How tough is the IISER exam?

IISER exam is considered of moderate difficulty level. Majority of students finds Physics, and Mathematics challenging. PCM students may find biology tough while PCB students might find Mathematics tough. However, the difficulty level of IISER compared to JEE Main and Advanced is moderate to easy.

In what mode will IISER 2026 aptitude test be conducted?

IISER is a compulsory entrance test to get into the IISER Pune. IISER 2026 entrance exam will be conducted in computer-based test mode. The duration of the entrance exam is three hours, from 9 AM to 12 noon.

What are the steps to download IISER answer key?

Candidates will be able to download the answer key PDF of the IISER entrance exam from the exam website. Authorities releases the provisional answer keys and response sheets first, based on which candidates can check the correct answers and calculate probable scores secured in IISER Aptitude test. To download the IISER answer key, candidates can follow the process given below. Go to IISER website - https://iiseradmission.in/ Click on ‘IISER answer key” link. Enter application number and password. Answer key of IISER was displayed on screen. Take a print out of answer key and save it for future reference

Can I get IISER with 50 marks in IAT?

It is quite difficult for the GEN / OBC category to get admission to IISER with 50 marks. Even the reserved category students have less chance in the later counelling round for admission. To secure admission, students must score above 150 marks.

Which was the toughest section in IISER Entrance Exam 2025?

As per the IISER Entrance Exam 2025 analysis, Physics was the toughest section. The overall difficulty level was medium to high. The topics covered were Electricity and Magnetism, Mechanics, Optics and Modern Physics. The questions were from Classes 11 and 12.

What is the difficulty level of IISER entrance test?

IISER entrance examination is considered to be one of the finest and the toughest exams under Science stream undergraduate entrance examination as it provides the BSMS dual degree in the most reputed and research-oriented institutions across the country which is IISERs. On a comparison note, candidates will find the examination tougher than JEE Main exam, but below JEE Advanced. Unlike JEE or NEET the IISER aptitude test asks questions from both mathematics and Biology. Subjects which are found tougher in IISER entrance examination- Organic Chemistry can easily create hassle while giving the entrance examination as there are a lot of naming reactions, its electrophilic and nucleophilic attacks which are commonly asked in the examination. For the bio-background people, the Math section is not usually unscalable. With a decent understanding of regular 11th and 12th-grade concepts, you should be able to crack a few questions without much trouble. Of course, the caveat being that you rock it in the bio section and make up for it. So ensure that you don't falter at this juncture.

What is a good score for the IISER?

220+ marks are a good score in IISER. Students must have a proper strategy to score high. They can plan their preparation according to the IISER exam syllabus. Practising previous year question paper and mock test will help in scoring good marks.

What language will the IISER Entrance Exam be conducted in?

The question paper will be in English and Hindi languages. The candidates must read all the given instructions provided in the question papers at the time of examination.

What will be the section wise marking scheme of IISER Entrance Exam 2026?

The IISER Entrance Exam Marking Scheme is given below. Section Marks Physics 60 Mathematics 60 Chemistry 60 Biology 60 Each section carries 15 marks.

Where to find IISER entrance exam syllabus?

IISER entrance examination provides 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. Since it is an undergraduate degree, the syllabus for the examination is confined to class 11 and 12 subjects which are Physics Chemistry Biology and mathematics. Candidates can find the complete syllabus in the information brochure of the IISER on the official website. For detailed syllabus, candidates can view the below Shiksha link- https://www.shiksha.com/science/iiser-entrance-exam-syllabus.

What courses are offered at IISERs?

IISERs offer admission into courses leading to BSMS Dual Degree and BS Degree (only at IISER Bhopal) Programs. Below are the programmes offered by IISERs: Biological Sciences Chemical Sciences Earth & Climate Sciences/Earth & Environmental Sciences Economic Sciences Engineering Sciences (Chemical Engineering, Data Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science) Geological Sciences Integrated & Interdisciplinary Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences) Mathematical Sciences Physical Sciences.

Is the IAT exam easy or difficult?

Based on previous year analysis, IAT exam is moderately difficult. It requires strong conceptual knowledge. Students who have prepared properly for exam can easily score good marks.

Is it easy to score 200 in IAT?

IISER score 200 or above is a good marks. It can help to get admission to IISER Pune and IISc Bangalore. Candidates must have a good conceptual knowledge, give priority to all four subjects. Prepare for the exam according to the exam syllabus and take mock test to score above 200.

Is IISER entrance examination tougher than JEE Advanced?

