New Delhi, April 23 , 2012: National Aptitude Test (NAT) 2012, an all India level common entrance test, is all set to take place on May 20th. The exam will be administered to meet the requirements of students seeking admissions in multiple Institutions through a Common Entrance Test (CET) to fill-in open quota seats for courses like MBA, MCA, PGDRP, and PGDGC for post graduation level and BBA, BCA, B.Com and Hotel Management for the under-graduation level.

The forms will easily be available at every Syndicate branch outlet, for Rs. 650 all over India till 30th April.

The fees include cost of the form, bulletin and examination fee. NAT is recognized by over 175 universities and institutions till date, the list of the institutions can be availed in the NAT bulletin and also on www.natindia.com

However, under special condition; students applying through Kendriya Vidyalaya Samiti (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) can buy the form from SAHEI office for Rs. 100. The result of the entrance exam will be declared on 31st May.

First held in 2005, NAT is conducted by SRDE’s Association of Higher Education Institutions (SAHEI), established under the aegis of Society for Research & Development in Education (SRDE) every year in an effort to facilitate a single window system for the students seeking admission in non-science streams such as management and other professional programs.

Dr.Mukesh Gupta, Secretary General, SRDE’s Association of Higher Education Institutions (SAHEI) said, “Our aim is to simplify the entrance test system in higher education for the students opting for non-science domains. The fact that there is no CET like AIEEE at the 10+2 level in non-science domain, we expect NAT to act as one of the major transit mechanisms for students from school education to higher education for non-science students.”

About NAT

NAT is an All India Level Common Entrance Test administered under the aegis of SRDE's Association of Higher Education Institutions (SAHEI), Delhi. The Entrance Test is available for students at the Under Graduate (NAT-UG) and the Post Graduate (NAT-PG) levels for fulfilling the requirements of different Higher Education Institutions on a common platform and thereby enabling access to various Professional, Vocational, Management and Allied programs like BBA, BCA etc. at the UG and MBA, PGDM etc. at the PG levels in these Institutions.

The NAT Bulletin carries the list of Institutions which accept NAT scores for admission into their UG and /or PG programs. The NAT system facilitates itself as a Common Entrance Test for Institutions who wish to screen them on the basis of NAT Test.

The NAT Test is a valid, objective, transparent and secure testing system conducted in the paper-pencil format each year for different Higher Education Institutions. NAT (Paper-pencil mode) was first held in 2005. NAT Online has also being commenced from the year 2010 on round the year basis for facilitating students and Institutions through 30 test centers available across the country.

About SRDE

Society for Research and Development in Education (SRDE) is a non-profit society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It conducts and controls the NAT. SRDE has submitted a very comprehensive proposal to the Ministry of HRD for getting the mandate of marketing students for Indian institutions abroad and facilitating admissions to the Indian institutions at the Graduate and Post Graduate levels through a Common Entrance Test on the lines of activity being carried out by GMAT, SAT, etc. for US Universities globally. The proposal is being actively scrutinized.

SRDE is committed to the Interests of Students facing the burden of multiple entrance tests at multiple locations on multiple dates at very high separate costs. In an era, when everyone is talking about foreign players coming to India for student hunting, policies focusing mainly on creating Doctors, Engineers & MBA's and the efforts of SRDE seeking mandate to attract students to Indian campuses, offering a Common Entrance Testing System for non-science candidates at the UG level (AIEEE / JEE is already available here) are very much appreciable.

Other activities of SRDE include publishing of a monthly Higher Education Journal - SHEJ, SRDE's Association of Higher Education Institutions (SAHEI), SRDE Community College, an Institute for training manpower in the field of disability and a Special School for the differentially-able including Mental Retardation, Learning disabled, Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired.

The Advisory Board and Academic Council of SRDE/ SAHEI consist of several Vice Chancellors and other stalwarts of Higher Education. The Government allotted Institutional campus at Faridabad is now operational. Institutions desirous of registering for NAT 2011 may do so by registering online on www.natindia.com or reach out to NAT/SRDE office by calling on 09311305286, 09311105286. Email can be sent to enquiry@srde.org.