TIFR GS 2026 exam notification has been released by the exam officials on the official website. Candidates interested in admission to the Integrated PhD, MSc, and I-PhD courses in the Science domain offered at various TIFR campuses can now enrol. The TIFR GS 2026 application form was released on September 27, 2025, on the official website, i.e., tifr.res.in. The last date to fill out the TIFR GS 2026 registration form is October 26, 2025, till 11 PM.
Before applying for the exam, candidates are advised to check the TIFR GS 2026 eligibility criteria to avoid losing their candidature at any stage of the admission process.
The TIFR GS 2026 exam will be conducted on December 14, 2025, in online/CBT mode at various exam centres across the nation, in two shifts.
Check out this SciAstra article to get complete insights into the TIFR GS 2026 exam, eligibility criteria, registration process, admit card, exam details, and other relevant information.
What is TIFR GS Exam?
The TIFR GS Exam, also known as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Graduate School entrance test, is a national-level examination conducted by TIFR to provide admission to its postgraduate and doctoral programmes in science.
Candidates enrolling in the school will be offered programmes in various disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Science Education.
TIFR GS exam is highly competitive, designed to evaluate a candidate’s conceptual clarity, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills in their chosen subject. The exam is conducted annually in the month of December across multiple centres in India in online/computer-based test mode. The test structure varies depending on the subject area, with sections focusing on logical reasoning, subject knowledge, and advanced problem-solving.
What are the Courses Offered at TIFR?
Candidates who are aiming for the TIFR GS exam can check out the list of courses offered below:
- PhD in Science Education
- PhD or I-PhD in Computer Science & Learning, Information and Data Science
- PhD or I-PhD in Mathematics
- PhD in CAM-ICTS Applied and Computational Maths
- MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation
- PhD or I-PhD in Biology
- PhD in Physics of Life
- PhD and I-PhD in Physics
- PhD or I-PhD in Chemistry
TIFR GS 2026 Eligibility Criteria
For candidates wishing to apply for the exam, the primary prerequisite is meeting the eligibility criteria. These criteria specify the minimum educational qualifications that applicants must satisfy to ensure a smooth admission process. Check the TIFR GS 2026 Eligibility Criteria for the courses offered by the exam authorities here:
| Course Name | Offered At | Eligibility Criteria |
| PhD in Science Education | HBCSE, Mumbai | Master’s degree in any subject with not less than 5 years of study after Std. XII *Post Graduate Diplomas do not qualify as Master’s degrees. |
| PhD or I-PhD in Computer Science & Learning, Information and Data Science | TIFR Mumbai (School of Technology and Computer Science) | For PhD- MTech/ ME/ MCA/ MSc or any other equivalent degree in Computer Science / Electronics & Communications Engineering / Electrical Engineering/ related branches Or Mathematics Or Physics.
I-PhD- BSc (or any 3-yr degree) in CS/ECE/EE/related branches/Mathematics/Physics OR 4-yr degree holders (BTech/BE/BSc) with <75% aggregate / GPA <7.5. |
| PhD or I-PhD in Mathematics |
|
PhD: MA /MSc /M.Math /M.Stat /ME /MTech in Mathematics /Statistics /Science /Technology. I-PhD: BA /BSc /B.Math /B.Stat /BE /BTech in Mathematics /Statistics /Science /Technology. Candidates with a Master’s in Mathematics/Statistics are not eligible for I-PhD and must apply to PhD. |
| PhD in CAM-ICTS Applied and Computational Maths |
|
MA/ MSc/ M Math/ M Stat/ ME/ M Tech in any area of Mathematics/ Statistics/ Science/ Technology. |
| MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation | NCBS Bengaluru | Indian nationals who have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline (with a minimum of 50% in core subjects) and a strong interest in wildlife research and conservation. Please see: https://www.ncbs.res.in/mscprogram/admission/admissions
International graduates from South, South East and Central Asia with equivalent bachelor’s degrees may apply. Please see: |
| PhD or I-PhD in Biology |
|
PhD: Master’s in Biology /Physics /Chemistry /Comp. Sci./Maths OR 5-yr degrees (MBBS, BDS) OR professional Master’s (MPharm, MTech)
I-PhD: Bachelor’s in Biology /Physics /Chemistry/Comp. Sci. OR any 4-yr Bachelor’s (BTech, BE, BVSc, BPharm). Candidates with a Master’s in non-Biology subjects may join as I-PhD if they wish to obtain MSc + PhD. |
| PhD in Physics of Life | ICTS Bengaluru and NCBS Bengaluru | BE/B Tech/ME/ M Tech/ MSc/MS degrees in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Computer Science. |
| PhD and I-PhD in Physics |
|
PhD: MSc/ MS or equivalent degree in Physics of duration not less than 5 years after Std XII.
