IISER Aptitude Test

Overview

The IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) is a computer-based entrance examination in India conducted for admission to undergraduate programmes offered by the seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs). The test additionally serves as a route to undergraduate programmes at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) Shibpur and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

The IAT is regarded as one of the more competitive entrance examinations in the country, with an acceptance rate of roughly 1–1.5%, comparable in selectivity to JEE (Advanced). Approximately 2,300 seats are available across the IISERs through this route. The examination acts as a gateway to institutions known for their emphasis on fundamental science, rigorous coursework and a research-driven environment.

Key details

Role in admissions

The IAT is the sole route of admission to several undergraduate programmes, including:

• The 5-year BS–MS Dual Degree programmes offered by the IISERs.
• The 5-year BS–MS in Computational and Data Sciences at IISER Kolkata, introduced from 2025.
• The 4-year B.Tech programmes at IISER Bhopal in Chemical Engineering, Data Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
• The 4-year BS programme in Economic Sciences at IISER Bhopal.
• The 4-year BS programme in Economic and Statistical Sciences at IISER Tirupati.
• Majors in Geology and in Environmental Sciences within the regular 5-year BS–MS at IISER Mohali, to be introduced from 2026.
• The 4-year BS programmes in Chemistry, Medical Sciences and Engineering at IIT Madras.
• The 5-year BS–MS programme at IACS Kolkata, from 2026.
• The 4-year BS programme in Biomedical Science and Engineering at IIT Guwahati.
• The 5-year BS–MS programmes in Physics, Chemistry and Applied Geology at IIEST Shibpur, from 2026.

The IAT is also one of the channels for admission to the 4-year BS (Research) programme at IISc Bangalore. Counselling and seat allocation across the IISERs are handled centrally through the IISER Joint Admissions Committee (IISER-JAC).

Academics and institution

The institutions accepting IAT scores are oriented towards fundamental science and interdisciplinary research. The IISERs were established to integrate teaching with research at the undergraduate level through the BS–MS dual-degree model, while institutions such as IISc, IACS Kolkata, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIEST Shibpur participate by offering specialised undergraduate science and engineering programmes through this examination.

References

1. "IISER Aptitude Test", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IISER_Aptitude_Test.