The IIT JAM 2026 exam pattern has been released by the exam officials on the official website through the information brochure. It is essential for aspiring candidates to understand the JAM 2026 exam pattern early in their preparation. The exam pattern provides details about the types of questions asked, the negative marking scheme, and the exam duration specified by IIT Bombay for the examination.
Preparing for the JAM 2026 exam with a thorough understanding of the exam pattern, combined with the IIT JAM 2026 syllabus, will help candidates achieve a good score. The IIT JAM 2026 exam is scheduled to be held on February 15, 2026, in two shifts — the morning shift from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and the afternoon shift from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, in online (CBT) mode.
The exam will consist of 60 questions divided into three sections, which will include Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. All sections are compulsory for the test takers. PwD candidates, such as those who are visually impaired, dyslexic, or have other specified disabilities, will receive an additional one hour of compensatory time for each paper.
Read this SciAstra exam page to know the complete details about the IIT JAM 2026 exam pattern, negative marking scheme, shift timings, and other important information.
IIT JAM 2026 Shift Timings
IIT Bombay, the exam conducting body, has announced the JAM 2026 shift timings on the official website. The exam will be conducted on February 15, 2026, in two shifts to test candidates’ knowledge in the applied subjects like Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biotechnology, Economics, Geology and Mathematical Statistics.
Check out the IIT JAM shift timings 2026 from here:
Date | Session | Time | Test Paper Code and Names |
15th February 2026 | Forenoon | 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM | CY – Chemistry GG – Geology MA – Mathematics |
Afternoon | 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM | BT – Biotechnology EN – Economics MS – Mathematical Statistics PH – Physics |
IIT JAM 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
Before knowing the JAM 2026 exam pattern, check out the important key highlights of the exam pattern from here:
Feature | Details |
Exam Mode | Online or Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
Duration of the Exam | 3 Hours or 180 minutes |
Question Paper Medium | English |
Types of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), Numerical Answer Type (NAT) |
Subjects for which the exam is conducted | Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Geology (GG), Economics (EN), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS), Physics (PH) |
Total Questions | 60 |
Maximum Marks | 100 |
Number of Sections | 3 |
Negative Marking | Yes |
IIT JAM 2026 Exam Pattern
JAM 2026 exam will be conducted online/CBT mode in two shifts at various exam centres across the nation. Check out the exam pattern below:
Section | Question Type | Details | Question Numbers |
A | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) | Only one correct option out of four choices | Q.1 - Q.10, Q.11 - Q.30 |
B | Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) | One or more correct choices | Q.31 - Q.40 |
C | Numerical Answer Type (NAT) | Real number entered via virtual keyboard, no choices provided | Q.41 - Q.50, Q.51 - Q.60 |
IIT JAM 2026 Negative Marking Scheme
Check out the negative marking scheme for the IIT JAM 2026 exam from here:
Section | Marks per Question | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Marking Scheme |
A | 1 Mark (Q.1 - Q.10) | 10 Questions | 10 Marks | Negative marking: -1/3 mark for 1-mark questions, -2/3 mark for 2-mark questions |
2 Marks (Q.11 - Q.30) | 20 Questions | 40 Marks | ||
B | 2 Marks (Q.31 - Q.40) | 10 Questions | 20 marks | No negative or partial marking |
C | 1 Mark (Q.41 - Q.50) | 10 Questions | 10 Marks | No negative marking |
2 Marks (Q.51 - Q.60) | 10 Questions | 20 Marks | ||
Total | 60 Questions | 100 Marks |
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