When is IISER Entrance Exam application process starting?

Candidates are able to fill out the IISER Entrance Exam application form will start in March 2026 onwards. The application process is completely online, and candidates need to register themselves first on the IAT official website.

How to select IISERs during online application?

At the time of online application, a candidate will be shown 9 programmes across 7 IISERs or 7 programs across 7 IISERs if the candidate did not have Mathematics as a subject in class 12 or equivalent and is not eligible for BS Economic Sciences and BS Engineering Sciences. Candidate is required to make a preference list from among these programs for which the candidate wants to be considered for an admission. The preference order must be from the most preferred first preference to the least preferred or last preference. The preference list must contain at least one IISER programme. A candidate will be considered only to those IISER programs which are in the candidates preference list. Consequently, a candidate will not be considered for an admission to an IISER programme that is not mentioned in the candidates preference list.

What is IISER Aptitude test?

Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research conduct an entrance exam in order to provide admission to candidates in the five year long BSMS dual degree programme offered by them. On the basis of a candidates score in the IISER Entrance Exam also known as IISER aptitude test, he/she can secure admission at IISER located in Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, or Tirupati. Candidates who cleared their Class 12 in the Science stream are eligible to apply for the IISER Entrance Exam 2023. As per the IISER Entrance Exam pattern, there are a total of 60 objective questions that candidates need to complete in three hours duration.

What are the different channels for getting admission in IISER Colleges?

Earlier, there were three channels through which candidates could get admissions to the courses offered at IISER institutions, IISc Bangalore and IIT Madras. From the academic session 2025, admissions are done through the IAT exam channel only, and the other two channels, including JEE Main and KVPY scores, have been discontinued.

When will IISER Entrance Exam 2026 notification release?

IISER Entrance Exam 2026 notification is expected to be released by the conducting IISER in the second week of March 2026. The exam is conducted for admission to the five-year BS-MS dual degree and four-year BS degree programmes. The IISER Entrance Exam 2025 will be conducted tentatively in the fourth week of May 2026.

What courses are offered at IISERs?

IISERs offer admission into courses leading to BSMS Dual Degree, and BS Degree (only at IISER Bhopal) Programs. Admissions are via IAT Channel, KVPY Channel and JEE Advanced Channel. Below are the programmes offered by IISERs: 1. Biological Sciences 2. Chemical Sciences 3. Earth & Climate Sciences/Earth & Environmental Sciences 4. Economic Sciences 5. Engineering Sciences (Chemical Engineering, Data Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science) 6. Geological Sciences 7. Integrated & Interdisciplinary Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences) 8. Mathematical Sciences 9. Physical Sciences.

Is there any age limit to appear for IISER Entrance Exam?

There is no age limit to apply or appear for the IISER Entrance Exam 2026. However, applicants must have appeared for their Board examination in 2024, 2025 or 2026. Based on this, applicants must apply for the exam. Apart from this, students should have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in Classes 11 and 12. They have to secure a minimum aggregate percentage of 60 (Unreserved categories) and 55 (Reserved categories) in their Class 12 Board exam or equivalent.

What are the category Certificate requirements for OBC candidates while filling up IISER Entrance Exam 2026 application form?

For Candidates seeking admission under the OBC-NCL category: As per the latest guidelines of the Government of India, the OBC-NCL Certificate should have been issued on or after April 01, 2025. If any OBC-NCL candidate fails to submit the OBC-NCL Certificate (issued on or after April 01, 2025) at the time of online application, the candidate has to upload a signed declaration form. The candidate has to upload a fresh Certificate (issued on or after 1 April 2025) on or before July 7, 2025. If the Certificate is not uploaded by the given date and time, the candidate will not be considered for admission under this category. If qualified, the category will be adjusted accordingly in the Common Rank List.

IISER Entrance Exam is conducted for which course?

IISER Entrance Exam is conducted for admission to the 5-year BS MS programme offered at the seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Apart from that, the IISER Aptitude Test scores are also accepted by IISc Bangalore for the 4-year BS course and for the BS - Medical Sciences and Engineering programme at IIT Madras. Apart from this, other courses at IISERs for which the entrance exam scores are accepted are given below. 5-Year BS-MS in Computational and Data Sciences at IISER Kolkata 4-Year BS in Economic Sciences at IISER Bhopal 4-Year BS in Economic and Statistical Sciences at IISER Tirupati.

