IIT JAM 2026 Physics Syllabus: Topic Wise Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Important Books

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Updated on Jan 30, 2026 18:01 IST

Are you preparing for the IIT JAM 2026 physics examination? Wanna pursue a master's degree in IITs and NITs? Read this Shiksha article to get the detailed syllabus for the IIT JAM MSc Physics course. Aspirants can also check the eligibility criteria and exam pattern for the same here.

Are you preparing for IIT JAM 2026 physics examination? Wanna pursue a master's degree in IITs and NITs? Read this Shiksha article to get the detailed syllabus for IIT JAM MSc Physics course. Aspirants can also check eligibility criteria & exam pattern for the same here.

Heads up, future JAM Mathematics test-takers! The key to your JAM 2026 prep lies in the official IIT JAM 2026 syllabus. Unlike the broad and university-specific BSc Physics curriculum, the JAM 2026 syllabus clearly outlines the exact topics you need to master. This focused approach ensures you spend your study time effectively.

IIT JAM 2026 exam will be conducted on February 15, 2026, in two shifts at various exam centres across the nation. Aspiring candidates for JAM 2026 exam should start their IIT JAM 2026 preparation soon to ace the examination and get a seat in their desired IITs. Candidates preparing for IIT JAM 2026 physics course must be aware of IIT JAM syllabus before start preparing for the exam.

IIT Bombay, the examination conducting authority for IIT JAM 2026 exam has released the JAM 2026 Physics on the official website. Before starting the preparation for MSc Physics course, the ideal strategy for a candidate should be to make a suitable JAM exam preparation plan based on the analysis of the JAM 2026 physics syllabus and exam pattern.

Also Read: IT JAM 2026 Seat Matrix; Course Wise Seats at IITs and NITs

Table of contents

IIT JAM 2026 Physics Exam Pattern
IIT JAM 2026 Physics Syllabus
IIT JAM 2026 Physics: Eligibility Criteria
IIT JAM Physics Books to Read for IIT JAM 2026 Examination
Important Topics for IIT JAM 2026

IIT JAM 2026 Physics Exam Pattern

IIT JAM 2026 Physics exam pattern states that each test paper is of three hours duration. In the exam, candidates need to attempt 60 questions, which are of 100 marks of weightage. These 60 questions are divided into three sections: A, B, and C. All these sections are compulsory, and candidates need to attempt questions from all the sections. The medium of instruction for JAM test papers is English.

The detailed IIT JAM exam pattern 2026 is mentioned in the table below:

Section	Type of Questions	No of Question
A	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Each question has four choices with one correct answer.	30
B	Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) Each question has four choices with one or more correct answers.	10
C	Numerical Answer Type (NAT) The answer for each question is a signed real number that needs to be entered using the virtual numeric keypad on the monitor. No choices will be shown for these questions.	20
Total		60

Also Read: IIT JAM Exam Pattern: Exam Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme & Shift Timings

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the syllabus of IIT JAM?

IIT JAM or the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. , is an entrance exam conducted by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for admission to various postgraduate Science programs. The syllabus for IIT JAM varies depending on the subject you choose to appear for. However, some common topics covered in the IIT JAM syllabus are: 1. Mathematical Statistics: Sequences and Series Differential Calculus Integral Calculus Matrices Probability Random Variables Joint Distributions Sampling distributions Estimation Testing of Hypotheses 2. Physics: Mathematical Methods Mechanics and General Properties of Matter Oscillations, Waves and Optics Electricity and Magnetism Kinetic theory, Thermodynamics Modern Physics Solid State Physics Devices, and Electronics 3. Chemistry: Physical Chemistry Organic Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry 4. Biotechnology: Biology Chemistry (Physical, Organic, and Inorganic) Mathematics Physics 5. Mathematical Sciences: Real Analysis Linear Algebra Complex Analysis Algebra Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) Partial Differential Equations (PDE) Numerical Analysis Calculus of Variations Probability and Statistics It's important to note that the exact topics and level of difficulty of the questions may vary each year, so it's important to refer to the official IIT JAM syllabus for the specific subject and year you are planning to appear for the exam.

IIT JAM 2026 Physics Syllabus

Aspirants preparing for IIT JAM MSc Physics degree programme should start their preparation according to the Physics syllabus mentioned below:

Mathematical Methods: Calculus of single and multiple variables, partial derivatives, Jacobian, imperfect and perfect differentials, Taylor expansion, Fourier series. Vector algebra, Vector Calculus, Multiple integrals, Divergence theorem, Green’s theorem, Stokes’ theorem. First-order equations and linear second-order differential equations with constant coefficients. Matrices and

determinants, Algebra of complex numbers.

