Missed the IITM BS Deadline? How the Three Admission Cycles Work

If you missed an IITM BS deadline, you only have to wait for the next term. The programme runs three terms a year, starting in January, May and September, and there is a qualifier in every term. For the September 2026 term, the official admissions pages give 27 September 2026 as the last date to apply (checked on 24 September 2026).

So a missed deadline costs you about four months, not a year.

The three terms

The handbook and the DS academics page divide every year into three terms of about four months each.

Every foundation course is offered in every term, so a new student can start in any of them. See the academic calendar.

Every term has an intake

The DS Program Report (September 2025) lists applicants for every term since January 2021. Recent terms:

May terms draw the most applicants. The qualifier uses fixed cutoffs, not ranks, so a busy term does not reduce your chance by itself.

How one cycle works

1. Apply and pay on study.iitm.ac.in before the last date. The Data Science fee is Rs 4,000 for General and OBC, Rs 2,000 for SC, ST and PwD, and Rs 1,000 for SC or ST candidates who are also PwD.
2. Study 4 weeks of content in four foundation courses, with a graded assignment each week.
3. Earn a hall ticket by meeting the assignment cutoff in all four courses.
4. Write the qualifier exam in person at the end of week 4. A second exam at the end of week 8 is there for those who were absent or failed.
5. Join. Pass the first exam and you can start courses in the same term or in the next 2 terms. Pass the second and you start from the next term.

The full process is in how the qualifier works. For dates within a term, see the qualifier timeline.

The September 2026 deadline, and what comes next

We checked the official admissions pages for Data Science, Electronic Systems, and Aeronautics and Space Technology on 24 September 2026. All three showed 27 September 2026 as the last date to apply for the September 2026 term.

• Reading this before 27 September 2026? You can still apply for this term on the official site.
• Reading it later? The next chance is the January 2027 term. We do not list its dates here until they appear on the official admissions page, so check there.

Always read the admissions page for the programme you want, since each programme has its own page.

How long a qualifier result lasts

For school students in DS, and for ES, the handbook and the admissions page word this differently, so confirm with support if you plan to wait. See how long the qualifier score is valid.

If you missed it: use the gap

1. Sample week 1. The official website lets you view the week 1 content before you apply.
2. Revise the basics. For DS, the qualifier covers English 1, Maths 1, Statistics 1 and Computational Thinking. Start with what feels weakest. Our preparation guide has a plan.
3. Get documents ready. Keep your Class 10 and 12 records and any category or income certificates at hand, since fees and cutoffs depend on category.
4. Check the JEE route. If you qualified to appear for JEE Advanced, you may not need the qualifier at all. See JEE entry.
5. Set a reminder to check the admissions page when the next term's applications open.

Common questions

Can I apply while I am still in Class 11 or 12?

You can apply once you have appeared for your Class 11 final exams. If you qualify, you join only after you pass Class 12.

Is there any late application option?

The admissions pages give a single last date for each term. We found no late window, so apply before that date.

If I qualify, when do I start courses?

If you pass the first qualifier exam, you can register for courses in that same term. If you pass in the second exam, you start in the next term.

Is the qualifier harder in some terms?

The handbook sets one table of category cutoffs for the qualifier exam, not different marks per term. The share of applicants who qualify does vary, and the report does not explain why.