CMI Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria for UG, PG & PhD Courses & Accepted Olympiads

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria: The Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is one of the most prestigious institutes in India that offers advanced education and teaches research skills in the fields of Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Data Science. Admissions to UG, PG and PhD courses in these fields are provided through the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) Entrance Exam.

CMI will conduct the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 on May 2, 2026 (Saturday) at 2 PM. The exam will be held for admissions to BSc (Hons), MSc, and PhD programmes offered by the institute. To get admission to one of these courses, candidates first need to fill out the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 application form and appear in the exam. Only those candidates who meet the CMI Entrance Exam eligibility criteria 2026 are eligible to appear for the exam.

If you are planning to appear for the CMI Entrance Exam 2026, check out everything about the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 eligibility for BSc, MSc and PhD courses in this SciAstra article.

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG)

CMI is offering admissions to UG and PG courses through the CMI Entrance Exam 2026. These courses include the following:

Before filling out the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 application form, candidates must refer to the eligibility criteria for their preferred course. The course-wise eligibility criteria to apply for each course are mentioned below:

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility: BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Computer Science

The duration of the CMI’s BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Computer Science programme is three years. There will be a total of two semesters in each year. Therefore, the total number of semesters in the course will be six. Candidates can check the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 eligibility for applying to this course below:

• Candidates must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination from a recognised central or state board.

• Candidates appearing for their Class 12 final exam in 2026 are also eligible to apply for the BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Computer Science course offered by CMI. They must have the final exam scorecard or result at the time of admission.

• Students with exceptionally strong performance in National Olympiads in Mathematics and Physics by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) or the Indian Computing Olympiad conducted by the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS) will be exempted from taking the entrance examination at the discretion of the CMI Admissions Committee.

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility: BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Physics

The duration of the CMI’s BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Physics programme is three years. Each year consists of two semesters, so the entire course comprises six semesters in total. Candidates can check the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 eligibility criteria for applying to this course below:

• Candidates must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination from a recognised central or state board.

• Candidates appearing for their Class 12 final exam in 2026 are also eligible to apply for the BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Physics course offered by CMI. They must have the final exam scorecard or result at the time of admission.

• Students with exceptionally strong performance in National Olympiads in Mathematics and Physics by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) or the Indian Computing Olympiad conducted by the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS) will be exempted from taking the entrance examination at the discretion of the CMI Admissions Committee.

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility: MSc in Data Science

To apply for the MSc in Data Science course through the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 candidates will have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, such as a BA, BSc, BMath, BStat, BE, BTech or others from an institute recognised by the central or state government.

• They must have a strong background in one of the following subjects:

1. Computer Science

2. Mathematics

3. Statistics

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility: MSc in Mathematics

Only those candidates who meet the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 eligibility criteria for the MSc in Mathematics course can appear for it. Therefore, they must refer to the following details related to eligibility before filling out the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 application form:

• Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, such as a BA, BSc, BMath, BStat, BE, BTech or others from an institute recognised by the central or state government.

• They must have a strong background in Mathematics.

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility: MSc in Computer Science

Refer to the following CMI Entrance Exam 2026 eligibility criteria for the MSc in Computer Science course:

• Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, such as a BA, BSc, BMath, BStat, BE, BTech or others from an institute recognised by the central or state government.

• They must have a strong background in Computer Science.

CMI Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria for PhD Courses

Check out the eligibility criteria of the CMI Entrance Exam 2026 for PhD courses below:

CMI Admission Process 2026: PhD in Physics

The CMI Entrance Exam is not conducted for admission to the PhD in Physics programme offered by the institute. The eligibility criteria for admission to the course are as follows:

• Candidates must have an MSc degree in Physics or equivalent.

• For admission to a PhD in Physics, candidates must take the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST), UGC-CSIR NET, or GATE.

• Candidates applying to the PhD programme in Physics should satisfy one of the following criteria:

1. JEST: A rank of 400 or below in the Joint Entrance Screening Test in Physics.

2. UGC-CSIR NET: Candidates who have qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of CSIR with a rank of 200 or less.

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Conclusion

The first and foremost step for students aiming for entry into the highly competitive BSc, MSc, and PhD courses offered by Chennai Mathematical Institute is to understand the eligibility criteria of the CMI Entrance Exam 2026. Since each course has specific academic requirements and subject-wise expectations, candidates must go through the eligibility details before filling out the application form. Be it a Class 12 student aiming for a BSc programme, a graduate aiming for a master's degree course, or a postgraduate getting ready for research-level study, fulfillment of the eligibility criteria keeps you fully prepared for the subsequent stages of the admission process.