IIT JAM Study Plan 2025 - Subject wise Preparation Strategy

 Study Plan for IIT JAM 2025 Exam (1st Month)

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Evolution: Darwinian view – natural selection, fossil record and descent with modification; Population genetics – sources of genetic variation, gene pools and allele frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equation, genetic drift, gene flow and adaptive evolution.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-2

Biochemistry: Structure and function of biological macromolecules; Allostery; Enzymes – basic mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, enzyme inhibition, vitamins as coenzymes, and regulation; Bioenergetics – free-energy change, high-energy compounds, biological oxidation-reduction reactions and reduction potential; Metabolism – glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, urea cycle, and regulation of glycolysis and TCA cycle.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-3

Basic Biotechnology: Plant tissue culture; Cloning of animals through somatic cell nuclear transfer; Applications of recombinant DNA technology in medicine, agriculture and forensic science.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Molecular Biology: Landmark experiments that established DNA is the genetic material; DNA replication; Proofreading and repair of DNA; DNA recombination; Transcription; RNA processing; Translation; Regulation of gene expression including operons bacteria and differential gene expression in multicellular eukaryotes.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 2nd Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Evolution: Different types of speciation; Phylogenetic classification; Origin of life – abiotic synthesis of biological macromolecules, protocell, dating fossils and origin of multicellularity.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Microbiology: Isolation; Cultivation; Structural features of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa; Pathogenic microorganisms; Nutrition-based classification of microbes; Microbial metabolism; Growth kinetics; Submerged fermentation techniques; Microbial genetics.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-7

Structure and properties of Atoms: Bohr's theory; Periodicity in properties.
Bonding in molecules: Chemical bonding; Complex formation; Physical and chemical basis of molecular interactions.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-8

Chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium: Chemical equilibrium; Chemical thermodynamics (first and second law); and Chemical kinetics (zero and first order reactions).

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM 2024 Study Plan for 1st Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Mathematical Methods - I: Calculus of Single and Multiple Variables, Partial Derivatives, Jacobian, Imperfect and Perfect Differentials, Taylor Expansion, Fourier Series. Vector Algebra, Vector Calculus, Multiple Integrals, Divergence Theorem, Green’s Theorem, Stokes’ Theorem.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-2

Mathematical Methods - II: First Order Equations and Linear Second Order Differential Equations with Constant Coefficients. Matrices and Determinants, Algebra of Complex Numbers.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-3

Mechanics and General Properties of Matter-I: Newton’s Laws of Motion and Applications, Velocity and Acceleration in Cartesian, Polar and Cylindrical Coordinate Systems, Uniformly Rotating Frame, Centrifugal and Coriolis Forces, Motion Under a Central Force, Kepler’s Laws, Gravitational Law and Field, Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Mechanics and General Properties of Matter-II: System of Particles, Center of Mass, Equation of Motion of The Cm, Conservation of Linear and Angular Momentum, Conservation of Energy, Variable Mass Systems. Elastic and Inelastic Collisions. Rigid Body Motion, Fixed Axis Rotations, Rotation and Translation, Moments of Inertia and Products of Inertia, Parallel and Perpendicular Axes Theorem. Principal Moments and Axes. Kinematics of Moving Fluids, Equation of Continuity, Euler’s Equation, Bernoulli’s Theorem.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Preparation Strategy for 2nd Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Oscillations, Waves and Optics-I: Differential Equation for Simple Harmonic Oscillator and Its General Solution. Superposition of Two or More Simple Harmonic Oscillator. Lissajous Figures. Damped and Forced Oscillators, Resonance.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Oscillations, Waves and Optics-II: Wave Equation, Traveling and Standing Waves in One-Dimension. Energy Density and Energy Transmission in Waves. Group Velocity and Phase Velocity. Sound Waves in Media. Doppler Effect. Fermat’s Principle.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-7

Oscillations, Waves and Optics-III: General Theory of Image Formation. Thick Lens, Thin Lens and Lens Combinations. Interference of Light, Optical Path Retardation. Fraunhofer Diffraction. Rayleigh Criterion and Resolving Power. Diffraction Gratings. Polarization: Linear, Circular and Elliptic Polarization. Double Refraction and Optical Rotation.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-8

Electricity and Magnetism-I: Coulomb’s Law, Gauss’s Law. Electric Field and Potential. Electrostatic Boundary Conditions, Solution of Laplace’s Equation for Simple Cases. Conductors, Capacitors, Dielectrics, Dielectric Polarization, Volume and Surface Charges, Electrostatic Energy.

