What is IIT JAM and All About IIT JAM EXAM
IIT JAM 2023 Exam, Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, Preparation Tips
Joint Admission test for Masters (JAM) is a common admission test which is conducted every year for admission into Master of Science (M.Sc.) and other post-graduate science programs at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and National Institutes of Technology(NITs), organized alternatively by these institutes every year. JAM has been conducting since year 2004.
As per 2021, the eligibility criteria for IIT JAM is to have a bachelor’s degree with an average mark of 55% in the general category, and 50% for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Persons with Disabilities. They are open to foreign nationals
IIT JAM exam is computer-based. The exam is for three hours and is conducted only in the English language.
It includes 60 questions: 30 multiple choice questions (MCQ), 10 multiple select questions (MSQ), and 20 numerical answer type (NAT) questions. Total marks are 100, 50 for MCQ, 20 for MSQ, and 30 for NAT. Negative marks are only given for mistakes in the MCQ part.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration of the Test | 3 hours |
| Number of questions in total | 60 |
| Number of Section | 3 (Sec A, B, and C) |
| Question Type | MCQ, MSQ, and NAT |
| Overall Marks | 100 |
Section Wise Marks
| Section | Total number of Questions | Number of Marks per Question | Total Marks | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1/3 |
| 20 | 2 | 40 | 2/3 | |
| Section B | 10 | 2 | 20 | No Negative Marking |
| Section C | 10 | 1 | 10 | No Negative Marking |
| 10 | 2 | 20 | No Negative Marking |
The IIT JAM Exam paper is divided into three sections. The marking scheme for the different sections are given below:
| Sections | Type of Questions | Negative Marking |
| Section A | 10 MCQs – 1 Mark for Each | 1/3 |
| 20 MCQs – 2 Marks for Each | 2/3 | |
| Section B | 10 MCQs – 2 Marks for Each | No Negative Marking |
| Section C | 20 NATs – 2 Marks for Each | No Negative Marking |
| 60 questions for 100 marks |
IIT JAM Syllabus covers various topics with subtopics for the entrance examination. Section-wise details for the subject of Geology in the IIT JAM syllabus are mentioned below in a table.
| Topic | Subtopic | |
|---|---|---|
| The Planet Earth | All the topics included in this section are Origin of the Solar System and the Earth; Geosphere and Earth’s composition; Shape and size of the earth; Earth-moon system. Apart from that Formation of continents and oceans; Dating rocks along with the age of the Earth; details of Volcanism and volcanic landforms; Interior of the earth; Earthquakes; Earth’s magnetism and gravity, Isostasy; Elements of Plate tectonics; Orogenic cycles, etc | |
| Geomorphology | In this section, there are Weathering and erosion; Transportation and deposition because of wind, ice, river, sea, and resulting landforms, Contractually controlled landforms, etc. | |
| Structural Geology | Under this unit, all the areas are Concept of stratum; Contour; Outcrop patterns; details of Maps and cross-sections; Dip and strike. Also, there are Classifications and origins of folds, faults, joints, unconformities, foliations and lineation, shear zones. It also includes Stereographic and equal-area projections of planes and lines; computation of true thickness of beds from outcrops and bore-holes, etc. | |
| Palaeontology | This section covers the most important steps in the evolution of life forms; Fossils and their way of preservation and utility; Morphological characters, major evolutionary trends as well as different ages of animal groups such as Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Trilobita, Graptolitoidea, Anthozoa, Echinodermata, etc. It also covers Gondwana plant fossils along with the primary idea of vertebrate fossils only in India. | |
| Stratigraphy | This topic includes concepts of stratigraphy; classification of Litho-, chrono- and biostratigraphy; distribution and classification of the stratigraphic horizons of India from Archaean to Recent, etc | |
| Mineralogy | Here in this section, all the areas are Symmetry and all kinds of forms in common crystal classes; details of Physical properties of minerals; Isomorphism and polymorphism, Classification of minerals; Structure of silicates. Besides that, Mineralogy of some of the most customary rock-forming minerals; Mode of occurrence of minerals in rocks. Transmitted polarized light microscopy and optical properties of uniaxial and biaxial minerals are also included. | |
| Petrology | From definition to the classification of all the areas are rocks; Igneous rocks-forms of igneous bodies; Crystallization from magma; association and genesis of igneous rocks; Sedimentary rocks –texture, structure, and others; size and shape of sedimentary bodies. Metamorphic rock covering facies, zones, and texture. Characteristic mineral assemblages of pelites in the Barrovian zones and mafic rocks in common facies, etc | |
| Economic Geology | With this section all the areas are Properties of common economic minerals; common or normal processes of mineral deposit’s formation; Physical characters; Mode of development and dispensation of metallic as well as for non-metallic mineral deposits in India; Coal and petroleum occurrences in India. | |
| Applied Geology | Some topics included in this section are details of Ground Water; Principles of Engineering Geology, etc. | |
| Events | Dates |
| Start date of JAM 2023 application form | August 25, 2023 |
| Last date to submit the JAM application form | October 14, 2023 |
| Last date to remit the application form | October 14, 2023 |
| Availability of JAM correction window | October 20 to 25, 2023 |
| JAM Mock Test | November 16, 2023 |
| JAM Admit card release | January 4, 2023 |
| JAM 2021 Entrance Exam | February 13, 2023 |
| Release of the JAM response sheet | To be notified |
| Release of the JAM provisional answer key | To be notified |
| Release of the final answer key | To be notified |
| JAM 2021 result announcement | March 22, 2023 |
| Release of the JAM 2023 scorecard | To be notified |
| Submission of JAM 2023 admission form | April 11 |
| Last date to submit the admission forms | April 25 |
| Last date for receipt of the request for a change in the category in proper format/rectification of defective documents | To be notified |
| First admission list of IIT JAM | June 1 |
| Second admission list of IIT JAM | June 16 |
| Third JAM admission list | June 25 |
| Final JAM admission list | July 5 |
| Conclusion of the admission | July 11 |
IIT JAM Geology 2022 Preparation Plan in Steps
To begin the IIT JAM 2023 preparation process, candidates should review the procedures below.
Step 1: Thoroughly familiarise yourself with the IIT JAM syllabus.
Step 2: Learn about the IIT JAM exam format and scoring system.
Step 3: Obtain the best books and other study materials for the IIT JAM.
Step 4: Create a monthly schedule, a weekly schedule, and a daily schedule.
Step 5: Solve question papers, sample papers, and mock tests from previous years.