IISER Eligibility Criteria 2026 will be released on the official website of IISER 2026 admissions upon exam notification release. Based on the previous year trends, interested applicants will be able to check out the IISER 2026 eligibility criteria in the fourth week of January 2026, tentatively.
IAT 2026 eligibility criteria stipulates the minimal requirements that the candidates need to satisfy like age limit, educational requirements and nationality in order to appear for IISER 2026. Candidates not fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned by the exam officials (iiseradmission.in), their candidature will be cancelled at the time of verification.
IAT 2026 notification will be released in the fourth week of January 2026. Interested candidates will be able to fill out the IISER application form 2026 in the second week of March 2026, tentatively. Read this SciAstra article to know the IISER Eligibility Criteria, age limit, educational and performance requirement to get admissions to the BS-MS/BS/Btech courses offered by IISERs, IISc Bangalore and IIT Madras.
Latest Update:
What is IISER Eligibility Criteria 2026?
Candidates who are interested in appearing for IISER entrance exam, can check out the eligibility criteria mentioned below to understand the basic eligibility criteria that one needs to satisfy:
| Criterion | Details |
| Nationality | Applicants must be Indian nationals, OCI/PIO cardholders, or Foreign Nationals |
| Academic Qualification | Must have passed Class XII (or equivalent) in 2023, 2024, or 2025 with a science stream, from a board recognized by the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE), India |
| Foreign National Equivalence | If a Foreign National, an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is required—unless the exam is from a COBSE-recognized board. The certificate must be uploaded with the application form under the foreign national supporting-document field. |
| Subject Requirement | Must have taken at least three subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics during Class XII. |
| Mandatory Mathematics for Specific Programmes | For admission into certain programs, Mathematics is mandatory at Class XII level. These include:
5‑year BS‑MS in Computational and Data Sciences at IISER Kolkata
|
Note: Above mentioned is the tentative IISER 2026 eligibility criteria. Once the exam officials releases the 2026 session eligibility, it will be updated here:
Special Provisions for Jammu & Kashmir Applicants
When a candidate belonging from Jammu & Kashmir is interested in applying for the exam, they need to check out the below IISER 2026 eligibility requirements that they need to satisfy:
- JKBOSE Dec 2022 Examinees (Kashmir Division, Winter Zone, U.T. of Ladakh)
Students who appeared for their Class XII (or equivalent) exams in December 2022 under JKBOSE in the specified regions are eligible to apply for IAT 2025, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.
Important: During the application process, such candidates must select 2023 as their year of passing for Class XII. - Kashmiri Pandits / Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non‑Migrants)
Candidates from these backgrounds may apply by opting for the Kashmiri Migrant category, provided they satisfy the general eligibility requirements. In addition, they must upload a valid domicile certificate at the time of application, under the field labeled “Kashmiri Migrant Certificate
Also Read: IISER Exam 2026 Syllabus
IISER 2026: Performance Criteria in Qualifying Exam
Here are few queries that an IISER 2026 applicant needs to check like Minimum Marks, Subjects and Board Specific Requirements to know whether they are eligible or not:
| Situation | Performance Considered / Required Action |
| Class XII results not yet declared | Candidates can apply for IAT 2025, but admission will only be granted once they fulfill the eligibility criteria, i.e., once Class XII results are available. |
| Class XII first attempt in 2024 plus a reappearance in 2025 | The better performance of the two attempts will be considered. |
| Board aggregates Class XI + Class XII marks | Only Class XII marks are considered for eligibility. |
| Board aggregates all three years of a 3-year diploma or equivalent course | Only the marks from the final year are considered. |
| Board follows a semester system | Only the marks from the final two semesters are considered. |
| Board awards only letter grades without percentage equivalents | Candidates must obtain a certificate from the board specifying the equivalent percentage and submit it before the marksheet submission deadline. |
| Board does not provide an equivalent marks certificate | Percentage will be calculated as:
|
IISER Eligibility Criteria for OCI/PIO/ Foreign Nationals
Candidates who are OCI/PIO and foreign national can check out the below mentioned details to know their IISER Eligibility Criteria:
What is the IAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for OCI/PIO Candidates?
- OCI/PIO card holders can apply for IAT 2025, provided they satisfy other eligibility criteria. They shall be eligible to compete for the unreserved seats.
