For decades, JEE Advanced has been the principal route for students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology. While it remains the gateway to the conventional IIT BTech programmes, specialised courses and newer academic initiatives are increasingly creating alternative pathways into the IIT ecosystem.

IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur are among the institutes experimenting with admissions based on Olympiad achievements, institute-specific qualification processes and practical skill assessments. The jointly offered Bachelor of Cybersecurity, or BCyber, programme, scheduled to begin from the 2026-27 academic session, is the latest example of this evolving approach.

BCyber Programme Introduces Alternative Selection Model

The first admission cycle for the BCyber programme did not require candidates to qualify through JEE Advanced.

IIT Madras joined IIT Kanpur’s existing selection process for the first cycle, with selected candidates being given the option of studying at either of the two institutes.

The programme will be run independently by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur, with each institute awarding its own degree.

However, the first round of admissions continued to rely on IIT Kanpur’s existing selection mechanism. A more substantial change to the admission model is planned for the next cycle.

From next year, IIT Madras plans to conduct an aptitude test covering basic mathematics, logical reasoning and cybersecurity aptitude.

Candidates who clear this stage will move on to a longer-duration hackathon designed to assess their programming abilities and cybersecurity skills. Shortlisting will be based on their performance during the practical assessment.

Focus Shifts From Examination Scores To Demonstrated Skills

The proposed BCyber admission process represents a different approach to evaluating candidates.

Rather than relying only on performance in a standardised entrance examination, the model is intended to assess whether applicants can demonstrate abilities relevant to cybersecurity.

The programme itself has been designed around practical learning and covers areas including vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, malware analysis, reverse engineering, cloud security and critical infrastructure security.

Students will also undertake a two-year field deployment project involving live cybersecurity assignments.

The combination of an aptitude assessment and a hackathon-based evaluation reflects a broader effort to identify candidates through subject-specific knowledge and practical capability.

Olympiad Performance Offers Another Route To IIT Kanpur

IIT Kanpur has also explored an alternative pathway for students with exceptional achievements in science and mathematics Olympiads.

In 2026, the institute admitted 14 students through its Olympiad-based route without requiring them to qualify through JEE Advanced.

Of these students, six were admitted to Computer Science and Engineering, while two joined Biological Sciences and Bioengineering.

The remaining students secured admission to programmes in Mathematics, Intelligent Systems, Chemistry and Data Science-related fields.

The initiative builds on IIT Kanpur’s earlier experiments with Olympiad-based admissions and recognises that high performers in national and international competitions may demonstrate subject depth and problem-solving skills that are not always fully reflected through a single entrance examination.

IIT Madras Already Has Non-JEE BS Pathways

IIT Madras has already created routes into some of its programmes outside the conventional JEE Advanced system.

The institute offers non-campus BS programmes, including its BS in Data Science and Applications and BS in Electronic Systems.

Admission to these programmes is available through institute-specific qualifier processes rather than the conventional JEE Advanced route.

These programmes differ from the regular residential BTech courses offered through the traditional IIT admission system. However, they illustrate how the wider IIT ecosystem has already begun experimenting with different ways of admitting students.

JEE Advanced Remains The Main Route For IIT BTech Admissions

For students aspiring to join the conventional residential BTech programmes at IITs, JEE Advanced continues to remain the primary admission pathway.

The newer routes are largely associated with specialised programmes or alternative academic formats and do not replace the existing IIT entrance examination system.

However, the growing use of Olympiad achievements, qualifier processes and practical assessments suggests that IIT admissions are gradually becoming more varied for certain courses and categories of students.

For Class 12 students, this means that pursuing an IIT programme may no longer always be linked to success in a single examination.

Skill-Based Admissions Could Shape Future IIT Programmes

The proposed aptitude-test and hackathon model for the BCyber programme could represent a significant development if similar approaches are adopted more widely.

Such a system would place greater emphasis on demonstrated skills, subject-specific expertise and practical ability alongside academic performance.

JEE Advanced remains central to admissions for traditional IIT BTech programmes. Yet the experiments at IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur indicate that specialised programmes are increasingly looking at additional ways to identify talent.

The expansion of such pathways could gradually reshape the IIT admission landscape, particularly in emerging disciplines where practical competence may be as important as performance in a conventional entrance examination.

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