These two exams are very competitive in nature which teach students to deal with the competitions they are about to face in their future.
Checkout the difference between IIT JAM and JEST Exam:

IIT JAM Exam is an online entrance exam for the candidates who want to pursue:

  • MSc (Four Semesters)
  • Joint MSc-Ph.D.
  • MSc-M.Tech.
  • MSc-Ph.D. Dual Degree


IIT JAM is conducted in seven subjects:

  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematical Statistics
  • Biological Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Geology


JEST is Joint Entrance Screening Test. It is a screening test conducted for the candidates who wants to pursue MSc, Integrated Ph.D. and Ph.D. programmes. Joint Entrance Screening Test 2018 will be conducted in second week of February. JEST Exam is conducted for the following subjects:

  • Physics
  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • Neuroscience and Computational Biology.


A candidate can appear in either Physics or Theoretical Computer Science subject, but not both.

JEST has been declared as a National Eligibility Test by Science and Engineering Research Board. Securing a rank in JEST does not confirm admission in any college accepting the exam scores for admission. After qualifying JEST Exam, candidates need to fulfill the qualification criteria mentioned by the participating institutes. JEST Score card is valid for one year.