Practise the real CSIR-NET Life Sciences paper before exam day with a free, full-length mock test on the actual exam pattern: three parts, one 180-minute timer and the same negative marking as the real exam.
145questions in three parts
200marks, as in the real paper
180minutes on a single timer
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Start the free CSIR-NET mock test
What is in the test
| Part | Questions | Attempt | Marks each | Wrong answer | Max marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A: General Aptitude | 20 | any 15 | 2 | −0.5 | 30 |
| Part B: Subject-based (fundamental knowledge) | 50 | any 35 | 2 | −0.5 | 70 |
| Part C: Subject-based (higher-order, application and analytical) | 75 | any 25 | 4 | −1 | 100 |
| Total | 145 | 75 | 200 |
Where the 200 marks come from
Maximum marks per part
A · 30B · 70C · 100
Part A: 15 × 2 = 30Part B: 35 × 2 = 70Part C: 25 × 4 = 100
Half the paper is Part CPart C carries 100 of the 200 marks, from just 25 answers. Spend your time there, but read each question fully: a wrong Part C answer costs a whole mark.
Negative markingEvery wrong answer loses 25% of the question’s marks: −0.5 in Parts A and B, −1 in Part C. A question you leave blank costs nothing.
- Time: 180 minutes with a single timer for all three parts, so plan your own time across A, B and C.
- Answering extra questions: if you answer more than the required number in a part, only the required number of your answered questions with the lowest question numbers are marked. Attempting extra questions gives no advantage.
How to take it
- Open the testGo to the free full-length test.
- Log in or sign up freeYour answers and score are then saved to your account.
- Switch between partsUse the Part A, B and C tabs at the top of the exam screen.
- Submit and reviewYour score appears straight away.
Which units to revise first
The paper does not test every unit equally. This is how Part B and Part C questions were spread across the syllabus in 12 real papers:
CSIR-NET Life Sciences: share of Part B + C questions by unit
1,497 questions classified from 12 papers, February 2022 to December 2025. The six darker bars carry about 55% of the exam.
Source: Lesson Basket’s CSIR-NET Life Sciences unit-wise weightage analysis.
Before you start
Exam guideCSIR-NET Life Science exam guideEligibility, age limit, the exam pattern and the 13-unit syllabus.Read the guide →Free notesCSIR-NET Unit 3 notesReplication, transcription, translation and gene regulation: the highest-weighted unit.Start revising →AnalysisUnit-wise weightageThe full 12-paper breakdown behind the chart above.See the data →
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