IITM BS Academic Calendar: Three Terms a Year Explained

The IIT Madras BS programme has three terms every year: the January term, the May term and the September term. The handbooks describe them as January to April, May to August and September to December. Each 4-credit course runs for 12 weeks, with Quiz 1 after week 4, Quiz 2 after week 8 and an end term exam at the end. The calendar is the same for Data Science (DS) and Electronic Systems (ES).

The three terms

The handbook sometimes writes terms in a short form. For example, "24f3" means the September 2024 term, and "25f2" means the May 2025 term. Batches are named the same way, so "21f1 students" are those who started in the January 2021 term.

Real dates can shift later than the term name

The month in a term's name is a label. The exam date table in the same handbooks shows real start dates a few weeks later. For example, the September 2026 term looks like this:

So a "September to December" term can end in January. In the same way, the January 2026 term started on 6 February 2026 and its end term was on 10 May 2026. From term start to end term is about 14 weeks in these tables. Always plan with the published dates. They are listed for every term in the exam dates from 2026 to 2030, and the current term has its own page, September 2026 exam dates.

How a term runs, step by step

1. Registration. Before the term, you pick your courses within your course limit and choose exam cities.
2. Term start. Weekly content begins.
3. Weeks 1 to 4. Each week brings about 2 to 4 hours of recorded videos per course, practice work and a graded assignment.
4. Quiz 1. Held in person after week 4, on the content of weeks 1 to 4.
5. Weeks 5 to 8. More weekly content and assignments. In the date tables, Programming Quiz 1 falls between Quiz 1 and Quiz 2, for courses that have programming exams.
6. Quiz 2. Held in person after week 8, on the content of weeks 1 to 8.
7. Weeks 9 to 12. The last weeks of content and assignments. Programming Quiz 2 falls between Quiz 2 and the end term.
8. End term exam. A 1.5-hour exam per course, in person, at the end of the term.

In the date tables, the quizzes fall a little later than exactly 4 and 8 weeks after the term start. So go by the published date, not by counting weeks. For what each exam covers and how it is marked, see the Quiz 1 and Quiz 2 guide.

Which courses run every term?

All Foundation and Diploma level courses are offered in every term. So are the compulsory BSc level courses in DS, and the compulsory BS level courses in ES. The handbooks do not promise that every elective runs every term, so check the course list when you register.

Time limits in terms

There is also a minimum. Before the original certificate is processed, you must have spent a minimum time from your first term. It is 3 years (9 terms) for a DS BSc, or 4 years (12 terms) for a BS. The maximum duration guide explains how these limits work together.

What if a project runs past the term?

This applies to DS project courses. If you do not finish a project in the term you registered for it, your fee is kept for the next term and your grade shows as I (Incomplete). If you still do not finish it in that second term, the registration becomes invalid, your grade becomes U, and you must pay the full project fee again.

What if you skip a term?

You can skip up to 2 terms in a row. Your status becomes On Academic Probation during those terms, and a Registration Keep Alive fee applies. Skipping a third term in a row gets you struck off the rolls. Read the student status and RKA guide before you take a break.

Common questions

Is there a summer break in IITM BS?

Not a long one. Foundation and Diploma courses run in the May term too, so the calendar goes on through the year. You can choose to skip a term, but your status then becomes On Academic Probation for that term.

How many weeks is one IITM BS term?

Each 4-credit course has 12 weeks of content. In the handbook's date tables, the gap from term start to the end term exam is about 14 weeks.

Can I join in any of the three terms?

The ES handbook says qualifier exams are held in every term, and the JEE entry examples list January, May and September terms as joining terms. Check the qualifier timeline page for the next intake.

Are the quizzes always on Sundays?

Mostly, but not always. In the September 2026 term, Quiz 2 is on a Saturday, 5 December 2026. Always check the date table for your term.