Official syllabus · 2027
IIT JAM Physics Syllabus 2027 & Exam Pattern
JAM Physics (PH) is the entrance for MSc, Joint MSc-PhD and related programmes at IITs, IISc and other institutes. JAM 2027 is organised by IIT Kharagpur and will be held on 14 February 2027.
Official JAM 2027 Physics syllabus (PDF)
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IIT JAM Physics exam pattern & marking scheme
Conducted by IIT Kharagpur (Organizing Institute, JAM 2027)
Mode
Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration
3 hours
Questions
60
Total marks
100
| Section | Questions | Marks | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A — MCQ (one correct) | 30 (Q1–10: 1 mark, Q11–30: 2 marks) | 50 | −1/3 (1-mark), −2/3 (2-mark) |
| Section B — MSQ (one or more correct) | 10 (2 marks each) | 20 | None, no partial marking |
| Section C — NAT (numerical answer) | 20 (Q41–50: 1 mark, Q51–60: 2 marks) | 30 | None |
- All sections are compulsory.
- Online virtual calculator is provided.
IIT JAM Physics detailed syllabus — topic wise
Syllabus from the official JAM 2027 Physics (PH) syllabus; pattern from the JAM 2027 Information Brochure (IIT Kharagpur). Exam date: 14 February 2027.
Section 1: Mathematical Methods
- 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
- First order equations and linear second-order differential equations with constant coefficients
- Matrices and determinants, Complex numbers
- Error analysis of Experimental Data: Significant digits and rounding of numbers, Types of errors, mean, median, standard deviation
Section 2: Mechanics and General Properties of Matter
- 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 nonconservative forces
- 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
Section 3: Oscillations, Waves and Optics
- Differential equation for simple harmonic oscillator and its general solution
- Superposition of two or more simple harmonic oscillators
- Lissajous figures
- Damped and forced oscillations, resonance
- 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
- General theory of image formation
- 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
Section 4: Electricity and Magnetism
- Coulomb’s law, Electric field and potential, Gauss’s law, Electrostatic boundary conditions, Solution of Laplace’s equation for simple cases – upto two dimensions
- Conductors, capacitors, Linear dielectrics, dielectric polarization, volume and surface bound charges, electrostatic energy
- Biot-Savart law, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction, Self and mutual inductance
- Alternating currents
- Simple DC and AC circuits with R, L and C components
- Displacement current, Maxwell’s equations and plane electromagnetic waves, Poynting vector, Poynting’s theorem, Energy of Electromagnetic fields
- Reflection and refraction at a dielectric interface, transmission and reflection coefficients (normal incidence only)
- Lorentz Force and motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields
Section 5: Kinetic Theory, Thermodynamics
- Elements of Kinetic theory of gases
- Velocity distribution and Equipartition of energy
- Specific heat of Mono-, di- and tri-atomic gases
- Ideal gas, van-der-Waals gas and equation of state
- Mean free path
- Laws of thermodynamics
- Zeroth law and concept of thermal equilibrium
- First law and its consequences
- Isothermal and adiabatic processes
- Reversible, irreversible and quasi-static processes
- Second law and entropy
- Carnot cycle
- Maxwell’s thermodynamic relations and simple applications
- Thermodynamic potentials and their applications
- Phase transitions and Clausius-Clapeyron equation
- Ideas of ensembles, Maxwell-Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions
Section 6: Modern Physics
- Inertial frames and Galilean invariance
- Postulates of special relativity
- Lorentz transformations
- Length contraction, time dilation
- Relativistic velocity addition theorem, mass energy equivalence
- Blackbody radiation, photoelectric effect, Compton effect, Bohr’s atomic model, X-rays
- Wave-particle duality, Uncertainty principle, the superposition principle, calculation of expectation values, Schrödinger equation and its solution for one, two and three dimensional boxes
- Solution of Schrödinger equation for the one dimensional harmonic oscillator
- Reflection and transmission at a step potential, Pauli exclusion principle
- Structure of atomic nucleus, mass and binding energy
- Radioactivity and its applications
- Laws of radioactive decay
Section 7: Solid State Physics, Devices and Electronics
- Crystal structure, Bravais lattices and basis
- Miller indices
- X-ray diffraction and Bragg's law
- Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, variation of resistivity with temperature
- Fermi level
- p-n junction diode, I-V characteristics, Zener diode and its applications
- BJT: characteristics in CB, CE, CC modes
- Single stage amplifier, two stage R-C coupled amplifiers
- Simple Oscillators: Barkhausen condition, sinusoidal oscillators
- OP-AMP and applications: Inverting and non-inverting amplifier
- Boolean algebra: Binary number systems
- conversion from one system to another system
- binary addition and subtraction
- Logic Gates AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR exclusive OR
- Truth tables
- combination of gates
- de Morgan’s theorem