What Is a Good Score in IIT JAM 2026? Expected Marks, Highest Scores and Subject-Wise Trends
The IIT Joint Admission Test for Masters (IIT JAM) is perhaps one of the toughest post-graduate entrance exams, for graduates in Science nationwide in India. Organised by the Indian Institutes of Technology, the IIT JAM opens the way to various institutes for M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.-Ph.D. and also Dual Degree programmes, at some of the most respected institutes in India - IIT, IISc Bangalore, NIT etc.
As IIT JAM 2026 is being organised by IIT Bombay, aspirants are curious to know one statement most importantly - "What is a good score in IIT JAM 2026?". We have included in this article the indicators to answer that question in depth, focusing on Biotechnology and Physics, using not just the official IIT JAM 2026 Brochure but also indicators based on previous years' trends.
- Overview of IIT JAM 2026
- Understanding a “Good Score” in IIT JAM
- Good Score in IIT JAM Biotechnology 2026
- Expected Trend for 2026:
- Good Score in IIT JAM Physics 2026
- Highest Score in IIT JAM 2026 (Overall Prediction)
- Scoring Pattern in IIT JAM 2026
- How to Achieve a Good Score in IIT JAM 2026
Overview of IIT JAM 2026
According to the official advertisement published by IIT Bombay, the essential information is as follows:
Exam Date: February 15, 2026.
Registration Period: September 5, 2025 to October 20, 2025 (Earlier it was Oct 12, the date has been extended).
The last date for filling up the online application form for MSc courses was October 12, 2025 but it has been extended till October 20. Candidates qualifying in JAM 2026 are eligible to apply for admission to around 3000 seats in IITs for the academic year 2026-26. No additional evaluation process, such as suitability test or interview is required for admission to the programmes in Admitting Institutes under JAM 2026.
IIT JAM 2026 for the academic session 2026-2027 will be conducted by IIT Delhi, the examination conducting body on February 15, 2026. Aspirants who had already completed an undergraduate degree (BSc) or are currently studying in the final year of undergraduate programmes are eligible to apply for the exam.
Exam Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Total Marks: 100
Question Types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) as well as Numerical Answer type (NAT)
Duration: 3 Hours
The exam will take place for seven subjects - Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS) as well as Physics (PH). The test pattern will be similar to the previous years; however, competition levels are expected to increase massively in IIT JAM 2026.
Understanding a “Good Score” in IIT JAM
A solid performance in IIT JAM is all about context. It depends on the level of challenge of the paper, the number of test takers, the cut-off trend for each subject, etc. Nevertheless, based on historicals, score ranges can typically be ascertained corresponding with good performance and qualified admission to IITs.
| Score Range (out of 100) |
Performance Level |
Approximate Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 85–95+ |
Excellent / Highest Score Zone |
Top 50 |
| 70–85 |
Very Good Score |
Top 300 |
| 50–70 |
Good Score |
Up to 800 |
| 30–50 |
Average / Near Cut-off |
Up to 2500 |
Generally, obtaining marks equal to or above 70 in any examination indicates a good score in IIT JAM examination, while obtaining marks equal to or above 85 guarantees status in the highest scoring band or category, which is then most likely to yield a high All India Rank and ultimately better chances of admission.
Good Score in IIT JAM Biotechnology 2026
The IIT JAM Biotechnology examination is interdisciplinary, covering Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. This subject has a vast syllabus; thus, naturally, the competition is high and cut-off marks are generally steep.
In IIT JAM 2025, the cut-off for Biotechnology for General category candidates was 24.46 marks (out of 100). Based on this, for IIT JAM 2026, candidates with scores in the range of 65 - 85 marks can expect well into a good score in IIT JAM Biotechnology. Candidates aspiring for top IITs such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, or IIT Kharagpur should aim for 75 - 90 marks or higher.
The highest score in IIT JAM Biotechnology is typically more than 90 marks, yet this largely depends on the difficulty of the paper. Therefore, scoring within this range is considered to be positioned at the top end of the percentile
Expected Trend for 2026:
Good Score in IIT JAM Biotechnology: 65 to 85
Highest score in IIT JAM Biotechnology: 90+
Predicted Cut Off: 24 to 26
Good Score in IIT JAM Physics 2026
The IIT JAM Physics examination is regarded as being on the more difficult side, due to its conceptual depth as well as mathematical rigor; hence, the cut-offs are usually lower than cut-offs in other subjects.
As an example, cut-off marks for Physics (General category) in IIT JAM 2025 was found to be 14.66 marks. With respect to IIT JAM 2026, scores of 60 and 75 marks in Physics would be seen as a good score, while if you achieved between 85 – 95 marks, then your score would be seen as being in the upper bracket of scores in Physics.
As the exam is hard, candidates who cross 70 or more marks should see themselves in the top 200-300 ranks in general. Check out the marks here:
Good Scores in IIT JAM Physics: 60 – 75 marks
Higher scores in IIT JAM Physics: 90 + marks
Predicted Cut-off marks: 15 to 20 marks (General category)
Highest Score in IIT JAM 2026 (Overall Prediction)
While the difficulty of each subject differs, we expect that the maximum score in IIT JAM 2026 will generally be consistent with the patterns of previous years. Here is the estimated distribution based on results from the previous IIT JAM years:
Subject Expected Highest Score (2026)
Biotechnology: 90 - 95 Marks
Physics: 88 - 94 Marks
Chemistry: 92 - 96 Marks
Mathematics: 95+ Marks
Economics: 85 - 90 Marks
Any candidate above 85 marks in each subject is generally accepted as a top score as it conveys overall accuracy and consistency in all sections.
Scoring Pattern in IIT JAM 2026
The following is noted in their official brochure:
MCQs and MSQs are of 1 mark or 2 marks each with NAT questions being numerical answers.
Negative marking will apply to MCQs only:
1 mark question → 1/3 mark deduction for wrong answer
2 marks question → 2/3 mark deduction for wrong answer
The score obtained in IIT JAM is the performance that determines the All India Rank (AIR). The AIR will then determine your admission into a variety of participating institutes.
How to Achieve a Good Score in IIT JAM 2026
Here are a few important strategies for all aspirants to reach a good score in IIT JAM:
Research the Official Syllabus: Use the JAM 2026 Brochure
to take note of major topics and weightage.
Solve Previous Year Papers: Looking at 2023 - 2025 papers would often give you an idea of the concepts discussed in those papers.
Take Mock Tests: Sit in exam conditions and lay down times for each paper section.
Don't Guess: Be careful of negative marking.
Revise Regularly: Assess that there is revision of concepts, formulas, and derivations.
Read More:
JAM Application Form 2026 (Extended): Check Registration Fees & Documents Required
IIT JAM Preparation 2026: Tips, Strategy & Guide
IIT JAM Syllabus 2026: Subject-wise Syllabus PDF & Topics
There will be a total of 60 questions carrying a total of 100 marks. The entire paper will be divided into three sections, A, B and C. All sections are compulsory. Questions in each section will be of different types as given below:
Section - C contains a total of 20 Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions involving 10 questions of one mark each and 10 questions of two marks each. For NAT questions, the answer is a signed real number, which needs to be entered using the virtual numeric keypad displayed on the monitor. No choices will be shown for NAT questions. There is no negative marking for NAT.