IIT JAM Physics Syllabus 2026: Download PDF, Check Newly Added Topics with Exam Pattern

IIT JAM Physics (PH) Syllabus 2026: The IIT JAM Physics (PH) syllabus is a very important guide for students who want to get into an IIT or IISc for their master's degree. It clearly lists all the topics you need to study in physical, organic, and inorganic Physics. This year, IIT Bombay is going to conduct the IIT JAM exam on February 15, 2026 and has released the official syllabus along with the notification. All prospective candidates of the IIT JAM 2026 are advised to familiarise themselves with the IIT JAM syllabus. Scroll down to learn more about the NEET PG syllabus, including weightage, subject-wise topics, prep tips, and best books.

IIT JAM Physics (PH) Syllabus 2026

The IIT JAM Physics syllabus is designed to check the candidate's foundational knowledge and conceptual clarity across all the major branches of Physics: Mechanics, Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics and Modern Physics. Its purpose is to evaluate not just rote memorisation, but a student's ability to apply fundamental principles to solve complex, analytical problems, assessing their readiness for advanced studies at the postgraduate level. The syllabus ensures that candidates have the necessary skills to handle the rigorous academic demands of M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs at top institutions. It is essential for all candidates appearing in the IIT JAM Physics 2026 exam to be well-versed with the IIT JAM Physics syllabus before starting their preparation. Check the important topics, section-wise weightage for the IIT JAM Physics syllabus.

IIT JAM Physics Syllabus 2026 Section-wise 

The IIT JAM syllabus for Physics (PH) 2026 is divided into different sections like Mechanics, Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics and Modern Physics. The detailed list of topics of the IIT JAM Physics syllabus is provided below.

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

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 non-conservative 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.

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. Polarisation: linear, circular and elliptic polarisation. Double refraction and optical rotation.

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 polarisation, 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.

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.

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, Schr¨odinger equation and its solution for one, two and three-dimensional boxes. Solution of Schr¨odinger 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.

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. OPAMP 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.

IIT JAM Physics (PH) Syllabus 2026: Official PDF

The IIT JAM Physics 2026 exam will be organised by IIT Bombay this year. The official IIT JAM Physics syllabus PDF is yet to be released. We will provide the direct link to download the IIT JAM Physics 2026 syllabus once it is officially released by IIT Bombay.

How to Prepare the IIT JAM Physics (PH) Syllabus 2026?

The candidates need to follow a well-planned approach to crack the IIT JAM exam. Here, we are giving you some tips for IIT JAM preparation for the Physics (PH) paper.

• Understand the Syllabus: The candidates must thoroughly review the complete IIT JAM Physics syllabus. Point out the important IIT JAM Physics topics, giving priority to those needing more attention. Create a study plan around these priorities.

• Create a Study Schedule: Once you go through the syllabus, create a study plan that covers all the topics mentioned in the IIT JAM Physics syllabus. According to your strengths and weaknesses, allocate ample time to each subject/topic.

• Focus on Fundamental Understanding: Alwaysfocus on understanding the core principles of each topic. Only memorising things will not be enough for this exam. 

• Create Revision Notes: Create short revision notes with important formulas, concepts, and important points for quick last-minute review.

• Practice Previous Year Papers: Solve previous years' papers to understand the exam pattern and question types asked in the IIT JAM Physics exam. This will give you an idea about important topics and also help in identifying the areas that require improvement.

• Take Mock Tests: The candidates must take enough mock tests to get familiar with the real exam environment. After each mock test, you should analyse your performance and work on improving it. This practice will also help to improve time management abilities.

Best Books to Prepare for the IIT JAM Physics (PH) Syllabus 2026

The selection of study material is very crucial in the preparation for the IIT JAM Physics exam. A list of highly recommended books for the IIT JAM Physics syllabus paper is given below.

1. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics by David J. Griffiths

2. Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering by Ken Riley

3. Engineering Electromagnetics by William H. Hayt and John A. Buck

4. Heat and Thermodynamics by Mark W. Zemansky and Richard H. Dittman

5. Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics by V.K. Mittal, R.C. Verma and S.C.Gupta

6. Solid State Physics by R.K. Puri and V.K.Babbar

IIT JAM Physics (PH) Exam Pattern 

The IIT JAM Physics paper contains questions based on Basic Mathematical Concepts and Physics. The IIT JAM Physics exam has 60 questions with a total of 100 marks. The total allotted time for this online exam is 3 hours. The IIT JAM Physics paper consists of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and Numerical Answer Type (NTA) questions. All the important details about the IIT JAM exam pattern for Physics are given in the table below.