

The IAT eligibility criteria 2026 will be prescribed by the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (conducting authority). Candidates should have qualified 12th Standard or equivalent in the Science stream with the required passing marks to fulfill the eligibility criteria for this examination. Additionally, both Indian and Foreign students can apply for IAT.
Candidates can go through this article to obtain necessary information regarding the IAT exam eligibility criteria 2026 and its related aspects like academic qualification, age limit, Nationality, and so on.
The IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) is a National level examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Students need to pass the entrance test to get admission into the BS + MS dual degree, BS, and B.Tech program offered by the IISERs.
Candidates need to satisfy the requisite eligibility criteria to enroll for IAT 2026:
Academic Qualification
Aspiring students should have passed the 10+2 exam or equivalent with at least 3 subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Biology in 2024 / 2025 / 2026 from a recognised board by the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE) in India.
Qualifying Marks
As per the IAT exam eligibility criteria, students need to obtain a minimum aggregate of 60% marks (55% for SC / ST / PwD candidates) in Class 12th or equivalent.
Age Limit
The conducting body has not specified a lower or upper age limit.
Nationality
As per the IAT eligibility criteria 2026, Indian Nationals and OCI / PIO / Foreign Nationals can apply for this exam.
Special Notes to Consider
Following are some key points related to the eligibility requirements which students should know:
*Applicants who satisfy the above mentioned eligibility standards can proceed with IAT Registration 2026.
Below-given are the performance criteria that the applicants ought to satisfy in order to apply for the IAT Exam :
In accordance with the IAT eligibility criteria 2026, the authorities have reserved the seats for the students on the basis of categories for the students seeking admission in the UG courses of IISER and other participating institutions via entrance exam:
|
Category |
Reserved Seats |
|
Scheduled Caste (SC) |
15% |
|
Scheduled Tribe (ST) |
7.5 % |
|
Other Backward Classes (Non Creamy Layer) |
27% |
|
PwD (with minimum 40% impairment) |
5% (horizontal within the same category) |
|
Kashmiri Migrants / Kashmiri Pandit / Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) |
3 seats per IISER (Supernumerary) |
|
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) |
Up to 10% (As per Government of India norms) |
*Students can consider checking IAT Syllabus 2026 & IAT Exam Pattern 2026 to structure their preparation for the exam.
Based on the IAT eligibility criteria 2026, students should have qualified 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology (any 3) subjects or any other equivalent exam.
Yes, the minimum passing marks prescribed to be eligible for the exam is 60% aggregate marks in the qualifying exam (55% for the reserved categories).
There is no minimum or maximum age limit specified by the conducting authority for the students on the basis of the IISER Aptitude Test eligibility criteria.
Yes, there are 15% and 7.5% of the total seats reserved for SC & ST applicants, respectively as per the reservation criteria.
Yes, Foreign Nationals and OCI / PIO candidates can apply for the test in accordance with the IAT eligibility criteria 2026.
