The system of selecting candidates through a Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) was first conceived by the then Principal of R.E.C., Rourkela, Prof. S. Mishra, as an autonomous body in the year 1979 headed by a Policy Planning Body to frame policies and guidelines for the examination taking into consideration the interest of the state candidates. The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the candidates of the state quota of Orissa for R.E.C, Rourkela was first conducted by R.E.C Rourkela in the year 1979. At that point of time there were only two Engineering colleges in the state, namely R.E.C Rourkela and U.C.E., Burla.

In the year 1980 U.C.E. Burla along with R.E.C. Rourkela conducted the Joint Entrance Examination for selecting students desirous of taking admission in engineering streams only in these two colleges.

This continued and later CET Bhubaneswar, IGIT Sarang and Institute of Textile Technology, Choudwar also participated in conducting JEE as Government Engineering Colleges.

In the year 1994 the purview of JEE was extended to cover selection of candidates for MBBS/BDS courses in S.C.B Medical College, Cuttack, M.K.C.G. Medical College, Berhampur and V.S.S Medical College, Burla. Separate entrance examinations were conducted for Engineering/Medical, MCA and Lateral Entry for Diploma holders for these Government Colleges with three separate chairmen.

At a later stage a number of private institutes offering courses in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, MBBS/BDS, Pharmacy, MBA, MCA and Hotel Management & Catering Technology joined the process of selection of candidates through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the state of Orissa.

Since 2003, after the establishment Biju Patnaik University of Technology, conduct of Joint Entrance Examination was entrusted to this University. The purview of JEE was extended to selection of candidates for MBA / MCA courses of Utkal University, Berhampur University, Sambalpur University, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, North Orissa University, Baripada and Pharmacy Colleges other than Engg.\Technology\ Architecture courses under one Chairman for all the streams.

In the year 2005 candidates for state quota seats for Hi-Tech Medical College, Bhubaneswar and Gandhi Dental College, Bhubaneswar were admitted from the merit list of Joint Entrance Examination 2005.