3-4 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 1st Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Inorganic Chemistry - Periodic Table: Periodic classification of elements, Aufbau’s principle, periodicity; Variations of orbital energy, effective nuclear charge, atomic, covalent, and ionic radii, ionization enthalpy, electron gain enthalpy, and electronegativity with atomic number, electronic configuration of diatomic molecules (first and second row elements).

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-2

Inorganic Chemistry - Chemical Bonding and Shapes of Compounds: Ionic bond; Covalent bond, Multiple bonding (?? and ?? bond approach) and bond lengths; van der Waals forces, ion-dipole forces; dipole-dipole interactions, induced dipole interactions, instantaneous dipole-induced dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding; Effect of intermolecular forces on melting and boiling points, solubility energetics of dissolution process; Bond dipole, dipole moment, and molecular polarizabilities; VSEPR theory and shapes of molecules; ionic solids

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-3

Inorganic Chemistry - Main Group Elements (S and P Blocks): Reactions of alkali and alkaline earth metals with oxygen, hydrogen and water; Alkali and alkaline earth metals in liquid ammonia; Gradation in properties of main group element in a group; Inert pair effect; Synthesis, structure and properties of diborane, ammonia, silane, phosphine and hydrogen sulphide.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Inorganic Chemistry - Transition Metals (D Block): Characteristics of 3D Elements, Oxide, Hydroxide and Salts of First Row Metals, Coordination Complexes: Structure, Isomerism, Reaction Mechanism and Electronic Spectra, VB, Mo and Crystal Field Theoretical Approaches for Structure, Color and Magnetic Properties of Metal Complexes, Organometallic compounds with metal-ligand single and multiple bonds (such as metal carbonyls, metal nitrosyls and metallocenes); Homogenous catalysis involving Wilkinson’s catalyst

4-5 Hours Daily

Study Plan for IIT JAM Chemistry 2nd Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Physical Chemistry - Atomic and Molecular Structure: Planck’s black body radiation, Photoelectric effect, Bohr’s theory, de Broglie postulate, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle; Schrödinger’s wave equation (including mathematical treatment), postulates of quantum mechanics, normalized and orthogonal wave functions, its complex conjugate (idea of complex numbers) and significance of ?2 ; Operators; Particle in one-dimension box, radial and angular wave functions for hydrogen atom, radial probability distribution; Finding maxima of distribution functions (idea of maxima and minima), energy spectrum of hydrogen atom; Shapes of s, p, d and f orbitals; Pauli’s Exclusion Principle; Hund’s rule of maximum multiplicity.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Physical Chemistry - Theory of Gases: Kinetic molecular model of a gas: collision frequency; collision diameter; mean free path and viscosity of gases; Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution: molecular velocities, law of equipartition of energy, molecular basis of heat capacities; Ideal gases, and deviations from ideal gas behaviour, van der Waals equation of state; critical state, law of corresponding states.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-7

Physical Chemistry - Solid State: Unit Cells, Miller indices, crystal systems and Bravais Lattices, elementary applications of vectors to crystal systems; X-ray diffraction, Bragg’s Law, Structure of NaCl, CsCl, and KCl, diamond, and graphite; Close packing in metals and metal compounds, semiconductors, insulators; Defects in crystals, lattice energy; isomorphism; heat capacity of solids.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-8

Physical Chemistry - Chemical Thermodynamics: Mathematical treatment: Exact and in-exact differentials, partial derivatives, Euler’s reciprocity, cyclic rule; Reversible and irreversible processes; Laws of thermodynamics, thermochemistry, thermodynamic functions, such as enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy, their properties and applications; Partial molar quantities, dependence of thermodynamic parameters on composition, Gibbs Duhem equation, chemical potential and its applications.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Preparation Strategy for 1st Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Differential Equations-I:  Bernoulli’s Equation, Exact Differential Equations, Integrating Factor