I-PhD: ME/ M Tech/ BSc/ BS/ BE/ B Tech or equivalent degree in Physics of duration not less than 3 years. Any other degree in Science / Engineering or equivalent, of duration not less than 3 years in total. (Students already having/ completing a Master’s degree by July 2026 are not eligible for I-PhD) |
| PhD or I-PhD in Chemistry |
|
PhD: MSc/ M Tech/ M Pharm or equivalent degree.
I-PhD: 3-year BSc/ BS or equivalent degree in science/engineering/medical degree in any field of science, including but not limited to Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, and Biotechnology. |
TIFR GS 2026 Important Dates
Check out the section below to know the complete schedule and TIFR GS 2026 dates:
| Event Name | Important Dates |
| TIFR GS 2026 Application Form Start Date | 27-Sep-2025 |
| TIFR GS 2026 Application Form deadline to apply for Fee Waiver Requests | 12-Oct-2025 (till 11:00 PM) |
| TIFR GS 2026 Application deadline for priority in the choice of test centre | 19-Oct-2025 (till 11:00PM) |
| TIFR GS 2026 Application Form Last Date | 26-Oct-2025 (till 11:00PM) |
| TIFR GS 2026 Admit Card Release | Mid-November 2025 |
| TIFR GS 2026 Exam | 14-Dec-2025 |
| TIFR GS 2026 Programme Start Date | 1-Aug-2026 |
TIFR GS 2026 Application Form
Candidates who are interested in pursuing their MSc, PhD and I-PhD degrees from TIFR institute must fill out the TIFR GS 2026 application form. The last date for filling out the application form will be October 26, 2026.
Before filling out he application form, candidates are required to create a registered account and then, with the help of their username and password, can fill in the rest details asked by the exam officials.
NOTE: Please note that details once given in the basic registration (name, date of birth, mobile number, email id, SSC details, subject, programme etc.) cannot be modified, nor will duplicate registration be allowed by the system
Documents Required to Fill TIFR-GS Application Form
Before filling out the application form, candidates are advised to check out the list of documents which is required by the candidates to fill out the application form:
| Documents | Format | Dimension |
| Scanned image/electronic copy of your passport-sized photograph | JPG File | Below 80 KB |
| Scanned copy of signature | JPG File | Below 80 KB |
TIFR GS 2026 Registration Fee
Candidates can check out the gender wise fees required to pay by the candidates from here.
| Gender | Fees in INR |
| Male Candidates | INR 1,000 |
| Female Candidates | INR 500 |
| Other | INR 500 |
NOTE: Application fee can only be paid ONLINE through Internet Banking/Debit Card/Credit Card/UPI or other modes as available on our payment gateway
TIFR GS Exam Pattern 2026
Knowing the TIFR GS 2026 exam pattern will help them in their preparation by knowing the type of questions asked, exam duration and marking scheme in the examination. TIGR GS 2026 exam will have both the MCQ and descriptive types of questions (depending upon the course applied) to test the candidate’s domain knowledge, critical and analytical skills.
Check out the TIFR GS exam pattern from here;
TIFR GS Exam Pattern for PhD or I-PhD in Biology
The exam pattern for PhD/I-PhD will have both multiple-choice questions and Subjective questions. The MCQ sections will have 4 sections, which are split into 2 sub-sections.
| Section | Sub-sections | No. of Questions | Marks per Question |
| General | A | 10 | 1 |
| B | 5 | 2 | |
| Physics | A | 10 | 1 |
| B | 5 | 2 | |
| Chemistry | A | 10 | 1 |
| B | 5 | 2 | |
| Biology | A | 10 | 1 |
| B | 5 | 2 | |
| Total | 60 Questions | 80 Marks |
NOTE: The exam comprises 60 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 5 subjective assessment questions (each with a maximum word limit of 200 words). Of the 5 subjective questions, candidates are required to answer only 3. The total duration to answer the questions will be 3 hours.
