6 Major Difference Between IIT JAM and GATE Exam - Must Know

Are you a science student? If yes, then You must have heard about JAM and GATE Exam. Both exams are conducted for post-graduation courses to get the admission in IITs, NITs, IISc.

Now you must be thinking if both exams are conducted for the post-graduation courses then what is a difference between IIT JAM and GATE?

So here, we are sharing the differences between IIT JAM and GATE Exam to clear your confusion to select the best suitable exam for you.

IIT JAM (Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Admission Test) is a common entrance test to get the admission in Master’s in Science such as MSc, Integrated PhD, Joint MSc-PhD, MSc-PhD Dual Degree courses while the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test) is a national level exam for the admission in Master’s in Technology such as ME, MTech, PhD courses.

Here, we are sharing the differences between IIT JAM vs GATE Exam in terms of Subjects, Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus etc.

 

 

Get Free IIT JAM Sample Theory, Syllabus PDFs, previous years' question papers with solution - Download Here.

 

 

Total Number of Subjects in IIT JAM or GATE Exam

 

IIT JAM Exam is conducted for 7 subjects while GATE Exam is conducted for 25 Subjects. A candidate can select any one course in GATE or two course IIT JAM Exam after satisfying the eligibility criteria. Below, you can check the list of total subjects for JAM and GATE Exam.

 

 

IIT JAM Subjects (Code)

 

Physics (PH)

Chemistry (CY)

Mathematics (MA)

Geology (GG)

Mathematical Statistics (MS)

Biotechnology (BT)

Economics (EN)

 

 

GATE Exam Subjects (Code)

 

Aerospace Engineering (AE)

Agricultural Engineering (AG)

Architecture and Planning (AR)

Bio-medical Engineering (BM)

Biotechnology (BT)

Civil Engineering (CE)

Chemical Engineering (CH)

Computer Science and Information Technology (CS)

Chemistry (CY)

Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC)

Electrical Engineering (EE)

Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Geology and Geophysics (GG)

Instrumentation Engineering (IN)

Mathematics (MA)

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Mining Engineering (MN)

Metallurgical Engineering (MT)

Petroleum Engineering (PE)

Physics (PH)

Production and Industrial Engineering (PI)

Textile Engineering and Fiber Science (TF)

Engineering Sciences (XE*)

Life Sciences (XL**)

Statistics (ST)

 

Download IIT JAM Previous Years' Question Papers Free PDF

 

 

Eligibility Criteria for IIT JAM and GATE Exam

 

It is the essential requirement to apply for IIT JAM or GATE Exam. Candidates must be satisfying the minimum education qualification and age limit to apply for the exam otherwise they would not be able to appear in the exam. Below, you can check the complete eligibility criteria for both the exams.

 

 

IIT JAM Eligibility Criteria

 

Candidates who want to appear in the IIT JAM Exam must have 3 years bachelor’s degree in science (Physics/ Chemistry/ Biology/ Mathematics) from a recognized University with a minimum percentile criteria.

Candidates who have appeared or due to appear in the final year examination of their bachelor’s degree can also apply for IIT JAM.

There are 55% marks are needed of General/ OBC and 50% marks are required for SC/ ST/ PwD Category candidates for JAM. But It depends on the IITs in which you want to get the admission after qualifying JAM. So, check the IIT JAM Eligibility Criteria for all the participating organizations here.

There is no age criteria for JAM Aspirants.

 

 

GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria

 

If you have a 4 years B.E./ B.Tech/ Science degree (after 10+2 or 3-years Diploma in Engineering/ Technology) can apply for the exam.

Candidates who have completed 5 years degree program in B.Arch. can also apply for GATE Exam.

The organizing IIT also allow other degree such as Integrated Degree in B.S./ M.S./ MSc or MSC/ M.Tech for appearing in the GATE Exam.

Candidates who have appeared or due to appear in the final year examination of their bachelor’s degree are eligible for the GATE Exam.

Check the complete GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria here.

 

 

Exam Pattern for IIT JAM and GATE Exam

 

The Paper pattern for IIT JAM and GATE Exam is different. Both exams have different sections with different marking schemes. Check the complete exam pattern for both exams from the given table below: -

 

 

IIT JAM Exam Pattern

 

 

Also, Check - IIT JAM Marking Scheme

 

 

GATE Exam Pattern

 

 

Check the complete GATE Exam Pattern here.

 

 

Get IIT JAM Last 5 years' question papers with solution - Download Here.

 

 

Syllabus for IIT JAM Exam and GATE Exam

 

As mentioned above, the IIT JAM Exam is conducted for seven subjects while GATE Exam is conducted for 25 subjects. All the subjects are different from each other. So, we can say that the syllabus of the subjects will be different. Below, we have provided the link to download the syllabus PDF for both exams.

IIT JAM Syllabus for All 7 Subjects

GATE Exam Syllabus for All 25 Subjects

 

 

Validity of Score Card for IIT JAM and GATE Exam

 

The validity of IIT JAM Score Card is 1 year while for GATE Exam the Score Card is valid for 3 years from the date of announcement of the result.

It means candidates who have qualified for the IIT JAM Exam can apply for the admission in IITs and other institutes in the same year while in GATE Exam, a candidate can apply for admission till after 3 years from the date of announcement of the result.

 

 

Test Schedule for IIT JAM and GATE Exam

 

IIT JAM Exam is conducted in two sessions while the GATE Exam is conducted for eight sessions. You can check the exam schedule for exams in the given table below.

Note – Candidates can appear in 2 papers together for JAM while for GATE you can apply only 1 paper at a time.

 

 

Download IIT JAM Model Test Papers Free PDF

 

 

IIT JAM Test Schedule

 

 

 

GATE Exam Schedule

 

 

 

Similarities Between IIT JAM and GATE Exam

 

We have defined the major differences between IIT JAM and GATE Exam. But, some similarities are also there for both the exams. You can check the points below:

Both Exams (IIT JAM or GATE) have the same career opportunities.

Research or Scientist Job

Officer Jobs

Government Sector

Assistant Professor

Defence Job

Teaching Field

The time duration for both exams is same i.e. 3 hours.

Both exams are conducted online.

The exam fees for both exams are same but it may be varied if you apply for 2 subjects in IIT JAM.

 

 

 

Get IIT JAM Syllabus PDFs for All Subjects and boost your exam preparation - Download Here.

 

 

In this blog, we have tried to cover all the differences between the IIT JAM and GATE Exam. This will help you to clear out your confusion between both the exams.

However, if you have any doubts regarding IIT JAM or GATE Exam, you can ask your queries through the comment box. We will definitely solve your queries as soon as possible.

If you find the above information is useful, then share it with JAM and GATE Aspirants.

All the Best.