The Graduate Aptitude Test-Biotechnology (GAT-B) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to DBT-supported postgraduate programmes in biotechnology and allied subjects. This page summarises the exam pattern and syllabus from the official GAT-B 2026 information bulletin. We will update it when the 2027 bulletin is published.
160questions on the paper
120you answer
240maximum marks
180minutes
GAT-B exam pattern
Section
Questions
You attempt
Marks each
Wrong answer
Total
A: 10+2 level Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology
60
all 60
1
−½
60
B: Bachelor’s level Biology, Life Sciences, Biotechnology and allied areas
Negative markingA wrong answer costs ½ mark in Section A and 1 mark in Section B. In Section B you choose which 60 of the 100 questions to answer, so skip the ones you are unsure of.
Duration: 180 minutes.
Mode: computer-based test with multiple choice questions only.
Language: English only.
Section B syllabus
Section B carries 180 of the 240 marks, so it decides most of your score. The official syllabus covers these areas:
1Biochemistry
Biomolecules, biological membranes and transport, enzymes and kinetics, metabolism, photosynthesis, respiration and bioenergetics.
2Microbiology
Viruses, microbial classification and diversity, methods, growth and nutrition, nitrogen fixation, microbial diseases.
3Cell biology
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, cell cycle, cell signalling and signal transduction.
4Molecular biology and genetics
Genes and chromosomes, mutation, replication, transcription, translation and their regulation, Mendelian genetics, linkage and mapping, microbial genetics, transposable elements, RNA interference, DNA repair.
5Techniques
Microscopy, centrifugation, spectroscopy, chromatography, electrophoresis and microarrays.
6Immunology
Innate and adaptive immunity, antibodies and antibody diversity, MHC and antigen presentation, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity.
7Bioinformatics
Databases, sequence alignment and phylogeny, genomic and proteomic tools, molecular dynamics basics.
8Recombinant DNA technology
Enzymes, vectors, libraries, cloning and expression, PCR, sequencing, blotting, gene transfer and gene therapy.
Preparing for CSIR-NET as well?Don’t copy its priorities. Fundamental Processes is the top CSIR-NET unit but fourth here, and plant and animal physiology, both top-five on CSIR-NET, are near the bottom of GAT-B Section B.
Practise for GAT-B
The GAT-B Biotechnology Test Series gives you full-length mock tests on this pattern, with the same negative marking.
Practise on the Lesson Basket appEvery previous year paper in real exam mode with a timer, 130+ animated concept videos and full mock tests – free to start.
