Failed or Missed the IITM BS Qualifier Exam? The Second Attempt

If you had a hall ticket for the IITM BS qualifier exam but were absent or failed, you can take the exam again in the same term. Every term has two qualifier exams, one at the end of week 4 and one at the end of week 8. You do not have to redo the weekly assignments. The re-attempt fee is Rs 2,000 for General and OBC candidates, and lower for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

Who can take the second attempt

The handbooks allow a re-attempt in the same term for two groups:

• You became eligible for the hall ticket but were absent for the qualifier exam.
• You wrote the first exam and failed.

In both cases you already met the assignment cutoff, so your eligibility carries over. You do not repeat the 4 weeks of assignments.

If you never got a hall ticket in the first place, this option is not for you. You need to apply again in a later term. See what to do if you are not eligible.

Re-attempt fee by category

The form for the re-attempt opens right after the results of the first exam are announced.

The ES handbook notes that these fees were revised from the January 2026 term onwards. The DS and ES handbooks give the same amounts. The handbook table does not list EWS by name, but the official admissions page puts EWS in the Rs 2,000 group with General and OBC.

For a General candidate, that is half of the Rs 4,000 qualifier application fee.

When the second exam happens

For exact dates in your term, check the qualifier timeline.

A special case in Data Science

In DS, the hall ticket rule has two steps. If your week 1 and week 2 average clears the cutoff, you can write the first exam. If you only clear it later, using the best 2 of the first 3 weeks, you become eligible for the second exam of the term. For these students, the week 8 exam is their first sitting. The handbook does not say whether they pay the re-attempt fee, so check the portal. Electronic Systems uses only the best 2 of the first 3 weeks, and its exam is at the end of the first four weeks. The full rule is in how to become eligible for the qualifier exam.

What changes if you pass in the second attempt

Passing in the second attempt has one cost. You cannot join courses in the same term. You can register only from the next term, as long as your score is still valid. Students who pass the first exam can choose to continue in the same term. Read how many courses you can take after qualifying.

The passing marks are the ones for any qualifier exam: 40% in each course and a 50% average for General candidates, with lower cutoffs for other categories. See the qualifier passing marks.

If the second attempt also goes wrong

The handbooks describe two attempts per term and have no separate rule for failing both. They do say there is no limit on how many times you can go through the qualifier process. A new try in a later term is treated as a fresh application, with the full fee and the 4 weeks of assignments again.

The qualifier fee is not refunded if you were absent or failed.

Common questions

Can I skip the first exam on purpose and write only the second?

The rules allow absent candidates to re-attempt, but it costs you the re-attempt fee and the option to join in the same term. There is also no second chance left in that term if something goes wrong in week 8.

Do my assignment scores still count if I pass in the second attempt?

Yes, you do not redo them. If you register in the term right after the qualifier, your qualifier assignment scores count as your first 4 assignment scores, and your qualifier exam score counts as Quiz 1, in the courses you take.

Is there a third attempt in the same term?

No. The handbooks say there are currently two attempts in any term. After that you would apply again in a later term.