Evaluation: MCQ will be scored to calculate the JGEEBILS score. SA (subjective assessment) will not be scored; however, the responses will be used for further screening of candidates.
TIFR GS 2026 Exam Pattern for PhD or I-PhD in Chemistry
Check out the exam pattern of PhD/I-PhD Chemistry from here:
| Section | Total Questions | Marks per Correct Answer | Negative Marking |
| Single Section | 40 | +3 | -1 |
| Total Marks | 120 Marks |
TIFR GS 2026 Exam Pattern for PhD or I-PhD in Computer Science & Learning, Information and Data Science
Candidates who wish to take the exam in Computer Science can check out the exam pattern from here:
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Negative Marking |
| Part A: Common | 15 | +4 Marks | -1 Marks |
| Part B: Computer Science | 15 | +4 Marks | -1 Marks |
| Part C: Learning, Information, Data Science | 15 | +4 Marks | -1 Marks |
Key Reminder
- Common: Part A must be attempted by all candidates.
- For entrance into Learning, Information and Data Sciences, marks in Part A: Common and Part C: LIDS will be considered and marks in Part B: CS will be ignored.
- For entrance into Computer Science, marks in Part A: Common and Part B: CS will be considered and marks in Part C: LIDS will be ignored.
TIFR GS 2026 Exam Pattern for PhD or I-PhD in Mathematics
As per the TIFR GS 2026 exam pattern for PhD/I-PhD in Mathematics, the question paper will be divided into 2 sections. The evaluation process for the Integrated PhD program at TIFR CAM, Bengaluru, will only consider answers to Part A. For students applying to any other program, all questions are mandatory.
- Part A consists of multiple-choice questions. Each question from this part has four options, of which exactly one is correct.
- Part B consists of true/false questions
TIFR GS 2026 Exam Pattern for PhD or I-PhD in Physics
The exam pattern for the PhD or I-PhD for Physics exam will have multiple-choice questions in two sections. Check out the exam pattern below:
| Section | No. of Questions | Question Numbers | Marks for Correct Answer | Negative Marking |
| Section A | 25 | Q.1 – Q.25 | +3 | -1 |
| Section B | 15 | Q.1 – Q.15 | +5 | 0 (No negative) |
TIFR GS 2026 Syllabus
In order to ace the examination to get admission in the applied course and desired institute, candidates are advised to stick to the TIFR GS syllabus 2026 mentioned by the exam officials. Every year, the exam conducting authority releases the syllabus on the official website.
TIFR GS 2026 Syllabus is designed to assess subject knowledge, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills. Check out the subject-wise syllabus from here:
| Course | Syllabus PDF |
| Biology | Download Now |
| Chemistry | Download Now |
| Computer Science and Learning, Information & Data Science | Download Now |
| Mathematics | Download Now |
| Mathematics PhD at CAM | Download Now |
| Physics | Download Now |
| Science Education | Download Now |
TIFR GS 2026 Shift Timings
TIFR GS 2026 exam is scheduled to be conducted on December 14, 2026, in two shifts at various exam centres across the nation to test candidates’ knowledge in the applied courses. Candidates can check out the TIFR GS 2026 shift timings from here:
| Session | Subjects / Programmes | Timing |
| Morning Session | Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science & Learning, Information and Data Sciences, M.Sc. (Wildlife Biology & Conservation) | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Mathematics (PhD at CAM) | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | |
| Afternoon Session | Biology (JGEEBILS) | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
| Mathematics (all other programmes), Science Education | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Conclusion
TIFR GS 2026 exam is known to be the premier gateway for students who want to pursue their career in research and education. Candidates preparing for the exam are advised to meticulously go through the admission process, eligibility criteria, pattern, syllabus and other events in order not to lose their candidature. One must have a strategic approach for the TIFR GS 2026 preparation to enhance their chances of success and secure admission to one of India’s most prestigious research institutes, paving the way for a rewarding academic and scientific career.