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-2

Differential Equations-II: Orthogonal Trajectories, Homogeneous Differential Equations, Variable Separable Method

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-3

Differential Equations-III: Linear Differential Equations of Second Order with Constant Coefficients, Method of Variation of Parameters, Cauchy-Euler Equation

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Functions of One Real Variable: Limit, Continuity, Intermediate Value Property, Differentiation, Rolle’s Theorem, Mean Value Theorem, L’Hospital Rule, Taylor’s Theorem, Maxima and Minima.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 2nd Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Functions of Two or Three Real Variables: Limit, Continuity, Partial Derivatives, Differentiability, Maxima and Minima

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Sequences and Series of Real Numbers: convergence of sequences, bounded and monotone sequences, Cauchy sequences, Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem, absolute convergence, tests of convergence for series – comparison test, ratio test, root test; Power series (of one real variable), radius and interval of convergence, term-wise differentiation and integration of power series.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-7

Integral Calculus-I: Double and Triple Integrals, Change of Order of Integration

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-8

Integral Calculus-III: Calculating Surface Areas and Volumes Using Double Integrals, Calculating Volumes Using Triple Integrals

4-5 Hours Daily

Study Plan for IIT JAM (1st Month)

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

The Planet Earth: Origin of the Solar System and the Earth, Geosphere and the Composition of the Earth, Shape and Size of the Earth, Earth-Moon System, Dating Rocks and Age of the Earth, Volcanism and Volcanic Landforms, Interior of Earth, Earthquakes, Earth’s Magnetism and Gravity, Isostasy, Elements of Plate Tectonics, Orogenic Cycles.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-2

Geomorphology: Weathering and erosion; Soil formation; Transportation and deposition by wind, ice, river, sea and resulting landforms.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-3

Structural Geology: Orientation of planes and lines in space – concept of dip, strike, rake and plunge. Contour lines; Rule of ‘V’s and outcrop patterns; Interpretation of geological maps and cross-section construction; Classification and origin of folds, faults, joints, unconformities, foliations and lineations; Stereographic and equal-area projections of planes and lines; Numerical problems related to outcrop and bore-hole data.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Paleontology: Major steps in the evolution of life forms; Fossils, their mode of preservation and utility in age determination and paleoenvironmental interpretations; Morphology, major evolutionary trends and ages of important groups of animals – Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Trilobita, Graptolitoidea, Anthozoa, Echinodermata; Gondwana plant fossils; Elementary idea of vertebrate fossils in India.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 2nd Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Stratigraphy: Principles of stratigraphy; Litho-, Chrono- and biostratigraphic classification; Stratigraphic correlation techniques; Archaean cratons of Peninsular India (Dharwar, Singhbhum and Aravalli); Proterozoic mobile belts; Stratigraphy of Cuddapah and Vindhyan basins; Stratigraphy of Paleozoic – Mesozoic of Spiti and Kashmir, Gondwana Supergroup, Jurassic of Kutch, Cretaceous of Trichinopoly, Tertiary and Quaternary sequences of Assam, Bengal and Siwaliks.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Mineralogy: Symmetry and forms in common crystal classes; Physical properties of minerals; Isomorphism, polymorphism, solid solution and exsolution; Classification of minerals; Structure of silicates; Mineralogy of common rock-forming minerals; Elements of Optical Mineralogy, Optical properties of common rock-forming minerals.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-7

Petrology: Definition and classification of rocks; Igneous rocks – forms of igneous bodies; Processes of evolution and diversification of magma; Classification, association, and genesis of common igneous rocks. Sedimentary rocks – classification, texture, and structure; Petrology of sandstone and limestone; Elements of sedimentary environments and facies. Metamorphic rocks – classification and texture; Types of metamorphism; Controls on metamorphism – pressure, temperature and fluids; Concept of projections – ACF, AKF and AFM diagrams; Phase Rule and its applications; Concepts of zones and facies, Characteristic mineral assemblages of pelites in the Barrovian zones and mafic rocks in common facies.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-8

Economic Geology: Physical properties of common economic minerals; General processes of formation of mineral deposits; Mode of occurrence and distribution of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits in India; Fundamentals of reserve calculation; Elements of coal and hydrocarbon geology, Coal and hydrocarbon occurrences in India..

