There are several factors that can affect the relationship between marks and rank in IIT JAM: Individual Score: This is the most crucial factor. Your overall score, combining marks from all three sections (A, B, and C) of the exam, is what directly determines your rank. Number of Applicants: If there are more applicants in a particular year, the competition for seats increases. Even with a good score, you might end up with a lower rank compared to a year with fewer applicants. Difficulty Level of the Exam: The overall difficulty of the IIT JAM exam can affect marks vs rank. A tougher exam might lead to lower overall scores, potentially inflating your rank even with a moderate score compared to an easier exam year. Seat Availability: The number of seats available in the M.Sc. or Integrated M.Sc. programs you're interested in also plays a role. Fewer seats in a coveted program will lead to stiffer competition and potentially lower ranks for similar scores compared to programs with more seats. Category Reservation: IIT JAM follows reservation policies for various categories. This means separate cutoffs and ranks might be determined for categories like Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), etc.