IISER Aptitude Test difficulty level is comparatively easier than JEE Main exam difficulty level. There are four sections in the exam, and all have equal weightage. Mentioned below are the details for the same: Biology: This section might sound a tough nut to crack for the PCM students, but a reasonable understanding of class 11 and 12 NCERT concepts can help you sail through this section. If you are not familiar with Biology try to ace the Maths section. As the number of test-takers has grown over the years, this section has also seen a surged difficulty level. Maths: For the Biology students, it might be hard to crack. You need to focus on 11th and 12th class concepts. You can search for the doable questions and solve them. The level is usually at par or even above JEE Mains. The Biology students can cover the scores in their specialised section. Physics and Chemistry: This section is usually easier than the above two sections. The scores obtained here can make-or-break your chances for counselling. The questions in these two sections cover the fundamental and essential concepts. It is better to score well in these two sections. The sections are not really tough. They are far away from the difficulty level of JEE Advance. Overall, the exam is far from easier than JEE Advanced exam. The Biology students have the advantage to finish their section quicker. Make sure your fundamentals are clear and your reasoning ability is good. This should be enough to secure a good score.

What are the types of questions asked in the IISER Entrance Exam?

The IISER Entrance Exam questions are objective type. These are multiple-choice questions with four options. The mode of the exam is computer-based. Test-takers have to select one option. Marks per question is four. One mark will be removed for wrong answers.

How many sections are asked in the IISER Entrance Exam?

The IISER Entrance Exam 2026 pattern is expected to remains same as last year. IAT consists of 60 questions, 15 questions each from Biology, Chemistry Mathematics, and Physics. There will be four answer options. Total time for answering the test is 180 minutes. Questions are multiple choice type with only one correct answer. The mode of the exam is computer-based.

IISER Exam Analysis 2026: Check IAT Paper Review & Student Reaction

454 Students Q&A

Admit Card - 24 May '26 - 7 Jun '26

Updated on Mar 17, 2026 13:19 IST

By Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

IISER 2026 analysis will be available after the conclusion of exam. The exam analysis for IISER 2026 will be based on students' and subject experts' feedback. Candidates can check the IAT paper analysis to know the exam difficulty level, high weightage topics and distribution of marks. The analysis will help to decide the expected cutoff for IISER 2026. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Berhampur will conduct the IISER Aptitude Test on June 7, 2026.

In this article, we have provided the IAT previous year analysis. Candidates can check the analysis for exam difficulty level and know the good attempts section-wise. Also, the IISER exam pattern and marking scheme are available here.

Table of contents

IISER 2026 Exam Highlights
IISER Entrance Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
IISER 2025 Exam Analysis
IISER Entrance Exam Analysis for Previous Years
FAQs Regarding IISER Entrance Exam Analysis

IISER 2026 Exam Highlights

The following table brings the important information and highlights of the IISER Aptitude Test 2025.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	IISER Aptitude Test
Conducting Body	Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
Exam Level	Undergraduate
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Exam Mode	Online/Computer-based Test (CBT)
Total Registrations	Two lakh (approximate number)
Courses Offered through IISER Aptitude Test	BS-MS
Application Fee	Gen/OBC/OBC-NCL/EWS - INR 2,000 SC/ST/KM/PwD - INR 1,000
Exam Duration	3 Hours
Exam Medium	English and Hindi
Total Marks of IISER	240 Marks
Total Questions	60
Marking Scheme	+4 for each correct answer -1 for each wrong answer
Colleges Accepting IISER Aptitude Test Scores	All IISER campuses in India
Official Website	http://www.iiseradmission.in/
Contact Details	Phone: 020 25908222 (2 to 5 PM, Monday to Friday) Email: ask-jac2022@acads.iiserpune.ac.in

IISER Entrance Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

IISER exam pattern 2026 is available online. Candidates can check the exam pattern of IISER 2026 to know the marking scheme, duration of test, mode of exam, types of questions, sections and more. IAT is a computer-based test conducted for three hours. The question paper comprises 60 multiple choice questions. There will be four sections in the question paper. Each question carries 4 marks. Negative marking will be done for wrong answers.

Subject	Total Questions	Marks
Physics	15	60
Chemistry	15	60
Biology	15	60
Mathematics	15	60
Total	60	240

The marking scheme of the IISER Entrance Exam is given in detail.

Each question carries 4 marks
For each wrong answer, 1 mark will be subtracted
No marks will be given or removed for unanswered questions.

IISER 2025 Exam Analysis

Based on the student reactions, the IISER 2025 overall exam difficulty level was moderate. Candidates who are from the PCB stream found Biology very easy and took more time for Mathematics questions. Equal distribution of subjects and topics was found in the exam. Both the practical and theory-based questions were asked by the exam officials. Many of the students found the physics section to be the most difficult section to attend. Questions in physics were mostly application-based, and the electricity topic had the highest weightage of questions. Questions in biology were technical and practical-based; no repeated questions were asked in this section.

