Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata conducts an entrance examination (ISI Admission Test 2026) every year for admission to B.Math(Honours)/B.Stat (Honours) Programme and postgraduate programs offered at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bengaluru and Kolkata.
For admission to the programs in ISI Bengaluru and Kolkata, a candidate has to clear both the written test round and interview round. The ISI conducts its examination in offline mode (pen and paper) and apart from the entrance examination score, qualifying examination score (XII score for undergraduate programs) is also considered for admission to the courses in ISI. The ISI examination is a competitive examination and is considered to be tough. It is administered nationally in more than 28 centers across India.
The ISI Admission Test 2026 is conducted in an offline mode. It is conducted in two rounds – written test and interview round. We will talk about the interview round in the selection process part. The test question paper is same for both the courses of B.Stat and B.Math and does not depend on which course a candidate selects at the time of submitting the online application form.
The question paper is divided into two sections – section A (UGA) and section B (UGB). Section A has questions which are of moderate level from Mathematics whereas section B consists of questions of subjective type from Mathematics. The UGA section is of 120 marks and the UGB section is of 80 marks. The language of the question paper is English. The test is for a total duration of 4 hours. But the sections have their time limitations separately of 2 hours each.
The ISI admission examination is conducted once every year in the month of May. It is a pen and paper mode test. The questions are of both multiple-choice questions and subjective type questions. There are 2 sections in the question paper, UGA and UGB. Candidates get separate time to attempt both the sections. The second paper (UGB) is only evaluated if the candidate clears the first paper (UGA) cutoff. Candidates have to score specific cut off in UGB to then qualify for the interview round. Let us understand in detail the question pattern of both the sections.
Section A (UGA), compromises of 120 marks in total. This section only has 30 multiple-choice questions. This means that for every question candidate will get 4 options out of which only one option carries the correct answer. The candidate has to select and save the option with the correct answer to get scores. Students will get 2 hours to attempt questions of section A. Each question in this section carries +4 marks for correct answers, 0 for wrong answers and +1 for un-attempted questions.
Section B (UGB) carries a total of 80 marks, each question carries +8 marks. Candidates will get only 2 hours to solve questions in this section. This section has descriptive type questions. The questions in this section are of the high difficulty level (often compared with Olympiad level questions).
| ISI Entrance Test | Detail |
|---|---|
| Examination Mode | Offline (Pen & Paper) |
| Sections | Two |
| Section Time | Section- A (UGA): 2 Hours Section- B (UGB): 2 Hours |
| Section Marks | UGA: 120 Marks UGB: 80 Marks |
| Language | English |
| Type of Questions | UGA: Objective (MCQ) UGB: Descriptive |
Once the test is completed, ISI first evaluates the UGA paper of the candidate. If the candidate clears the cutoff of the first paper (need about 18-20 questions correct to clear the cutoff), then the second paper is evaluated. The score of a candidate is calculated as follows.
Final Score = UGA score + 3(UGB Score)
The cutoff for the final score normally hovers around 150-180 marks.
The students who clear the cutoff will be called for an interview process
ISI Admission Test result will be announced for the eligible candidates. The Institute will shortlist candidates for multiple streams based on the scores according to their merit in the exam. The result is released on the official web site in the form of scorecards/rank list. The scorecard is one of the most important documents validating and checking candidates’ results at the test.
The scorecard of the candidate contains the following information:
The results are published on the official website. Candidates can check their status by downloading the merit list of the particular course.
You can check your ISI test results by following the steps below:
For each of the academic programs offered at ISI-K, the eligibility criteria as set out below represent only the minimum requirements for applying for a specific course. The admission/selection into the chosen program is not guaranteed just by meeting the eligibility criteria. Even those who have completed or are due to complete their qualifying exams for which the results are not yet published may apply for admission for any of the programs. If chosen, the candidate’s admission will be conditional and pending before the results are announced. ‘However, in these cases, the applicant’s application is also subject to cancellation if the final exams are not completed/failed as on or before the due date.
An applicant must have successfully qualified class 12th examination with Maths and English as one of the main subjects of study.
Admissions to Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata and Bangalore for the B.Stat and B.Math prorgams are provided via ISI Admission Test 2026 portal. Students will fill out the application form online after reviewing the eligibility requirements for an ISI Admission Test. The official website to fill out the form is the official website of ISI Kolkata.
All courses have a different syllabus. ISI syllabus is set by the authority of the ISI itself. The questions are set from the graduate-level or high school and senior secondary levels. The syllabus for B.Stat & B.Math contains the subjects from Calculus, Trigonometry, Algebra, Geometry.
Questions will be posed for M.Stats from the subjects Mathematics and Statistics & Probability. Candidates are recommended to prepare for the ISI examination according to the course for good results.
Algebra
The Algebra component covers fundamental number concepts including sets and set operations, prime numbers, integer factorization, divisibility, and the distinction between rational and irrational numbers. Students are expected to be proficient in permutations and combinations, basic probability, the Binomial Theorem, and logarithms. The syllabus also includes polynomials with emphasis on the Remainder Theorem, quadratic equations and expressions, and the relationship between roots and coefficients. Further topics include arithmetic and geometric progressions, inequalities involving arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic means, complex numbers, and the study of matrices and determinants.
Geometry
Geometry focuses on both classical and coordinate-based concepts. Topics include plane geometry and two-dimensional geometry using Cartesian and polar coordinates. Students will study the equation of a line, angle between two lines, distance of a point from a line, and the concept of a locus. Additional areas include the area of a triangle, the equations of circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas, along with the equations of their tangents and normals, and core concepts of mensuration.
Trigonometry
This section covers measurement of angles, trigonometric functions and inverse trigonometric functions, and key trigonometric identities, including addition formulae. Students will learn to solve trigonometric equations, explore the properties of triangles, and apply concepts to heights and distances problems.
Calculus
Calculus includes the study of sequences (bounded and monotone sequences, and limits of sequences), functions (one-to-one and onto functions), and the concepts of limits and continuity. Students will cover derivatives, techniques of differentiation, slope of curves, tangents and normals, maxima and minima, and the application of calculus in graph sketching. Integration topics include indefinite and definite integrals, evaluation of areas using integrals, and homogeneous differential equations of the first order and first degree.