IISER Eligibility Criteria 2025: Check Nationality, Educational Qualification and Reservation Policy Here

Interested in doing BS-MS dual degree programme at IISERs? Candidates preparing for the IISER Aptitude Test 2025 or IAT 2025 must read out this Shiksha to learn about the IISER eligibility criteria for the courses available by the various IISER participating institutes. 

IISER Eligibility Criteria 2025

IISER is yet to release the IAT 2025 exam notification and schedule on the official website. Based on the previous year's trend it is anticipated that the IAT 2025 exam application process will be started in the first week of April 2025. Candidates who are interested in pursuing their four-year BS degree and five-year BS-MS dual degree programme from IISER institution, IISc Banglore and IIT Madras need to fill out the IISER application form 2025. 

Also Read: Which is the best IISER in India? 

Interested candidates, before filling out the application form, must check the IISER 2025 eligibility criteria in order to not lose their candidature at any stage of the IAT 2025 admission process. The IAT 2025 eligibility criteria stipulate minimum qualifications, typically a bachelor's degree with a specified percentage of marks or equivalent qualifying exams.

IISER Eligibility Criteria 2025 plays a vital role for the candidates who wish to appear for the IAT exam for the academic session 2025-2026. The registration process will be completely online and candidates will be able to fill out the IISER entrance exam application form by visiting the official website.

From last year's academic session, admissions to the BS-MS dual degree programme, and BS degree programmes will be done through the IAT 20224 exam channel only. KVPY and JEE advanced scores are not applicable from now on. It's important to note that while the core CUET PG eligibility criteria set a national benchmark, individual universities can define additional program-specific requirements. These might pertain to work experience, specific test scores, or portfolios. 

IISER Entrance Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria

To meet the eligibility criteria to appear for the IAT exam for BS-MS course admissions, aspirants must satisfy the below-mentioned requirements. 

IAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Nationality

To get eligible for the IISER Entrance Exam Exam, aspirants must abide by the following citizenship rules:

• The candidate must be an Indian citizen.
• The candidate can be a PIO. PIO stands for Person of Indian Origin. A PIO is a foreign citizen who has held an Indian passport or has parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents who were born and permanently resident in India. The Government of India launched the PIO Card Scheme in 1999 to make it easier for people to return to India. 
• The candidate can be an OCI. OCI stands for Overseas Citizenship of India. It's an immigration status that allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely.

NOTE: OCI/PIO card holders can apply for IAT 2025, provided they satisfy other eligibility criteria. They shall be eligible to compete for the unreserved seats.

IAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit And Qualifications

• The candidates must have passed the Class XII or equivalent level examination in 2023 or 2024 or 2025 from any board recognized by the Council of Boards of School Education in India COBSE.

• Candidates must have taken at least three subjects among Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics during their Class XII (or equivalent) examination.

• Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD are required to score a minimum of 55 per cent marks in aggregate or equivalent grade in their Class XII (or equivalent) examination. Candidates belonging to other categories are required to score a minimum of 60 per cent marks in aggregate or equivalent grade in their Class XII (or equivalent) examination.

NOTE: The students from the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), from Kashmir division/Winter Zone areas of Jammu division and the U.T. of Ladakh, who appeared in their Class XII or equivalent level examination in Dec 2021, are also eligible to apply for the IAT 2025, provided they satisfy all the other eligibility criteria.

• During the application process, these students must pick 2022 as their year of passing the class 12 examination.

IAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Performance Criteria in Class XII/equivalent examination

• Candidates whose Class XII (or equivalent) examination results have not yet been declared, can apply for IAT 2025. However, their admission will be subject to fulfilling the minimum eligibility criteria given above.
• For candidates who had appeared in the Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in 2024 and reappeared in any subject (for whatever reason) in 2025, the better of two performances will be considered.
• If a board gives aggregate marks considering both Class XI and Class XII, then only Class XII (or equivalent) examination marks will be considered. If a board gives aggregate marks considering the results of all three years of a 3-year diploma or courses of equivalent duration, then only the marks scored in the final year will be considered. Similarly, the marks scored in the final two semesters will be considered for boards that follow a semester system.

• If a board awards only letter grades without providing an equivalent percentage of marks on the grade-sheet, the candidate should obtain a certificate from the board specifying the equivalent marks and submit it before the deadline of the mark-sheet submission. In case the board does not provide such a certificate, the percentage marks will be assessed as follows:

where PS is the maximum value of the point scale used by the respective board.

IAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Reservation Policy

• Scheduled Caste (SC) - 15per cent of seats
• Scheduled Tribe (ST) - 7.5per cent of seats
• Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) - 27per cent of seats
• Persons with Disability (PwD) with at least 40per cent impairment - 5per cent of seats (supernumerary)
• Kashmiri Migrants - 3 seats per IISER (supernumerary)
• Economically Weaker Section (EWS) - up to 10per cent (as per Government of India rules)
• Note that the EWS/OBC-NCL certificate should be valid for the financial year 2025-25

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IISER Entrance Exam 2025: Services of a Scribe

• As per the office memorandum of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the PwD candidates who are visually impaired OR dyslexic (severe) OR have disability in the upper limbs OR have lost fingers/hands, thereby preventing them from properly operating the computer-based test platform may avail the services of a scribe (amanuensis) for the IISER Aptitude Test.
• As per the office memorandum of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment candidates with less than 40per cent disability and having difficulty in writing may avail the services of a scribe (amanuensis). These candidates must also upload the “Disability and Difficulty in Writing Certificate” (see Downloads section) duly issued by the competent authority.
• Eligible candidates who desire to avail the services of a scribe need to opt for this during the online application process of IAT 2025.
• If it is found at any stage that a candidate has availed the services of a scribe, but is not eligible to do so, the candidate will be excluded from the process of evaluation, ranking, and admission. If such a candidate has already been admitted to any IISER, the candidate's admission will be cancelled. The opinion of the medical board constituted by individual IISER shall be final.

Academic Programmes Offered by IISER 

IISERs offer admission into courses leading to BS-MS Dual Degree, and BS Degree (only at IISER Bhopal) Programs. Admissions are via the IAT Channel only. KVPY and JEE (Advanced) scorecards are no longer valid for admissions. Programmes offered by the participating IISER institutions are mentioned below:

• Biological Sciences
• Chemical Sciences
• Earth & Climate Sciences/Earth & Environmental Sciences
• Economic Sciences
• Engineering Sciences (Chemical Engineering, Data Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science)
• Geological Sciences
• Integrated & Interdisciplinary Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences)
• Mathematical Sciences
• Physical Sciences

Note: The Four-year BS program in Engineering Sciences and Economics Sciences is offered only by IISER Bhopal.

IISER Entrance Exam 2025 Seat Matrix

Candidates can check the IISER 2025 Seat matrix from here:

Read More: List of IISERs in India: Courses, Fee, Admission Process, Placements & Cutoffs