Mechanics and General Properties of Matter: Newton’s laws of motion and applications, Velocity and acceleration in Cartesian, polar and cylindrical coordinate systems, uniformly rotating frame, centrifugal and Coriolis forces, Motion under a central force, Kepler's Law of Motion, Gravitational Law and field, Conservative and non-conservative forces. System of particles, Center of mass, equation of motion of the CM, conservation of linear and angular momentum, conservation of energy, and variable mass systems. Elastic and inelastic collisions. Rigid body motion, fixed axis rotations, rotation and translation, moments of Inertia and products of Inertia, parallel and perpendicular axes theorem. Principal moments and axes. Kinematics of moving fluids, equation of continuity, Euler’s equation, Bernoulli’s theorem.

Oscillations, Waves and Optics: Differential equation for simple harmonic oscillator and its general solution. Superposition of two or more simple harmonic oscillators. Lissajous figures. Damped and forced oscillators, resonance. Wave equation, travelling and standing waves in one dimension. Energy density and energy transmission in waves. Group velocity and phase velocity. Sound waves in media. Doppler Effect. Fermat’s Principle. General theory of image formation. Thick lens, thin lens and lens combinations. Interference of light, optical path retardation. Fraunhofer diffraction. Rayleigh criterion and resolving power. Diffraction gratings. Polarization: linear, circular and elliptic polarization. Double refraction and optical rotation. Additionally, refer to the equation of SHM.

Electricity and Magnetism: Coulomb’s law, Gauss’s law. Electric field and potential. Electrostatic boundary conditions, Solution of Laplace’s equation for simple cases. Conductors, capacitors,

dielectrics, dielectric polarization, volume and surface charges, electrostatic energy. Biot-Savart law, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction, Self and mutual inductance.

Alternating currents. Simple DC and AC circuits with R, L and C components. Displacement current, Maxwell’s equations and plane electromagnetic waves, Poynting’s theorem, reflection and

refraction at a dielectric interface, transmission and reflection coefficients (normal incidence only). What is Magnetic Force, Lorentz Force and motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields.

Kinetic Theory, Thermodynamics: Elements of Kinetic theory of gases. Velocity distribution and Equipartition of energy. Specific heat of Mono-, di- and tri-atomic gases. Ideal gas, van-der-Waals gas and equation of state. Mean free path. Laws of thermodynamics. Zeroth law and concept of thermal equilibrium. First law and its consequences. Isothermal and adiabatic processes.

Reversible, irreversible and quasi-static processes. Second law and entropy. Carnot cycle. Maxwell’s thermodynamic relations and simple applications. Thermodynamic potentials and their

applications. Phase transitions and Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Ideas of ensembles, Maxwell-Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions.

Modern Physics: Inertial frames and Galilean invariance. Postulates of special relativity. Lorentz transformations. Length contraction, time dilation. Relativistic velocity addition theorem, mass-energy equivalence. Blackbody radiation, photoelectric effect, Compton effect, Bohr’s atomic model, X-rays. Wave-particle duality, Uncertainty principle, the superposition principle, calculation of expectation values, Schrödinger equation and its solution for one, two and three-dimensional boxes. Solution of Schrödinger equation for the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. Reflection

and transmission at a step potential, Pauli exclusion principle. Structure of atomic nucleus, mass and binding energy. Radioactivity and its applications. Laws of radioactive decay.

Solid State Physics, Devices and Electronics: Crystal structure, Bravais lattices and basis. Miller indices. X-ray diffraction and Bragg's law; Intrinsic semiconductor and extrinsic semiconductors, variation of resistivity with temperature. Fermi level. p-n junction diode, I-V characteristics, Zener diode and its applications, BJT: characteristics in CB, CE, CC modes. Single-stage amplifier, two-stage R-C coupled amplifiers. Simple Oscillators: Barkhausen condition, sinusoidal oscillators. OPAMP and applications: Inverting and non-inverting amplifier. Boolean algebra: Binary number systems; conversion from one system to another system; binary addition and subtraction. Logic Gates AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR exclusive OR; Truth tables; combination of gates; de Morgan’s theorem.