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 1st Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Sequences and Series: Sequences of real numbers, their convergence, and limits. Cauchy sequences and their convergence. Monotonic sequences and their limits. Limits of standard sequences. Infinite series and its convergence, and divergence.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-2

Differential Calculus: Limits of functions of one real variable. Continuity and differentiability of functions of one real variable. Properties of continuous and differentiable functions of one real variable. Rolle's theorem and Lagrange's mean value theorems. Higher order derivatives, Lebnitz's rule and its applications.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-3

Integral Calculus: Fundamental theorems of integral calculus (single integral). Lebnitz's rule and its applications. Differentiation under integral sign. Improper integrals. Beta and Gamma integrals: properties and relationship between them. Double integrals. Change of order of integration. Transformation of variables. Applications of definite integrals. Arc lengths, areas and volumes.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Matrices: Vector spaces with real field. Subspaces and sum of subspaces. Span of a set. Linear dependence and independence. Dimension and basis. Algebra of matrices. Standard matrices (Symmetric and Skew Symmetric matrices, Hermitian and Skew Hermitian matrices, Orthogonal and Unitary matrices, Idempotent and Nilpotent matrices).

4-5 Hours Daily

Study Plan for IIT JAM (2nd Month)

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Probability: Axiomatic Definition of Probability and Properties, Conditional Probability, Multiplication Rule. The theorem of Total Probability. Bayes’ Theorem and Independence of Events.

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

Univariate Distributions: : Definition of random variables. Cumulative distribution function (c.d.f.) of a random variable. Discrete and Continuous random variables. Probability mass function (p.m.f.) and Probability density function (p.d.f.) of a random variable.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-7

Standard Univariate Distributions: Degenerate, Bernoulli, Binomial, Negative binomial, Geometric, Poisson, Hypergeometric, Uniform, Exponential, Double exponential, Gamma, Beta (of first and second type), Normal and Cauchy distributions, their properties, interrelations, and limiting (approximation) cases.

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-8

Multi-variate Distributions: Definition of random vectors. Joint and marginal c.d.f.s of a random vector. Discrete and continuous type random vectors. Joint and marginal p.m.f., joint and marginal p.d.f.. Conditional c.d.f., conditional p.m.f. and conditional p.d.f.. Independence of random variables. Distribution of functions of random vectors using transformation of variables and Jacobian method.

4-5 Hours Daily

IIT JAM Study Plan for 1st Month

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-1

Consumer theory: Preference, utility and representation theorem, budget constraint, choice, demand (ordinary and compensated), Slutsky equations, choice under risk and uncertainty, revealed preference axioms

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-2

Theory of production and cost: Production technology, isoquants, production function with one and more inputs, returns to scale, short run and long run costs, cost curves in the short run and long run

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-3

General equilibrium and welfare: Equilibrium and efficiency under pure exchange and production, welfare economics, theorems of welfare economics

Market structure: Monopoly, pricing with market power, price discrimination (first, second and third), monopolistic competition and oligopoly

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-4

Game theory: Strategic form games, iterated elimination of dominated strategies, Nash equilibrium, mixed extension and mixed strategy Nash equilibrium, examples: Cournot, Bertrand duopolies, Prisoner's dilemma

4-5 Hours Daily

Study Plan for IIT JAM (2nd Month)

Weeks

Topics

Expected Time

Week-5

Public goods and market failure: Externalities, public goods and markets with asymmetric information (adverse selection and moral hazard).

3-4 Hours Daily

Week-6

National Income Accounting: Structure, key concepts, measurements, and circular flow of income - for closed and open economy, money, fiscal and foreign sector variables - concepts and measurements

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-7

Behavioural and Technological Functions - Consumption functions - absolute income hypothesis, life-cycle and permanent income hypothesis, random walk model of consumption, investment functions - Keynesian, money demand and supply functions, production function

4-5 Hours Daily

Week-8

Business Cycles and Economic Models: Business cycles-facts and features, the Classical model of the business cycle, the Keynesian model of the business cycle, simple Keynesian cross model of income and employment determination and the multiplier (in a closed economy), IS-LM Model, Hicks' IS-LM synthesis, role of monetary and fiscal policies

4-5 Hours Daily