IIT JAM
Admission to M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.-PhD, M.Sc.-PhD dual degree and related programmes at IITs and IISc, and (via CCMN) at NITs, IISERs and other centrally funded institutes.
Eligibility
Candidates who have passed, or are in the final year of, a bachelor's degree are eligible; there is no age limit. Admitting institutes impose further minimum-mark requirements (typically 55% aggregate for General/OBC/EWS, 50% for SC/ST/PwD) and subject requirements specific to each programme. One or two test papers may be taken if they fall in different sessions.
Age limit: No age limit
Exam pattern
Computer-based test of 3 hours and 100 marks in each of seven papers: Biotechnology, Chemistry, Economics, Geology, Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics and Physics. Each paper has 60 questions in three sections: Section A (30 MCQs), Section B (10 Multiple Select Questions) and Section C (20 Numerical Answer Type). Only Section A MCQs carry negative marking (1/3 or 2/3 of the marks); Sections B and C have none. A virtual calculator is provided.
Syllabus at a glance
Each paper tests the standard three-year B.Sc. syllabus of the subject: for example, Physics covers mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics, modern and solid-state physics and mathematical methods; Mathematics covers real analysis, linear algebra, calculus, differential equations, group theory and vector calculus. Economics covers micro, macro, statistics, Indian economy and mathematics for economics. Paper-wise syllabi are on the official site.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online application (JOAPS) closes | 19 Oct 2026 (extended from 12 Oct) | confirmed |
| Application data correction window | From 10 Nov 2026 | expected |
| Admit card release | 5 Jan 2027 | expected |
| JAM 2027 examination | 14 Feb 2027 (Sunday), two sessions | confirmed |
| Result declaration | 18 Mar 2027 | confirmed |
| Admission application (JOAPS/CCMN counselling) | Apr-May 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Introduction to Electrodynamics / Introduction to Quantum Mechanics – D.J. Griffiths (Physics)
- Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences – Mary L. Boas (Physics)
- Real Analysis – S.K. Mapa; Contemporary Abstract Algebra – J.A. Gallian (Mathematics)
- Physical Chemistry – P.W. Atkins; Organic Chemistry – Clayden, Greeves & Warren (Chemistry)
- Concise Inorganic Chemistry – J.D. Lee (Chemistry)
- Fundamentals of Mathematical Statistics – S.C. Gupta & V.K. Kapoor (Mathematical Statistics)
How toppers play it
- Solve every JAM paper from 2005 onwards for your subject; topic weightage is stable and many questions are variants of older ones.
- Sections B (MSQ) and C (NAT) have no negative marking and carry 60% of the marks, so attempt them fully; be selective only in Section A.
- MSQ answers need every correct option with no wrong one, so practise elimination rigorously rather than guessing partial sets.
- Rank, not raw score, decides IIT seats; a rank inside roughly the top 1,000-1,500 is usually needed for older IITs in popular subjects, so aim high.
- If taking two papers, pick subjects in different sessions and prepare the second only after the first is solid.