IIT JAM CY exam-day guide
IIT JAM CY · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Printed admit card (two copies)
Download from the official JAM portal and print on A4. Verify your name, photograph, paper code CY, centre address and session. Do not write on it except where instructed. Status - needs_review: confirm whether a pasted photograph is required for your cycle.
Original photo ID
Carry an original, valid photo ID whose name matches the admit card. Commonly accepted forms include Aadhaar, passport, PAN and driving licence. Status - needs_review: confirm the exact accepted-ID list and whether a photocopy must also be submitted with the conducting institute.
Passport-size photographs
Keep two recent passport photos in case the centre requires one for verification or the admit card needs a pasted copy. Status - needs_review: confirm the current JAM instruction on pasting a photograph.
Simple non-programmable calculator
Status - needs_review: physical calculators have not always been permitted at JAM centres; check the current information brochure and admit card. If allowed, use only a basic non-programmable model; otherwise practise with the on-screen calculator.
Transparent water bottle
Carry a clear, label-free bottle if the venue permits. Status - needs_review: confirm centre-specific rules; some centres provide water and restrict bottles inside the hall.
Pen for signature
Carry a blue or black ballpoint for signing the attendance sheet and any verification form. Do not bring loose paper, notes or formula sheets into the hall.
Reporting time and route
Note the reporting time and gate-closing time from the admit card. Reach the centre early and identify the exact block and gate. Keep a backup travel plan for traffic or weather.
No prohibited electronics
Leave phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earbuds, fitness bands and any smart device outside or in the designated storage area. Possession inside the hall can trigger disqualification.
Glasses, medication, inhaler
Carry essential medication or glasses in a small transparent pouch. Status - needs_review: inform the centre in advance if you need a medical item or special assistance; confirm the procedure with the provider.
Marking scheme on one page
Revise the negative-marking pattern for Section A and the no-negative rule for Sections B and C. Status - needs_review: verify the current scheme in the JAM brochure before relying on it.
Chemistry quick-review sheet
Use a one-page sheet of constants, periodic trends, named reactions and spectroscopy ranges only before entry. It cannot be carried inside; leave it with your bag.
Light meal and sleep plan
Eat a light, familiar breakfast and avoid heavy caffeine. Plan seven to eight hours of sleep two nights before so the final night is not a crisis.
Plan the day
Take one full-length CY mock at the same time of day as your session, using the three-hour limit. Spend the next block reviewing errors by topic, not by question number. Download and print the admit card; check centre location and travel time; pack documents in one transparent folder.
Revise high-yield physical chemistry: thermodynamics, kinetics, electrochemistry, quantum numbers and spectroscopy selection rules. Write constants and units from memory. Do not start a new textbook chapter.
Do a light pass over organic reagents, inorganic periodic trends and analytical techniques. Confirm ID, admit card and centre route. Avoid social media discussion of predicted questions. Sleep early.
Eat a light breakfast; carry the document folder; reach the centre before the reporting time. Use the waiting time for calm recall, not new topics. Follow frisking and biometric verification; use the restroom before entering.
Read the on-screen instructions; check the timer; note the rough-sheet policy. Write down constants or formula fragments you fear forgetting, then begin Section A.
Aim for Section A in about 70–75 minutes, Section B in 30–35, Section C in 50–55, leaving 10–15 minutes to review flagged items. Do not let one 2-mark MCQ consume five minutes.
In Section A, skip questions where two options look equally plausible and return later. In MSQ, select every correct option; no partial credit is given in JAM. In NAT, enter the exact value; with no negative marking, leave no blank.
Check that every attempted answer is saved; confirm NAT values and decimal places; submit before the timer ends. Do not close the browser or tamper with the system.
Rules to check
Carry the printed admit card and original photo ID. Entry can be refused if either is missing; a photocopy or phone image is not a substitute unless the conducting institute explicitly says so.
Report by the reporting time printed on the admit card. Late entry after gate closure is normally not allowed; confirm the exact gate-closing rule for your centre with the provider.
Do not carry phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, notes or loose paper into the hall. Use the designated storage if provided; possession of a prohibited device can lead to disqualification.
There is no scheduled break. Raise your hand for a restroom or medical emergency; you may be escorted and re-verified. Confirm the centre's restroom and re-entry policy with the invigilator.
Use only the rough sheets provided. Do not remove them from the hall; hand them in if instructed. Rough work on the admit card or ID is not allowed.
Section A carries negative marking; Sections B and C do not, under the pattern in recent years. Status - needs_review: verify the current marking scheme and any partial-marking rule for MSQ in the official JAM brochure.
Any communication with another candidate, looking at another screen, or attempting to tamper with the computer is unfair means and can lead to debarment. Follow invigilator instructions immediately.
If the computer freezes, the mouse fails or the timer behaves oddly, raise your hand at once; do not reboot or press keys repeatedly. Time lost may be compensated only if the invigilator records it.