If you're a diploma student aiming for lateral entry in 2026 , you're on the right track! You can directly join the 2nd year of B.Tech by appearing for state-level lateral entry exams like AP ECET, TS ECET, JELET (West Bengal), UP LEET, CEE Kerala , etc., depending on your state.

While IITs and NITs don’t offer lateral entry , many top state government engineering colleges (like JNTU, COEP, etc.) and good private universities such as VIT, SRM, or LPU do accept diploma holders.

To crack these exams, focus on your core diploma subjects , especially math and aptitude , and practice previous years’ papers. With consistent effort, you can land in a great college and continue your journey toward a strong engineering career.