Can You Watch IITM BS Lectures for Free Before Enrolling?
Editorial Team
Yes. IIT Madras puts the IITM BS course lectures on YouTube, free for anyone. Both student handbooks say the videos are copyrighted to IIT Madras but are made available on YouTube as public playlists. They sit on two official IIT Madras channels: the B.S. Degree Programme channel (Data Science and the related programmes) and the BS in Electronic Systems channel.
Watching is free. Credit is not. Graded assignments, the qualifier exam, quizzes, grades and certificates all need you to apply and pay.
Where to find the official videos
| Route | What you get |
|---|---|
| Course pages on study.iitm.ac.in | A "View course videos" button that opens the course's YouTube playlist. We checked it on the Maths 1 and ESTC pages. |
| Week 1 samples | The DS FAQ says week 1 videos of the first four Foundation courses are open to try, with a sample assignment for each. You reach them from the Foundation courses section of the academics page. |
| The two official channels | Playlists for each course, run by IIT Madras. |
| This site | About 6,000 official videos sorted by course and week at official IITM BS lectures, embedded from IIT Madras's own channels. For example, Maths 1 lectures by week. |
One tip: some lectures on the channels are unlisted. That means a normal YouTube search may not show them, but the channel's public playlists do. Go through a course page or a playlist rather than the search bar.
What is free and what is not
| What | Free? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture videos | Yes | Nothing |
| Week 1 sample assignments (DS Foundation) | Yes | Nothing |
| Portal access in the qualifier, live sessions, weekly assignments and the qualifier exam | No | The application fee |
| Quizzes, end term exams and grades | No | Course registration and course fees |
| Certificates, diplomas and degrees | No | Completing all the credits of a level |
The support desk says the application fee covers the recorded content, live sessions, weekly assignments and the qualifier exam, with no other fee during the qualifier. For Data Science, that fee is Rs 4,000 for General and OBC applicants and Rs 2,000 for SC, ST or PwD applicants. SC or ST applicants who are also PwD pay Rs 1,000.
How to use the free lectures before you apply
- Start with the four qualifier courses. For DS these are English I, Maths I, Stats I and Computational Thinking. For ES they are English I, Math for Electronics I, Electronic Systems Thinking and Circuits, and Introduction to C Programming.
- Test the real pace. The qualifier covers 4 weeks of content in all four courses at once. The academics page says each week of a course has 2 to 3 hours of video, plus practice. Try one full week of all four and see how it feels.
- Solve, do not just watch. After each lecture, try a few questions yourself. Old qualifier papers are on QuizSpace (opens in a new tab), by course.
- Check you have the right run. Some courses have more than one playlist from different runs. Match the topics with the week list on the official course page.
When you are ready, read how the qualifier process works.
Rules for using the videos
The handbooks say the videos are copyrighted to IIT Madras. Watching them and sharing the official links is fine. Do not download and re-upload them, and do not pay anyone who sells "IITM BS lectures" as their own course. The originals are free.
Common questions
Do I get a certificate for watching the lectures?
No. Certificates come only when you finish all the credits of a level. Watching on YouTube earns no credit.
Is watching the lectures enough to get into the programme?
No. You still apply, submit the qualifier assignments, reach the minimum average, and pass the in-person qualifier exam. Students eligible for the current year's JEE Advanced can skip the qualifier.
Can I watch Diploma and degree level lectures too?
The handbooks describe public playlists for course videos in general, and the course pages we checked link one. If a course page has no link, look through the official channel's playlists, or ask support.
Is this the same as NPTEL?
No. NPTEL runs its own courses and certificates. See IITM BS vs NPTEL, and our list of free resources that actually help.
Official sources
- IIT Madras BS Data Science student handbookdocs.google.com (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Electronic Systems student handbookdocs.google.com (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Data Science FAQIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Data Science admissions pageIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Data Science academics pageIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- Mathematics for Data Science I course page (BSMA1001)IIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- Electronic Systems Thinking and Circuits course page (EE1101)IIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IITM Study Support: What is included in the Qualifier Application fee?study-supportdesk.freshdesk.com (opens in a new tab)