candidates the board recommends go for a medical examination, and the final merit list decides who gets a seat.
- Selected candidates join OTA Gaya (TES) or IMA (TGC) in January or July.
If you would like help working out which of these entries fits your marks and stream, call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 for free counselling.
What happens after TES entry?
After commissioning, a TES officer holds a Permanent Commission in the Army. The Army’s page says Permanent Commission follows after four years. You complete the degree as a commissioned officer, as the OTA Gaya page describes. The Army’s pages do not give a starting rank or pay that is specific to TES, so we do not quote any.
Preparing for TES in practice means three things: strong PCM marks in Class 12, a JEE (Main) attempt, and SSB preparation, which begins well before the call-up. Our PIQ guide and 15 OLQs guide help with the SSB. If you are looking at the Navy’s technical entry as well, our guide to the Indian Navy 10+2 BTech Cadet Entry compares it.
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat is the TES entry?
It is the Army's 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme for Class 12 students with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, aged 16½ to 19½. Selected cadets train for five years: one year at OTA Gaya and four at the Cadet Training Wings, with Permanent Commission after four years.
Is there a written examination for TES?
UPSC does not conduct one. The Army's page asks for 60% aggregate in PCM and for JEE (Main) to have been taken, and candidates go to the SSB.
What marks are needed for TES?
The Army's page says 60% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in Class 12, and that you must have appeared in JEE (Main). It does not print a JEE percentile cut-off.
What is the TGC entry in the Army?
The Technical Graduate Course is for engineers aged 20 to 27 with a BE or BTech in notified streams. It has one year of training at IMA and needs no written examination.
Where is TES training done?
The first year is at the Officers Training Academy, Gaya. Then cadets go to the Cadet Training Wings at Mhow, Pune and Secunderabad for three years of a degree course, return to Gaya to be commissioned, and finish the last year at the wings.
When are the TES SSBs held?
The Army's page gives the likely SSB period as August to October and February to April, with courses starting in January and July. Your notification and call-up letter set the actual dates.
Sources
- Indian Army: Careers, 10+2 Tech Entry Scheme
- Indian Army: Careers, TGC (Engineers)
- Indian Army: OTA Gaya entries (TES training pattern)
- Indian Army: OTA Gaya
- Indian Army: IMA entries (TGC, UES, seniority)
- Indian Army: TGC-124 notification (2016), shown as an example of the shortlisting pattern
- UPSC: CDS (II) 2026 notice (stipend and Level 10 pay)
Thinking about TES after Class 12? GS India Defence Academy runs classroom TES and Navy technical entry coaching in Dehradun, with SSB-focused preparation, separate hostels for boys and girls and a mess. The fee structure page shows the current options.
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