IISER Aptitude Test — eligibility, marking, seats & fees
The IAT is now the only way into the seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research for their BS-MS, BS and B.Tech programmes. This page follows the IAT 2026 Information Brochure published by the Joint Admissions Committee.
Seven IISERs, one test
The IISERs at Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Tirupati are autonomous institutes under the Ministry of Education. For 2026 all their admissions were made only through the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026, run by a Joint Admissions Committee chaired from IISER Berhampur. [1]
- 5-year BS-MS (dual degree) in the natural sciences at all seven IISERs, and in Computational & Data Sciences at IISER Kolkata.
- 4-year BS in Economic Sciences (IISER Bhopal) and in Economic & Statistical Sciences (IISER Tirupati).
- 4-year B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, Data Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (IISER Bhopal). [1]
IAT 2026 dates [1]
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Application | 5 Mar – 13 Apr 2026 |
| Form correction | 16 – 18 Apr 2026 |
| Hall ticket | 24 May 2026 |
| IAT (computer-based) | Sunday 7 Jun 2026, 9:00 am |
| Class 12 marksheet upload deadline | 21 Jun 2026 |
The IAT 2027 brochure was not out on 15 October 2026. The brochure calls IAT the only channel of admission to the IISERs. [1]
60% in Class 12 — counted over all subjects
- Qualifying exam: Class 12 from a COBSE-recognised board, or a diploma of at least 3 years (AICTE / COBSE / state technical board), passed in 2024, 2025 or 2026, or appearing in 2026.
- Those who passed in 2023 or earlier cannot apply. The passing year is when you were first declared 'pass'; improvement attempts do not reset it.
- Marks: at least 60% aggregate (55% for SC, ST and PwD), worked out over all subjects of the qualifying exam.
- Subjects: BS-MS needs at least three of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics; Mathematics is compulsory for Computational & Data Sciences (Kolkata), all B.Tech and BS Economic Sciences (Bhopal), and BS Economic & Statistical Sciences (Tirupati).
- Open to Indian nationals, OCI/PIO holders and foreign nationals (OCI/PIO and foreign nationals compete for unreserved seats). [1]
15 questions from each science
IAT 2026 (computer-based, English and Hindi) [1]
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 15 | 60 |
| Chemistry | 15 | 60 |
| Mathematics | 15 | 60 |
| Physics | 15 | 60 |
| Total — 180 minutes | 60 | 240 |
- Marking: +4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unanswered; single-correct MCQs.
- The total out of 240 makes the IAT rank list. Not everyone gets a rank, and a rank does not guarantee an offer.
- PwD candidates with 40%+ impairment get one hour of compensatory time. [1]
2,343 seats under central reservation
Reservation at the IISERs (IAT 2026) [1]
| Category | Share |
|---|---|
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| OBC-NCL (central list) | 27% |
| GEN-EWS | 10% |
| PwD (40%+) | 5% horizontal in each category |
| Kashmiri Migrants / Kashmiri Pandits | 3 supernumerary seats per IISER |
Tentative seats, including supernumerary (total 2,343) [1]
| Programme | Seats |
|---|---|
| BS-MS — Berhampur / Bhopal / Thiruvananthapuram | 300 / 300 / 320 |
| BS-MS — Kolkata / Mohali / Pune / Tirupati | 280 / 275 / 288 / 250 |
| BS-MS Computational & Data Sciences, Kolkata | 30 |
| B.Tech Bhopal — Chemical / Data Science / EECS | 40 / 80 / 75 |
| BS Economic Sciences, Bhopal | 55 |
| BS Economic & Statistical Sciences, Tirupati | 50 |
EWS and OBC-NCL certificates must be Government of India certificates, valid for 2026-27 and issued on or after 1 April 2026. [1]
₹2,000 to apply, a seat acceptance fee later
IAT 2026 fees [1]
| Fee | General / EWS / OBC | SC / ST / PwD / KM | Foreign national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee (non-refundable) | ₹2,000 | ₹1,000 | ₹12,000 |
| Seat Acceptance Fee (after an offer) | ₹35,000 (₹10,000 non-refundable) | ₹17,500 for SC/ST (₹5,000 non-refundable) | — |
- Apply only on iiseradmission.in; one application per candidate.
- Results-awaited candidates can apply and must upload the marksheet by 21 June 2026.
- Not paying the Seat Acceptance Fee on time cancels the offer. [1]
Research-led science, data and economics
IISER programmes combine classroom learning with research, give a choice of specialisation after exploring several subjects, and are fully residential. [1]
Where these facts come from
Every fact on this page is taken from the official files below, read on 15 October 2026. Exam bodies change rules, fees and dates every cycle — open the current bulletin before you apply.
- Joint Admissions Committee — IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026 Information Brochure (English) (opens in a new tab) IISERs and programmes, eligibility, reservation, seat matrix, dates, exam pattern and marking, fees, SAF · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.
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