IIT Madras Introduces Olympiad-Based Admissions, No JEE Score Required

In a groundbreaking move, IIT Madras has announced a new admission process for students who have excelled in national and international Olympiads. Starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, the institute will reserve seats for top performers in five specific Olympiads: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Informatics, and Biology. This new initiative, known as Science Olympiad Excellence (ScOpE), marks a departure from the traditional JEE (Advanced) route for undergraduate admissions.

IIT-Madras

The ScOpE admissions process aims to recognize and reward students who have demonstrated exceptional skills in science and related subjects, as assessed through competitive Olympiads. The scheme follows the same model as the institute’s Sports Excellence and Fine Arts and Culture Excellence admission routes. Under this initiative, each program will have two supernumerary seats, one of which is exclusively reserved for women students.

While the admission process will be separate from JEE (Advanced), candidates must still meet other eligibility criteria, such as having passed Class 12 and adhering to age restrictions. Applicants must also not have been previously admitted to any IITs.

The seat allocation under the ScOpE scheme will be based on a new ScOpE Rank List (SRL), which will evaluate candidates based on their achievements in the aforementioned Olympiads. The rankings will be calculated using performance data from the five Olympiads, and detailed rules for the SRL preparation will be made available on the official website.

Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, shared his vision for the initiative, saying, “The world’s grandest puzzles aren’t solved by memorizing textbooks, but by those who dare to dismantle them, piece by piece, and create new wonders for the future generations.” He added that IIT Madras is excited to embark on this new journey of welcoming students who have shown outstanding excellence in science.

The application process for the first batch will open on June 3, 2025, and the admissions will be conducted through a separate portal dedicated to ScOpE (https://jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/scope), distinct from the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) portal used for JEE-based admissions.

This innovative approach aims to foster a diverse pool of students who bring in creative problem-solving skills, pushing the boundaries of science and technology. It also reaffirms IIT Madras’ commitment to promoting academic excellence beyond traditional methods and providing opportunities for talented individuals from all walks of life.