The IIT JAM Exam Nature and tips for preparation

The IIT JAM is an objective cum subjective exam that has a total of 44 questions. Questions 1-30 are objective in nature for which four choice answers would be given. Each correct answer fetches three marks, while a wrong answer -1 marks and an unattempted question, zero marks. That means 90 marks are based on objective type questions. The remaining questions, 31-44 are subjective in nature and one has to write in the space provided for the answer. Each question carries 15 marks each, thus carrying a total of 210 marks. The total marks for the exam is 300. From the marks distribution, it can very well be seen that objective questions carry only 30 percent marks and the subjective part is what matters the most. Thus, the best strategy would be a careful answering of the objective questions avoiding negative marks to the maximum extent and attempting the descriptive part in a comprehensive manner with figures and tables where ever needed.

The following is the syllabus for Geology (GG) The Planet Earth: Origin of the Solar System and the Earth; Geosphere and the composition of the Earth; Shape and size of the earth; Earth-moon system; Formation of continents and oceans; Dating rocks and age of the Earth; Energy in the earth system; Volcanism and volcanic landforms; Interior of earth; Earthquakes; Earths magnetism and gravity, Isostasy; Elements of Plate tectonics; Orogenesis. Geomorphology: Weathering and erosion; Transportation and deposition due to wind, ice, river, sea, and resulting landforms, Structurally controlled landforms. Structural Geology: Concept of stratum; Contour; Outcrop patterns; Maps and cross sections; Dip and strike; Classification and origin of folds, faults, joints, foliation and lineation, unconformities; shear zones. Palaeontology: Origin and evolution of life; Fossils; their mode of preservation and utility; Morphological characters and ages of important groups of animals;

Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Trilobita, Graptolitoidea, Anthozoa, Echinodermata etc. Gondwana plant fossils; Elementary idea of verterbrate fossils in India. Stratigraphy: Principles of stratigraphy; Classification, distribution and ages of the stratigraphic formations of India from Archaean to Recent. Mineralogy: Symmetry and forms in common crystal classes; Physical properties of minerals; Isomorphism and polymorphism, Classification of minerals; Structure of silicates; Mineralogy of common rock-forming minerals; Mode of occurrence of minerals in rocks. Transmitted polarised light microscopy and optical properties of uniaxial and biaxial minerals. Petrology: Definition and classification of rocks; Igneous rock-forms of igneous bodies; Crystallization from magma; classification, association and genesis of igneous rocks; Sedimentary rocks-classification, texture and structure; size and shape of sedimentary bodies. Metamorphic rocks-classification, facies, texture and properties. Economic Geology: Properties of common economic minerals; General processes of formation of mineral deposits; Physical characters; Mode of occurrence and distribution in India both of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits; Coal and petroleum occurrences in India. Applied Geology: Ground Water; Mineral exploration, elements of mining and Environmental Geology; Principles of Engineering Geology.

Tips for preparation

In contrast to the conventional University examinations that test your coverage of the syllabus, the IIT JAM exam tries to find out whether youve understood the subject well and the extent to which you can apply the principles and concepts. So, one can expect maximum number of questions that are applied in nature. For example, an applied question that was from the Structural Geology part in a JAM exam was:

Questions can also be straight as the one below:

It has to be noted that the level of questions is slightly above the graduate level and you can expect questions from the fundamental part of the Post Graduate level. Whatever topics are important from the applied point of view, such as the Reynolds number in the case of fluid flow connected with sediment transport, the grain size analysis and parameters, stereograms of different types of structures and pictures depicting field situations. The subjective questions are mostly from the applied areas and in some cases you may be asked to draw a neat labeled diagram too. Youve to write your answer in the space provided which may be about a page.

These are some of the examples of the subjective questions:

One should concentrate more on the applied aspects of the subjects such as: Landform development and evolution (,Erosional and depositional landforms created by various geomorphic agents) Characteristic sediment deposits formed by different geomorphic agents For example, glacial sediments are always highly unsorted and less mature. Fluvial geomorphology including landforms and sedimentary deposits associated with river channels, long profile of rivers Directional sedimentary structures and deposits Classification of minerals based on silicate tetrahedra

Determination of pleochroic scheme and the positive and negative character of minerals, use of optical accessories, optic axial figures Different types of folds in map and stereograms Phase rule and its application to simple systems, granite and basalt characteristics, Bowens reaction series, Eutectic and solid solution systems, magmatic differentiation Metamorphic facies and grades (the diagrams showing fields of metamorphism and the mineral changes are more important) Sedimentary textures and structures (Grain size classes, grain size parameters, sphericity and roundness of grains), classification of sandstone and limestone Labeled diagrams of important fossils such as trilobites, brachiopods, pelecypods, echinoidea etc, Important stratigraphic sequences of India (questions can be indirect such as explain the stratigraphic characters of a crescent shaped sedimentary deposit in southern India formed during Precambrian times) Modes of formation of mineral deposits, hydrothermal ore deposits and their structures Plate tectonics fundamentals (give importance to labeled diagrams showing different plate margins and associated rocks and structures) The list is not complete and is only indicative