AspirantGoal is an independent app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Indian Institutes of Technology or any exam authority. This page repeats what the exam body’s own documents print, as checked on 23 October 2026. The exam body’s current notice is the authority, so read it before you plan around any figure.
IIT JAM in brief
JAM scores are used for admission to postgraduate programs such as M.Sc., M.Sc. (Tech.), M.S. (Research), M.Sc. - M.Tech. Dual Degree, Joint M.Sc. - Ph.D., M.Sc. - Ph.D. Dual Degree and Integrated Ph.D. at premier institutes across the country.
All JAM 2027 test papers
| Item | What the document says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT). | [1] Brochure section 2.1, p. 14 and section 2.5, p. 17; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
| Duration | 3 hours. | [1] Brochure section 2.2, p. 15 |
| Questions and marks | 60 questions carrying a total of 100 marks, in three sections A, B and C; all sections are compulsory. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
| Sections | Section A has 30 MCQs, Section B has 10 MSQs and Section C has 20 NAT questions. | [1] Brochure section 2.6, Table 2.3, p. 18; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
| Negative marking | Section A only: one-third mark for a wrong 1-mark question and two-thirds mark for a wrong 2-mark question. Sections B and C: none. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
| Papers per candidate | One or two test papers; two papers only if they are not scheduled in the same session. | [1] Brochure section 2.2, p. 15; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
| Unattempted questions | Un-attempted questions yield zero mark in all sections. | [1] Brochure section 2.6, p. 19 |
| Answering | MCQ and MSQ answers are selected with the mouse; NAT answers are entered on a virtual numeric keypad and the keyboard is disabled. | [1] Brochure section 2.6, p. 19 |
| Calculator | A virtual calculator is provided on the computer screen; candidates are not allowed to bring their own calculators. | [1] Brochure section 2.6, p. 19; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
Section A
| Item | What the document says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ): only one of the four options is correct. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17 |
| Questions and marks | 30 MCQs: Q1 to Q10 carry 1 mark each (10 marks); Q11 to Q30 carry 2 marks each (40 marks). | [1] Brochure section 2.6, Table 2.3, p. 18 |
| Negative marking | Yes: one-third of a mark is deducted for a wrong 1-mark question and two-thirds of a mark for a wrong 2-mark question. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17 |
Section B
| Item | What the document says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple Select Questions (MSQ): one or more correct choices, but not all four. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17 |
| Questions and marks | 10 MSQs: Q31 to Q40 carry 2 marks each (20 marks). | [1] Brochure section 2.6, Table 2.3, p. 18 |
| Negative marking | No negative marking and no partial marking. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17; Syllabus & Test Pattern page |
Section C
| Item | What the document says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Question type | Numerical Answer Type (NAT): the answer is a real number typed with the virtual keyboard; no choices are shown. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17 |
| Questions and marks | 20 NAT questions: Q41 to Q50 carry 1 mark each (10 marks); Q51 to Q60 carry 2 marks each (20 marks). | [1] Brochure section 2.6, Table 2.3, p. 18 |
| Negative marking | No negative marking. | [1] Brochure section 2.5, p. 17 |
Test papers and codes (the candidate chooses one or two)
| Code | Test paper |
|---|---|
| BT | Biotechnology |
| CY | Chemistry |
| EN | Economics |
| GG | Geology |
| MA | Mathematics |
| MS | Mathematical Statistics |
| PH | Physics |
Where: [1] Brochure section 2.1, p. 14; Syllabus & Test Pattern page; About Us page, Test Papers list
What the BT and MS papers comprise
| Item | What the document says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| BT | Biology / Biotechnology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. | [5] BT syllabus PDF, p. 1, opening line; brochure Annexure I, p. 45 |
| MS | Mathematics in Sections 1 to 3, about 25% weight; Statistics in Sections 4 to 12, about 75% weight. | [10] MS syllabus PDF, p. 1, opening paragraph; brochure Annexure I, p. 56 |
Syllabus sections, as JAM 2027 prints them
The headings below are the sections each paper prints. The topics inside each section are in the official syllabus PDF of the paper, linked in the sources.
