What to Carry to IITM BS Quizzes and End Term Exams
Editorial Team
Carry a printed hall ticket and one original photo ID that shows your date of birth. That is what the official "Important Instructions for Exams" document asks for at in-centre quizzes, end terms and the qualifier. A photo of either on your phone is not accepted. You may take a pen or pencil and a transparent water bottle into the hall. Mobile phones, watches of any kind, earphones and calculators are not allowed.
The instructions document is linked from the exam centre policy in the DS handbook, where it was added on 18 July 2026. It updates automatically, so read it again before every exam. Your hall ticket instructions come first if anything differs.
The must-carry list
- A printout of your hall ticket. It must be clearly printed, with your photograph and signature visible.
- One original photo ID with your date of birth. The document accepts any one of these: Aadhaar card, passport, driving licence, PAN card, voter ID, college ID, employee ID or the BS Degree ID card.
- A pen or pencil.
Digital copies or photographs of the hall ticket or ID on a phone are not accepted. Our advice: the BS Degree ID card is electronic, and many college IDs do not show a date of birth, so carry a government ID from the list.
Allowed inside the exam hall
- Printed hall ticket and original photo ID
- Pen or pencil
- Transparent water bottle
- Religious items
- Wallet, keys, cash and coins
- Debit or credit cards
- A transparent pouch
Not allowed inside the exam hall
- Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones or headphones
- Any watch, and health or fitness bands
- Calculators, pen drives, electronic pens and any other gadget
- Caps, goggles and sunglasses
- Printed papers, notes and writing pads
- Food items
- Medicines, unless approved in advance (see below)
- A pencil box
The document does not mention a place to store phones at the centre. If you can, leave your phone and smartwatch with someone outside or at home.
The dress rules in the official document
The same document has a dress code that it marks as mandatory. It asks for formal and professional clothes and lists what is not allowed into the hall:
| For | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Boys | Shorts, sleeveless T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, overcoats |
| Girls | Shorts, dresses above the knee or fully exposed legs, sleeveless dresses or tops |
Note that sweaters, hoodies and overcoats are on the list for boys. The September 2026 term's end term falls on 10 January 2027, so plan warm clothes that are not on the list. Check the live document before the exam in case this rule changes.
Medical items need approval first
If you need medical help or wear a medical support, you must get approval from the BS operations team by email first. The document gives examples: a hand bandage, arm sling, neck brace, hearing aid, medical devices, medicines or wheelchair help.
- Email at least 3 days before the exam. The document gives support@ds.study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab). If you are not in Data Science, confirm the right address with your programme's support team.
- Carry the approval email, printed or ready to show before you enter the centre.
- Without approval, these items are not allowed into the hall.
Scribes for PwD students. Declare the need in advance and get it approved with proper proof. The scribe must not be from your own subject area, must not be a blood relative, and must have a lower qualification than you. A scribe brought without approval will not be allowed. See IITM BS for students with disabilities.
Should you carry headphones for English?
Some groups tell students to bring wired headphones. The official in-centre list does the opposite: earphones and headphones are not allowed. Carry them only if your hall ticket or an official instruction for that exam asks for them.
If you write from outside India
Remote proctored exams have their own list in the same document:
- A laptop or desktop. Phones and tablets cannot be used to write.
- A phone with a working camera and microphone, for the Google Meet proctoring.
- Your hall ticket, printed or as a soft copy, and an original photo ID.
- Loose blank sheets for rough work, and a pen or pencil.
You join the Google Meet 1 hour before the reporting time and keep the phone 2 to 3 feet away. You use the same room and laptop as in the mock exam. Students who are physically in India on exam day must go to their allotted centre. Writing online from India is treated as malpractice. See whether you can take exams from home.
A night-before checklist
Our suggestions:
- Print the hall ticket and check the centre address. See IITM BS hall tickets.
- Put the hall ticket, your ID, pens and a clear water bottle in a transparent pouch.
- Pick clothes that follow the dress list.
- Plan to leave your phone and watch behind.
- Leave early enough to reach before the reporting time on your hall ticket.
Common questions
Can I show my hall ticket on my phone?
Not at an exam centre. The document says digital copies on mobile phones are not accepted. Only remote proctored exams allow a soft copy.
Is my college ID card enough?
College ID is on the accepted list, but the ID must show your date of birth. If yours does not, carry Aadhaar, a passport, a PAN card or another listed ID.
Can I bring a calculator?
No. Calculators are on the list of items not allowed in the hall.
What if I forget my photo ID?
The document lists the hall ticket and an original photo ID as mandatory. Do not plan to be let in without them. Read the malpractice rules too, since invalid documents count as malpractice.