IIT JAM 2026: Registration Starting Soon, Know Details

JAM stands for Joint Admission Test for Masters. It’s a national-level entrance exam for students who want to study MSc, Joint MSc-PhD, MSc-PhD Dual Degree, MSc-MTech, and other postgraduate science programs. The exam is conducted by IITs and is accepted by over 20 NITs, IISc, and CFTIs through the CCMN counselling process.

This year, JAM conducting IIT is IIT, Bombay. It has officially launched the portal for IIT JAM 2026, and the registration process is set to begin on September 5, 2025. Candidates willing to pursue a postgraduate degree in science can apply for admission to top institutes like IITs and IISc Bengaluru from this particular date. 

Qualifying in JAM will open doors to 89 postgraduate programs across 22 IITs, offering over 3,000 seats.

Important Dates You Should Know

All updates will be available on the official website: jam2026.iitb.ac.in 

How to Register for JAM 2026

The registration will be done online through the JOAPS portal. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Visit jam2026.iitb.ac.in

2. Click on JOAPS Registration

3. Enter your name, email ID, and mobile number

4. Create a password and log in

5. Fill in your personal and academic details

6. Choose your preferred test paper and exam cities

7. Upload scanned copies of your photo, signature, and category certificate (if applicable)

8. Pay the application fee online

Application Fee

Note: These are expected amounts based on previous years and official announcements. Final fees may vary slightly, so always double-check the JAM 2026 website before paying.

Eligibility Criteria

If you're a science student dreaming of postgraduate studies at an IIT or IISc, you should apply for JAM 2025. The eligibility rules for JAM 2025 are student-friendly. Here is a list of eligibility requirements given in simplest language possible: 

• You should have a Bachelor’s degree in any subject related to the paper you're choosing.

• For General or OBC candidates, the minimum requirement is 55% aggregate marks. Meanwhile, For SC/ST/PwD candidates, the minimum requirement is 50% aggregate marks to take admission

• Students who are in the final year of their graduation in 2025 are totally eligible to apply.

• You must complete your graduation before the admission process finishes, usually by July or August.

• There’s no age limit for the exam 

• If you're from another country but hold an Indian degree, you can still apply. Just follow the rules of the institute where you’re hoping to get in.

• The candidate can take the JAM exam multiple times. There is no limit on attempts.

Exam Cities and Zones

JAM 2026 will be held in eight zones, each coordinated by an IIT. Candidate can choose three preferred cities within the same zone. Popular cities include:

• Mumbai

• Delhi

• Bengaluru

• Hyderabad

• Kolkata

• Kanpur

• Chennai

• Guwahati

Subjects Offered

JAM 2026 will offer seven subjects. Candidates can choose their preferred subject from the list: 

• Biotechnology (BT)

• Chemistry (CY)

• Economics (EN)

• Geology (GG)

• Mathematical Statistics (MS)

• Mathematics (MA)

• Physics (PH)

Each paper will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode and will last for 3 hours.