IITM BS Credit Completion Letters vs Provisional Certificates

Since the January 2026 term, you get a credit completion letter when you finish the credits for a level. It is signed by the programme coordinators. A provisional certificate is different. You get it only if you ask, after you have filled the exit form, while you wait for your original certificate. The original certificate comes last, after the IIT Madras Senate approves it.

What changed in January 2026

Both the DS and ES handbooks carry the same note, updated on 13 January 2026:

• The institute's Academic section reviewed the documents given at the end of each level.
• It recommended letters that simply state you have completed the credits needed for that level.
• From the January 2026 term, these credit completion letters are issued when you complete a level. Programme coordinators sign them.
• The earlier provisional certificate format is marked as valid until the September 2025 term.
• The format of the original certificates has not changed.

The handbooks also say the new letters are accepted by companies and academic institutions. That is IIT Madras's statement. Each company or institution still makes its own decision.

The three documents side by side

The signatures for the original come from the sample certificates on the DS website. To ask for a provisional certificate, email academic.documents@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab).

Which one to use when

• You finished Foundation or a diploma and are still studying: use the credit completion letter with your grade card for internships, jobs or college forms.
• You have exited and are waiting: request the provisional certificate. It is signed at the institute level, not by the programme.
• Your original has arrived: use the original from then on.
• DS diploma theory done, projects pending: this is a separate case. You get an Advanced Certificate by default on your dashboard. See the Advanced Certificate.

How long the wait for the original can be

The DS handbook (updated 1 June 2026) lists these windows:

The ES handbook table was last updated on 28 November 2025 and lists earlier dates, so ES students should check with support for the next window.

The original is processed only if you meet all of these:

• You have completed the required credits, including all mandatory degree-level courses.
• You have completed at least 9 terms for a BSc or 12 terms for a BS, counted from your first term.
• You filled the exit form with a professional photo and your Class 10 or Class 12 certificate.
• For a BSc or BS exit, you registered for the IITM alumni card and paid Rs 6,000 plus GST (Rs 7,080).

The full steps are in exit and certificate, and the alumni card is covered in alumni status.

Check your name early

A letter of 12 August 2025 says the name on your degree or diploma follows your Class 10 certificate, or a name change published in the Gazette. Names from Aadhaar, PAN or a passport are not accepted. After the certificate is generated, the name cannot be changed. If your Class 10 name has a problem, sort it out before your exit.

Common questions

Is my old provisional certificate from before 2026 still usable?

The handbook marks the old format as "valid till Sep 2025 term" but does not explain what happens to certificates already issued. If an employer or college questions yours, ask the support team for guidance.

Can I get a provisional certificate without exiting?

The handbook offers it only to students who have filled the exit form and are waiting for the original. If you are continuing, the credit completion letter is the document for a finished level.

Does the credit completion letter show my grades?

The handbook does not describe what the letter lists beyond the completed credits. Keep your grade card with it. The steps for grade cards and transcripts are in academic documents.

Where do I download the credit completion letter?

The handbooks do not say. Check your student dashboard first, and raise a support ticket if you cannot find it.