Section headings for each test paper
BT: Biotechnology
- General Biology
- Microbial, Plant and Animal Biotechnology
- Biotechniques
- Chemistry (10+2+3 level)
- Mathematics (10+2 level)
- Physics (10+2 level)
CY: Chemistry
- Basic Mathematical Concepts (10+2 Level)
- Physical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
EN: Economics
- Mathematics for Economics
- Statistics for Economics
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Indian Economy
GG: Geology
- The Planet Earth
- Geomorphology
- Structural Geology
- Palaeontology
- Stratigraphy
- Mineralogy
- Petrology
- Economic Geology
- Applied Geology
MA: Mathematics
- Real Analysis
- Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations
- Linear Algebra and Algebra
MS: Mathematical Statistics
- Sequences and Series of real numbers
- Differential Calculus of one and two real variables, and Integral Calculus
- Matrices and Determinants
- Descriptive Statistics and Probability
- Univariate Distributions
- Multivariate Distributions
- Limit Theorems
- Sampling Distributions
- Estimation
- Testing of Hypotheses
- Nonparametric Methods
- Stochastic Processes
PH: Physics
- Mathematical Methods
- Mechanics and General Properties of Matter
- Oscillations, Waves and Optics
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Kinetic Theory, Thermodynamics
- Modern Physics
- Solid State Physics, Devices and Electronics
Official syllabus for each test paper
Each paper’s syllabus is a short PDF on the JAM 2027 website.
| Paper | Official syllabus |
|---|---|
| Biotechnology (BT) | Syllabus PDF |
| Chemistry (CY) | Syllabus PDF |
| Economics (EN) | Syllabus PDF |
| Geology (GG) | Syllabus PDF |
| Mathematics (MA) | Syllabus PDF |
| Mathematical Statistics (MS) | Syllabus PDF |
| Physics (PH) | Syllabus PDF |
A free tracker for these 46 units
Download the IIT JAM tracker as a CSV file. It has one row for each unit above, in the same columns as the printable syllabus tracker: minutes studied and the date you finish the first pass sit in separate columns, so a long session cannot pass for a finished unit. Add a row with Round 2 when you go through a stage again. It is free and needs no sign-up.
How AspirantGoal handles IIT JAM
AspirantGoal has no ready template for IIT JAM. Set it up as a goal of your own, type in the section headings above as subjects and topics, and it plans, times and tracks the same way an exam from the list does.
Questions
How many questions are in a JAM 2027 paper and how are they divided?
Every paper has 60 questions carrying a total of 100 marks, in three compulsory sections: Section A has 30 MCQs, Section B has 10 MSQs and Section C has 20 NAT questions. [1] Sections 2.5 and 2.6, Table 2.3, pp. 17 to 18
How many marks does each question carry?
Section A: Q1 to Q10 carry 1 mark and Q11 to Q30 carry 2 marks. Section B: Q31 to Q40 carry 2 marks each. Section C: Q41 to Q50 carry 1 mark and Q51 to Q60 carry 2 marks. [1] Section 2.6, Table 2.3, p. 18
Is there negative marking in JAM 2027?
Only in Section A (MCQs): one-third of a mark is deducted for a wrong 1-mark question and two-thirds of a mark for a wrong 2-mark question. Sections B and C have no negative marking, and Section B has no partial marking either. [1] Section 2.5, p. 17
How long is the exam and can I use a calculator?
The exam is a 3-hour computer based test. A virtual calculator is provided on the screen; candidates are not allowed to bring their own calculators. [1] Sections 2.2 and 2.6, pp. 15 and 19
Which test papers are there in JAM 2027?
Seven: Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS) and Physics (PH). [1] Section 2.1, p. 14
Can I appear in two JAM papers?
Yes, in one or two test papers. Two papers can be chosen only if they are not scheduled in the same session. [1] Section 2.2, p. 15
What does the Mathematical Statistics paper cover?
Mathematics in Sections 1 to 3, with about 25% weight, and Statistics in Sections 4 to 12, with about 75% weight. [10] MS syllabus PDF, p. 1, opening paragraph; brochure Annexure I, p. 56
What this page leaves out
Dates, fees, age limits, attempts, eligibility and cut-offs change every cycle, so this page does not repeat them. Read them in the current notice.
Notes on the documents:
- The brochure and the Syllabus and Test Pattern page do not state the language of the question papers.
- Brochure version 3, which the Downloads page links, is used. Versions 2 and 3 are the same on the pattern and syllabus pages and differ in the seat tables.
- The weightage of sections inside a paper is not stated, except the about 25% and 75% split of the Mathematical Statistics paper printed in its syllabus.
- The Mathematics syllabus is a single page with three sections as printed.