When will be the Portal open to upload documents and freeze IISER preferences for IISER 2026 Admissions?

The portal for document upload and freezing of IISER preferences for IISER 2026 Admissions is expected to begin in the month of July 2026, tentatively. After accepting the offer and paying the seat acceptance fee, the candidate can exercise two options: Candidate can FREEZE the seat (they will not participate in further rounds of counselling), Candidate can FLOAT (they will participate in further rounds of counselling to get their higher preferences). The FLOAT option is activated by default for those who pay the seat acceptance fee. A student who has chosen to FLOAT will again be considered for seat allocation in the next round. If they are eligible to secure a seat in an IISER that is higher in their preference list than the currently accepted one, they will be offered that seat.

How will I know that my IISER application form has reached the exam authorities?

Upon successful submission of the IISER online application form along with the exam fee, an automated email and SMS were sent to the registered email ID and mobile number of candidates. In case the application process was not submitted, but the application fee got debited, candidates were advised to contact IISER Exam conducting body or visit the official website for assistance for the application status. Even after three days if candidates did not receive the application confirmation, then they were advised to try and complete the IISER IAT 2023 application form.

What are the documents required for filling up the IISER entrance exam application form?

Given below is a list of documents/certificates whose scanned copies are to be uploaded at the time of online application for IAT. The formats of the certificates are given in the Annexure. Class 10 certificate Class 12 (or equivalent examination). If the class 12 (or equivalent) marks sheet is not available now, then you can instead upload a signed declaration form mentioning : DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE IN LIEU OF ELIGIBILITY EXAM CERTIFICATE/ MARKSHEET SEE Annexure). Fill up the form, sign it, scan it and then upload. The scanned copies of the actual marks sheet must be uploaded on or before July 7, 2025, failing which you will not be allotted a seat in any of the IISERs.

What is the application fee for IISER Entrance Exam?

The category-wise IISER entrance exam application fee is given below. INR 2,000 for candidates applying under General, EWS, and OBC-NCL categories. INR 1,000 for candidates applying under persons with disabilities, persons registered as Kashmir migrants and SC, ST categories. INR 8,500 for foreign nationals. Candidates must note that the application fee is non-refundable.

IISER Registration Process 2026: Registration Process, Fees, Important Documents & City Preference

384 Students Q&A

Updated on Dec 23, 2025 15:16 IST

By Sreetama Datta Roy, Manager Content

IISER Entrance Exam Application Form 2026 is expected to be released in the second week of March 2026. The IISER Entrance Exam 2026 application process will be completely online. Students have to visit the exam website and click on the Register tab to complete the registration process and generate the login ID and password. After that, they have to log in to the portal to complete the process and pay the IISER Aptitude Test 2026 Application Fee.

The IISER Entrance Exam 2026 will be conducted tentatively in the fourth week of May 2026 for admission to BS-MS, BS, and BTech degree programmes offered at IISERs, IISc Bangalore, and IIT Madras.

Only those students who will complete and submit the IISER Aptitude Test 2026 application form will be eligible to appear for the exam. Students need to enter the mandatory details, preferred exam cities, upload documents, and pay the IAT Registration fee to submit the application form. The last date to submit the IAT registration form 2026 will be tentatively scheduled for the second week of April 2026. The exam notification will mention the IISER Entrance Exam 2026 important dates.

Table of contents

IISER Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria
IISER 2026 Important Dates Table
How to apply for IISER 2026 Entrance Exam
IISER Exam 2026 Application Form Documents Required
How to Edit IAT 2026 Application Form
IISER Entrance Exam Application Form 2026 FAQs

IISER Entrance Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria

IISER 2026 Important Dates Table

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of IISER Entrance Exam 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
Mar ' 26 - Apr ' 26	IISER Aptitude Test 2026 Registration Window TENTATIVE
Apr ' 26	IISER Aptitude Test 2026 Correction Window TENTATIVE
May ' 26	IISER Aptitude Test 2026 Hall Ticket TENTATIVE
May ' 26	IISER Aptitude Test 2026 TENTATIVE