ICET is taken by graduates who want a rank for admission through the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education. This page explains the AP ICET format, scoring, fee and eligibility in plain terms, then gives you free practice sets by topic, worked examples with explanations, and a study plan to use alongside the official booklet.

ICET Exam at a Glance

What the ICET is and how it works

According to Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, “The test consists of 200 questions of one mark each on the following topics.”^[1]

ICET is an entrance test that gives graduates a rank for admission to courses through the state process. This page follows AP ICET, which is run by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education. Other states and bodies may run their own tests with different rules, so check the official notice for the exam you are actually sitting.

The AP ICET paper has 200 multiple-choice questions worth 1 mark each, and there is no negative marking. You get 150 minutes. Because wrong answers cost nothing, leaving a question blank never helps you.

To be eligible you need a degree with 50% aggregate marks, or 45% if you are in the SC, ST or BC categories. MCA admission needs Mathematics. The registration fee is Rs. 750 for OC, Rs. 700 for BC and Rs. 650 for SC/ST candidates.

To be assigned a rank you need 25% of the marks, which is 50 out of 200. No minimum score is prescribed for SC and ST candidates. A rank is valid only for 2026-27 admissions, so it cannot be carried to a later cycle.

Dates, syllabus details and any changes are published in the official instruction booklet on the APSCHE ICET site. Treat that booklet as the final word if anything here differs from it.

Worked examples: how to reason through ICET questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the primary purpose of a cash flow statement?

1. Show profitability over a period
2. Track inflows and outflows of cash
3. Summarize all assets and liabilities
4. Calculate total tax liability

Answer: B. Track inflows and outflows of cash

Explanation:

The correct answer is B. A cash flow statement records the cash that actually enters and leaves a business, grouped into operating, investing and financing activities. Option A describes the income statement, which reports profit over a period and can differ from cash because of credit sales and non-cash costs. Option C describes the balance sheet, which is a snapshot of assets and liabilities at one date. Option D describes a tax computation, which is a separate calculation. The rule to remember: match each statement to the question it answers. Income statement is profit, balance sheet is position, cash flow statement is cash movement.

Example 2

Question: If 6 workers complete a task in 8 days, how many workers are needed to complete the same task in 4 days?

1. 12
2. 10
3. 9
4. 14

Answer: A. 12

Explanation:

The correct answer is A, 12. This is inverse proportion: the total work stays the same, so workers multiplied by days stays constant. Cutting the days from 8 to 4 halves the time, so you must double the workers, and 6 becomes 12. Option B, 10, and option C, 9, scale the workers by too little, so the work would not finish in time. Option D, 14, adds too many and overshoots. The rule to remember: when the same job must be done in less time, workers and days move in opposite directions, so check whether the ratio of change matches before choosing.

Example 3

Question: Is integer n even? Statement I: n/2 is an integer. Statement II: n + 1 is odd. Which is sufficient?

1. Statement I alone
2. Statement II alone
3. Both statements together
4. Either statement alone

Answer: D. Either statement alone

Explanation:

The correct answer is D. Statement I says n/2 is an integer, which is the definition of an even number, so it settles the question alone. Statement II says n + 1 is odd, and the number before an odd number is even, so it also settles the question alone. That makes option A incomplete because Statement II works too, and option B incomplete because Statement I works too. Option C is wrong because you do not need both together. The rule to remember: test each statement separately first, and only combine them if neither is enough on its own.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official instruction booklet. Read the format, eligibility and fee sections so you know exactly what the paper looks like, then keep it open as your reference for the syllabus.

Next, take a short set from each topic to find where you lose marks. Try Analytical Ability, Communication Ability and Arithmetic, and note which questions you got wrong and why.

Spend most of your time on the weakest areas. For maths, work through Algebra and Geometry. For reasoning and data questions, use Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency. Add Business and Commerce Fundamentals for the business topics.

After each set, read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right by guessing, and write down the rule behind it. Close to test day, practise answering a full paper in one sitting against the 150-minute limit, and answer every question because there is no negative marking.

Sources & last verified

1. Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education — number of questions, time limit, passing score, exam fee (official source). “The test consists of 200 questions of one mark each on the following topics.” Verified Oct 25, 2026.

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