IIT JAM is the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. Held each year by the Indian Institutes of Technology, the JAM exam holds an important place in the career of all Master of Science aspirants. To get a seat in one of the reputed IITs, one has to clear the IIT JAM exam and get a high enough rank. Thus, preparation of IIT JAM exam is of paramount importance.
This article is useful for anyone who will appear for JAM 2018, or JAM 2019. There are many students who start to prepare specifically for JAM exam in their final year of graduation. However, there are students who start early on in their first year only. There is no such ideal time to start preparing. One should start preparing for IIT JAM as soon as the decision is taken to pursue further studies in MSc.
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In order to have a wholesome preparation strategy for Joint Admission Test for M.Sc, you should know the following key aspects:-
- What is the exam pattern of JAM exam?
- What is the syllabus of IIT JAM?
- What are the best books to prepare for IIT JAM Maths / Physics / Chemistry / Biological Sciences / Biotechnology / Geology / Mathematical Statistics?
- How to prepare for IIT JAM exam?
Here, we will deal with them in the same order.
JAM Exam pattern
Knowing the exam pattern of IIT JAM exam enables candidates to prepare keeping the pattern in mind. You can have solving questions of this nature in your JAM exam preparation strategy. The papers for all subjects (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Geology, Mathematical Statistics) will be objective type. There will be questions of multiple choice type, multiple select type, and numerical answer type.
This is the precise exam pattern of IIT JAM exam.
| Section | Type of questions | Number of questions | Marks per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | Multiple Choice Questions with single answer correct | 10 | 1 |
| 20 | 2 | ||
| Section B | Multiple Select Questions with one or more options correct | 10 | 2 |
| Section C | Numerical Answer Type | 10 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
Regarding negative marking:- In Section A, for every wrong / incorrect answer, there is negative marking. To be precise, for one-mark questions the negative marks is 1/3. Likewise for the two-mark questions, the negative marks is 2/3.
A note on Multiple Select Questions:- There is no provision for partial marking. That is to say, if there are three correct answers and you select only one, you will not get any marks.
IIT JAM Syllabus
The syllabus for Joint Admission Test for M.Sc is different for each subject paper. You can print it out and pin it up on your study table so that you can handily refer to it at all times.
To know the syllabus, download information brochure of IIT JAM exam (click here for IIT JAM 2018 syllabus).
Go to relevant paper’s syllabus (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Geology, Mathematical Statistics) and refer to the syllabus of subject paper appearing for.
Books for JAM Exam Preparation
Now that you are familiar with exam pattern, and syllabus of IIT JAM, move on to deciding books. The foundation for exam preparation is laid down by selecting ideal books for preparation. List of books that education experts recommend for JAM preparation depends upon the paper. Hence, a comprehensive list of books is given for each subject.
- IIT JAM Maths Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Physics Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Chemistry Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Biological Sciences Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Biotechnology Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Geology Preparation Books
- IIT JAM Mathematical Statistics Preparation Books
Tips to prepare for IIT JAM exam
The strategy to score high in Joint Admission Test for M.Sc has changed over the years. Since there are no subjective questions in the entrance exam, one has to be really good at answering objective questions. Also to be considered is negative marking. Starting from knowing the syllabus to last minute revision, your exam preparation strategy will play an important role in exam performance. You can keep in mind the following key tips for JAM preparation.
The first thing for JAM exam preparation is to have a good understanding of theory. From either your class notes (graduation) or books, understand theoretical concepts well. Do not spend too much time deriving equations; nevertheless, their understanding would help in remembering formulae better.
Have one or two books only for every JAM exam subject. There are ample number of books by various authors for each topic. You will feel the urge to collect lots of books, but don’t do that. Instead focus on grasping knowledge from specific books only.
Speed and accuracy will lead to high score in JAM. Solve as many questions as you can of multiple choice, multiple select, and numerical answer type. You will understand different approaches to solving problems and thus answer questions correctly.
Solve previous year JAM question papers, and sample papers, and take mock tests. It is highly important to realize that solving paper in a simulated exam environment helps a lot. Take such tests in same time duration as exam. After solving papers, check answers and work on areas accordingly.
If you want to discuss anything for JAM exam preparation, please visit discussion forum.