Also Read: IISER Entrance Exam 2025 Analysis and Expected Cutoff

IISER 2025 Exam Difficulty Level

Candidates can check out the IISER 2025 exam difficulty level from here:

Subject	Difficulty Level	Good Attempt
Biology	Easy	12-13 Questions
Physics	Moderate to Difficult	8-10 Questions
Chemistry	Moderate	10-12 Questions
Mathematics	Easy to Moderate	10-12 Questions

Check out the overall exam difficulty level of IAT 2025 based on Student Reactions:

Difficulty Level	Percentage
Easy	18 per cent
Moderate	64 per cent
Tough	18 per cent

Check out the number of good attempts for each subject, the time spent on each section and the safe score details from below:

Subject Name	Total Questions	Maximum Scores	Attempt Questions	Time Spent	Safe Score
Mathematics	15 Questions	60	12 Questions	55 minutes	44
Physics	15 Questions	60	12 Questions	50 minutes	47
Chemistry	15 Questions	60	13 Questions	40 minutes	47
Biology	15 Questions	60	13 Questions	25 minutes	50
Buffer			Recheck	10 minutes
Total	60 Questions	240 Marks	48 Questions Correct 4 Questions Wrong	180 minutes	188

Check out the IISER Entrance Exam 2025 Student Reaction Video from here:

IISER Entrance Exam Analysis for Previous Years

Here we bring the year-wise IISER Entrance Exam Analysis.

IISER Entrance Exam 2024 Analysis

Candidates can check the IAT 2024 exam analysis and student reactions from here:

Sakhshi: The exam difficulty level was easier than expected. Questions from the Chemistry subject were the easiest. Biology was of moderate level. Maths and Physics subjects were also of moderate level to solve. Nothing apart from the mentioned syllabus was asked. In physics, topics from current were asked more. From Mathematics topics like continuity, diffrentiability and differential equations had more weightage. The expected cut-off will be around 150+.

Gaurav: Overall exam difficulty level was easy to moderate. Questions from Physics and Mathematics were on the easy side. Inorganic chemistry questions were a bit tricky, and the level was above moderate. Chemistry subjects had questions from coordinate and compound chemistry. Physics and Maths were equally distributed.

Dhruvi: Overall exam difficulty level was moderate. Biology was the easiest. Questions from physics were a bit difficult and tricky to solve. The expected IAT cutoff as compared to previous years will be high because of the easy questions asked in the examination.

Umang: The IAT 2024 exam difficulty level was moderate, and the questions were approach-based.There were no technical glitches in the examination. Questions from all the subjects were on the easy side. Some candidates who had appeared in the JEE exam found the exam difficulty level the same as the JEE exam.

Subject Name	Difficulty Level	Good Attempt
Biology	Easy	12-13 Questions
Physics	Moderate	8-10 Questions
Chemistry	Easy to Moderate	10-12 Questions
Mathematics	Moderate	9-11 Questions

IISER Entrance Exam 2023 Analysis

The IISER Entrance Exam 2023 was conducted on June 17, 2023. The overall difficulty level of IISER Entrance Exam 2023 was found to be moderate. It was also found that many questions were indirectly repeated from the previous year exams on the subjects Biology and Mathematics. In the Physics sections, questions were mostly asked from theory-based type instead of numerical-based questions. The IISER Paper Analysis 2023 is given below for the reference of the candidates.


Particulars	Analysis
Overall Difficulty Level	Moderate
Expected Number of Good Attempts	45-50
Difficulty Level of Biology	Easy to Moderate
Difficulty Level of Physics	Moderate to Difficult
Difficulty Level of Mathematics	Difficult
Difficulty Level of Chemistry	Moderate
Topics with Highest Weightage in Mathematics	Sets, Relations And Functions
Topics with Highest Weightage in Chemistry	Inorganic and Organic Chemistry,
Topics with Highest Weightage in Physics	Gravitation, Electricity, Electrostatistics
Topics with Highest Weightage in Biology	Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Cell Biology

IISER Entrance Exam 2022 Analysis

IISER 2022 Entrance Exam was held on July 3, 2022, and had questions from Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The IISER Paper Analysis 2022 is given below for the reference of the candidates.


Particulars	Analysis
Overall Difficulty Level	Moderate to Difficult
Expected Number of Good Attempts	45-50
Difficulty Level of Biology	Easy to Moderate
Difficulty Level of Physics	Moderate to Difficult
Difficulty Level of Mathematics	Difficult
Difficulty Level of Chemistry	Moderate to Difficult
Topics with Highest Weightage in Mathematics	Functions
Topics with Highest Weightage in Chemistry	Kinetics, Physical and Organic Chemistry,