Candidates can check out the JAM 2026 syllabus for other subjects from here:

JAM Biotechnology Syllabus	IIT JAM Economics Syllabus	JAM Mathematical Statistics Syllabus
IIT JAM Mathematics Syllabus	IIT JAM Chemistry Syllabus	IIT JAM Geology Syllabus

Also Read: IIT JAM Chapter Wise Weightage; Know Important Topics

IIT JAM 2026 Physics: Eligibility Criteria

Candidates can check the minimal eligibility criteria for enrolling in the MSc Physics course below:

Test Paper Code	Academic Programmes	Institutes	Minimal Educational Qulaifucation for Admissions
Physics (PH)	MSc Physics	IIT Bhilai, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Dhanbad, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Jammu, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, IIT Mandi, IIT Patna, IIT Roorkee, IIT Ropar, IIT Varanasi	BSc/BS degree with Physics for at least two years/four semesters and Mathematics for at least one year/two semesters. No restrictions for engineering degrees.
	Joint MSc‐ PhD	IIT Bhubaneswar	BSc/BS degree with Physics for at least two years/four semesters and Mathematics for at least one year/two semesters. No restrictions for engineering degrees.
	MSc Applied Geophysics	IIT Bombay	Physics and Mathematics/ Mathematical Physics for two years/four semesters and at least one of them as subject for three years/six semesters.
	MSc Physics	IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Palakkad	No restrictions
	Joint MSc‐ PhD	IIT Kharagpur	B.Sc. degree with at least 4 Physics subjects and 2 Mathematics Subjects

Candidates can check out the JAM 2026 eligibility criteria in detail from here: IIT JAM Eligibility Criteria 2026: Know Educational Qualification and Age limit

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IIT JAM Physics Books to Read for IIT JAM 2026 Examination

Books that aspirants should consider while preparing IIT JAM MSc Physics course are as mentioned below:

Name of Book	Author
Thermal Physics: Heat & Thermodynamics	HP Roy & AB Gupta
Fundamentals of Statistical Mechanics & Thermal Physics	F Reif
Mathematical Methods in The Physical Sciences	Mary L Boas
Advanced Engineering Mathematics	Erwin Kreyszig
Waves and Oscillations	Brij Lal & N Subrahmanyam
Waves and Oscillations	NK Bajaj
Classical Mechanics	JC Upadhyaya
An Introduction to Mechanics	Kleppner and Kolenkow
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics	David J Griffiths
Nuclear Physics	DC Tayal

Also Read: Important Topics and Best Books for IIT JAM Physics Paper

IIT JAM 2026 Student Reactions

The JAM 2026 exam will be held on February 15, 2026, at various exam centres across the country. For better preparation and knowledge of the JAM exam difficulty level, candidates appearing for IIT JAM 2026 exam can check out the previous year student reaction video from here:

The students found that IIT JAM Physics questions were lengthy this year, and it took more time to solve them. Section C was more time-consuming in nature and overall, it can result in a decrease in the cutoff from last year. Aspirants preparing for IIT JAM 2026 exam must start their preparation soon to ace the examination and get into their desired college or university. IIT JAM MSc Physics exam syllabus includes the topics studied in UG of Physics course. The UG Physics course is very vast and contains topics like Wave optics, Electromagnetism, Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, etc.

Also Read: Check Year Wise IIT JAM Student Reaction and Difficulty Level from Here

IIT JAM 2026 Physics (PH) Important Topics

Candidates can go through important topics that they should study to score well in IIT JAM exam in the table mentioned below:

Topic	Weightage
Oscillation and wave optics	9-10
Modern Physics	6-7
Mathematical Physics	7-10
Electricity and Magnetism	10-11
Solid state, Devices and Elements	10-12
Mechanics and General Properties of Matter	12-15
Kinematic	10-12

Also Read: How to prepare for IIT JAM Physics: Check Important Topics and Books here

Joint Admission test for Masters (JAM) has been established as a benchmark for undergraduate level Science education in the country from last two decades. The objective of JAM is to provide admissions to Post- graduate Degree Programmes and to consolidate Science as a career option for the students across the country. These programmes offer high-quality education in
their respective disciplines, comparable to the best in the world. The curricula for these programmes are designed to provide the students with opportunities to develop academic talent leading to challenging and rewarding professional lives. The interdisciplinary content of the curricula enables the students with the ability to utilise scientific knowledge for practical applications. These programmes are open to all eligible students irrespective of their nationality. The medium of instruction is English for all the programmes.

Important Topics for IIT JAM 2026

Aspirants can go through the list of important topics for IIT JAM 2026 exam for all test papers in the table below:

IIT JAM 2026: Important Topics for Biotechnology (BL)
Subject	Topics
Biology (10+2+3 level)	General Biology
	Biochemistry and Physiology
	Basic Biotechnology
	Molecular Biology
	Cell Biology
	Microbiology

Candidates appearing for IIT JAM 2026 can go through the links:

IIT JAM Exam Pattern

IIT JAM Preparation

IIT JAM Question Papers

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