- The applicants need to upload an equivalence certificate issued by the Association of Indian Universities unless they have passed the Class XII or equivalent level examination from any board recognized by the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE) in India.
What is the IISER Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Foreign Nationals?
- Candidates who are not citizens of India AND do not hold OCI/PIO cards shall be considered as foreign nationals.
- Such candidates are eligible to appear for IAT 2025. The applicants need to upload an equivalence certificate issued by the Association of Indian Universities unless they have passed the Class XII or equivalent level examination in 2023 or 2024 or 2025 from any board recognized by the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE) in India.
- The equivalence certificate must be uploaded while submitting the IAT 2025 Application Form under ”Please upload a copy of document supporting your claim of Foreign National (You’ll need to produce original when necessary)”.
Also Read: BTech at IISERs
IISER 2026 Reservation Criteria
Candidates belonging to OBC/SC/ST/PwD and other candidates like Kashmiri Migrants/Pandits must check out the reservation of seats and other details from here:
| Category | Reservation Details |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% of seats reserved as per Government of India policy. |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% of seats reserved. |
| Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC‑NCL) | 27% of seats reserved. |
| Persons with Disability (PwD, ≥ 40% impairment) | 5% horizontal reservation within each category (supernumerary). |
| Kashmiri Migrants / Kashmiri Pandit / Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) | 3 supernumerary seats per IISER. |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | Up to 10% of seats—subject to Government of India norms. |
| Certificate Validity | EWS/OBC‑NCL certificates must be valid for the financial year 2026–27 and issued on or after April 1, 2026. |
Also Read: Best IISER for Biology
Academic Programmes Offered by IISER exam 2026
Candidates who wish to appear for IAT 2026 exam, for undergraduate courses, 5- Year BS-MS (Dual Degree) and 4-Year BS (IISER Bhopal and IISER Tirupati) and B. Tech. (IISER Bhopal) Degree Programmes are being offered.
Check out the complete list from below:
| Programme | IISER Campus | Type |
| BS‑MS Dual Degree (all disciplines) | All IISERs | 5-Year Dual Degree |
| BS‑MS in Computational & Data Sciences | IISER Kolkata | 5-Year Dual Degree |
| BS in Economic Sciences | IISER Bhopal | 4-Year BS |
| BS in Economic & Statistical Sciences | IISER Tirupati | 4-Year BS |
| B.Tech. (Chemical Engg., DSE, EE & CS) | IISER Bhopal | 4-Year B.Tech |
What are the Academic Streams Offered?
Students admitted to the IISERs can pursue their BS-MS/BS/B. Tech. programmes in:
- Biological Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Earth & Climate Sciences/Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Economic Sciences
- Engineering Sciences (Chemical Engineering, Data Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science)
- Geological Sciences
- Integrated & Interdisciplinary Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences)
- Mathematical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
For more details about the academic programs at each IISER, please visit the official websites of the IISERs.
IISER 2026 Seat Matrix
Check out the programme and institute wise tentative IAT 2026 Seat Intake from below:
| Program Type | Campus / Program | Number of Seats |
| BS‑MS Program | IISER Berhampur | 300 |
| IISER Bhopal | 300 | |
| IISER Kolkata | 280 | |
| IISER Kolkata (BS‑MS in Computational and Data Sciences) | 30 | |
| IISER Mohali | 270 | |
| IISER Pune | 288 | |
| IISER Tirupati | 350 | |
| IISER Thiruvananthapuram | 320 | |
| Subtotal – BS‑MS | — | 2,138 |
| B.Tech / BS Programs | IISER Bhopal (B.Tech.) | 140 |
| IISER Bhopal (BS in Economic Sciences) | 35 | |
| IISER Tirupati (BS in Economic and Statistical Sciences) | 50 | |
| Subtotal – B.Tech / BS | — | 225 |
| Total Seats (All Programs) | — | 2,363 |
Frequently Asked Questions on IISER 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- My class XII result is awaiting, can I apply for IISER exam 2026?
Answer: You can apply, but will need to upload the final results during counselling—or you will not be considered further
2. What is the IISER 2026 age limit criteria?
Answer: As per the information available on the official website for 2025 session, there is no format IISER age limit criteria. However, admission restrictions are based on the year of passing of Class 12, like not more than three years after passing.
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