Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore is the best science institute in India and one of the most prestigious institutes in the world. It is reputed for producing high-quality research papers and excellent scientists every year. IISc is known for its rigorous academic programs and world-class faculty members who are experts in their respective fields. The institute offers comprehensive undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in various disciplines, including science, engineering, and interdisciplinary research, fostering a culture of academic excellence and innovation. It is the only Indian institute with a QS World ranking below 200 other than IIT-Bombay. The so-called creamy layer of students in India takes admission in various science and engineering courses through JEE-Advanced, KVPY (removed recently) and the newly added IAT (IISER Aptitude Test). However, there is great confusion among students regarding admission through the IAT. This blog will help you clear your doubts regarding the admission process through IAT.
In this blog, we will discuss:
- Entrance exams for IISc
- IAT
- Why should you focus on IAT?
Entrance Exams for IISc:
There were many channels through which students could take admission earlier. For undergraduate courses, KVPY and JEE-Mains/Advanced were significant channels. While JAM and GATE were major channels for post-graduate courses. But there has been a revision of the admission process recently, and now the entrance channels for undergraduate courses are as follows:
- JEE Main
- JEE Advanced
- NEET UG
- IISER Aptitude Test (IAT)
There are various eligibility criteria, too. Some of them are mentioned below:
- The candidate must have completed class XII with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
- The candidate must have a minimum overall aggregate of 60 per cent in class XII.
The cutoff for each channel varies significantly. For the IAT channel, it is 17 (CRL) for the general category, while for JEE Main and NEET, it is CRL 360. You must get at least 200 marks to get into IISc through IAT.
IAT:
IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) is an entrance exam for IISERs, which is also now used by IISc for admission processes. The difficulty level of IAT is greater than JEE-Main and far below JEE Advanced. The exam tests knowledge and critical thinking in all four subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. There is equal weight to all four portions, and the exam duration is 180 minutes. It is not compulsory to attend all four sections, but it is advised not to leave any. If you want to know more about IAT, check out this blog.
Why Should You Focus on IAT?
Among all other options, IAT is regarded as the simplest. The qualifying conditions for IAT are not very stringent, and students from PCM or PCB may take the test. The difficulty level is also lower than JEE Advanced, and fewer candidates sit for the exam. Hence making it easier than JEE-Main and Advanced. It is challenging to get through JEE mode because of very high cutoff marks (top 200 rankers in JEE get into IISc) while getting a perfect rank comparable to JEE is relatively easy in IAT.
Because of the abolition of the KVPY channel, the number of seats available via IAT will likely grow in 2024. This may slightly raise the exam’s difficulty level, but this will still be the simplest route to get into IISc. Another essential aspect of IAT is that it doesn’t contain very technical and specific questions like in JEE Advanced, allowing students to perform better.
Conclusion:
You should not restrict yourself to only one test. Your primary emphasis should be on preparation and learning since it will be the most important in the end. Preparing for other examinations will not harm you but will improve your comprehension and problem-solving abilities, which will help you advance in your job. Furthermore, a high score guarantees admission to one of the top IISERs, such as IISER-Kolkata or IISER Pune.
Check out this blog if you want to learn how to become a scientist.
About us:
SciAstra is a team of scientists and research scholars from the top research institutes around the world like Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, and so on. Our vision is to promote critical thinking and scientific temperament by helping students pursue careers in science.
We offer many free and paid courses where our mentors from the top research institutes like IISER, NISER, IACS, CMI, ISI, IISC Bangalore, etc teach students in live classes, with study materials, mock tests, books, and everything needed. We have taught more than 10,000 students already since 2021 and achieved over 1000 selections with AIR 1, 7,10, 12, and 13 in IISc Bengaluru, IISERs, NISER, IACS, and so on. If you are looking to prepare for IAT / NEST 2024, you can check out our courses and get access to live classes, recorded lectures, study material, mock tests, doubt-clearing classes, and much more!
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