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ShareThe IIT-JAM (Joint Admission Test for Masters) - Biotechnology is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on a rotational basis. It is designed for admission to postgraduate programs in Biotechnology and related disciplines at IITs, IISc, and other participating institutes.
| Number of tests | Once in a year |
| Subject included | Biotechnology |
| Organizing institutes (Year 2025) | IIT Delhi |
| Admitting institutes (Year 2025) | IIT Bombay and IIT Indore |
| Result Sharing Institutes | JAM 2025 Scores to be used for admissions to over 2300 seats by IISc and various CFTIs including NITs, DIAT, IIEST, IISER Pune, IISER Bhopal, IIPE, JNCASR, SLIET, through CCMN. |
| Seat Matrix at Admitting Institutes (Year 2025) | IIT Bombay – M.Sc Biotechnology (Total seats - 35) IIT Indore – M.Sc Biotechnology (Total seats - 15) |
| Medium of examination | English only |
| Mode of examination | Computer based test (CBT) |
| Question pattern |
The paper will be divided into three sections, A, B and C. All sections are compulsory. Section A 30 MCQs (Total marks 50) 10 MCQs of one mark each and 20 questions of two marks each. Section B 10 MCQs (Total marks 20) Each question carries two marks Section C 20 NAT questions (Total marks 30) 10 questions of one mark each and 10 questions of two marks each. |
| Negative Marking |
Section A For each wrong answer to 1 mark questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted and similarly for each wrong answer to 2 marks questions, 2/3 mark will be deducted. Section B The candidate is awarded full credit only if all the correct answer(s) and no wrong answers are selected. There is no negative marking or partial marking for MSQ. Section C There is no negative marking for numerical answer type (NAT). |
| Eligibility | Bachelor's Degree in any Branch/Subject |
| Age limit | No age limit |
| Syllabus | Click here |
| Relevant website | https://jam.iitm.ac.in/ |
In our opinion, it’s not necessary to consult different books for each exam. For instance, for Biochemistry, we refer to Lehninger; for Cell Biology, Bruce Alberts; and for Immunology, Kuby during both BSc and MSc, as well as for competitive exams like CSIR NET Life Sciences, IIT JAM, BET, ICMR, and GATE. Therefore, consulting entirely different books for each of these exams is not an effective strategy. A few standard, well-recognized books can provide comprehensive preparation for multiple exams.
Covering Physics and Mathematics in depth is not crucial for cracking the IIT JAM Biotechnology exam, as the majority of the questions focus on Biology. In recent years, very few questions have come from Physics and Mathematics (IIT JAM Biotechnology papers from 2021 onwards). Typically, there are about 2-4 questions from Physics and 2-4 from Mathematics. A strong understanding of Biology, along with a basic knowledge of Chemistry, is sufficient to help you qualify with a good rank.
Year 2023 : 4 questions from Physics, 9 from Chemistry, and 5 from Mathematics. Year 2024 : 4 questions from Physics, 10 from Chemistry, and 5 from Mathematics
The number of students appearing for the IIT JAM Biotechnology exam has been increasing over the years. Below are the number of students appeared in IIT JAM Biotechnology exam in the past few years:
• IIT JAM Biotechnology 2020: 7665 • IIT JAM Biotechnology 2021: 8806 • IIT JAM Biotechnology 2022: 8999Without a doubt, Pathfinder Academy is an outstanding choice for IIT JAM Biotechnology online preparation. Here's why: great and experienced faculty, comprehensive and reliable books, and a high success rate. It has a proven track record of helping students achieve their goals, with many successful candidates securing admission to top institutes.
The difficulty level of IIT JAM Biotechnology is considered moderate. While the exam includes questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in addition to Biology, only a few questions are typically asked from these subjects: about 2-4 questions from Physics and 2-4 from Mathematics. The majority of the questions in recent years have been focused on Biology. Therefore, by thoroughly covering Biology and Chemistry, candidates can achieve a good rank in the exam.
The paper is divided into three sections: A, B, and C. All sections are compulsory. Section A: 30 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – Total Marks: 50
Negative marking: Section A: For each incorrect answer to a 1-mark question, 1/3 mark will be deducted. For each incorrect answer to a 2-mark question, 2/3 mark will be deducted. Section B: Full credit is awarded only if all the correct answers are selected and no wrong answers are chosen. There is no negative marking or partial marking for MSQs. Section C: There is no negative marking for Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
Books are essential resources for exam preparation, and selecting the right ones can significantly enhance your performance. While standard textbooks are helpful, Pathfinder books has gained significant attention. These books are,
For Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, no specialized books are required. You can easily cover these subjects using 10+2 level textbooks, which most students already possess. Additionally, only a few questions are typically asked from Physics and Mathematics: around 2-3 questions from Physics and 2-3 from Mathematics. The majority of the questions in recent exams have focused primarily on Biology. This is evident from analyzing previous years' papers. Therefore, by thoroughly covering Biology and Chemistry, candidates can significantly improve their chances of securing a good rank in the IIT JAM Biotechnology exam.