CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024: Subject-wise Pattern & Negative Marking

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test 2024 ( CSIR NET )

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Shikha Goyal

Shikha GoyalAssistant Manager

Updated on Nov 18, 2024 11:56 IST

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 along with the CSIR NET December Notification on the official website at csirnet.nta.ac.in. The CSIR UGC NET 2024 June exam was conducted on July 25, 26 and 27, 2024. Five papers are- Earth Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. Each paper of the exam consists of objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and CSIR NET Total Marks are 200. Candidates read the CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 below in this article.

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 also consist of Negative Marking. CSIR NET Negative Marking differs for different subjects. The CSIR NET Question Paper is divided into three sections- Part A, B and C. There is no break between these three parts. Candidates need to complete the paper in a duration of three hours. Here we have shared the latest exam pattern and structure of the CSIR NET Exam as prescribed by the HRDG for each paper. Read below about the CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 and start your preparations accordingly.

 

 

Q:   How many questions are there in each part of the CSIR NET exam?

A:
The number of questions in each part of the CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) exam varies depending on the subject. For subjects such as Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences, Part A comprises 20 questions, Part B comprises 40 questions, and Part C comprises 60 questions. For subjects such as Physical Sciences, Part A comprises 20 questions, Part B comprises 25 questions, and Part C comprises 30 questions. It's important to note that each question carries a specific weightage, which is mentioned in the question paper. Part A carries 20 marks (each question carrying 1 mark), Part B carries 40 marks (each question carrying 2 marks), and Part C carries 120 marks (each question carrying 2 or 4 marks). Therefore, it's essential to attempt all the questions carefully, as each question carries a certain weightage, and a wrong answer can lead to negative marking.
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Q:   Is there a negative marking in the CSIR NET exam?

A:

Yes, there is a negative marking of 25 per cent in the CSIR NET exam for each wrong answer (33 per cent in Part C of Earth Sciences paper). Marking Scheme in CSIR NET 2024 exam varies with different stages of exam. Part A comprises 20 questions, and each question carries 1 mark. Therefore, the total marks allotted for Part A is 20. Part B and Part C comprise subject-specific questions, and each question carries 2 or 4 marks. Part B comprises 40 questions, and the total marks allotted for this section is 80. Part C comprises 60 questions, and the total marks allotted for this section is 120. It's important to note that the negative marking can significantly affect the final score, and the candidates should attempt the questions carefully and only answer those questions for which they are confident about the correct answer. Guesswork should be avoided as it may lead to negative marking and a reduction in the overall score.

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Q:   What is the duration of the CSIR NET exam?

A:

CSIR UGC NET exams are conducted for five papers - Earth Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. The total marks students can obtain in CSIR UGC NET is 200. Students must note that there is a negative marking on the exam. The time duration of CSIR Net is 180 minutes. CSIR UGC NET is conducted nationally twice a year. 

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CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024: Highlights

Before going through the detailed CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024, let us have a look at the major highlights of the exam below.

Particulars

CSIR Exam Pattern Highlights

Exam mode

Online

Exam duration

3 hours

Number of subjects

5

Name of subjects

  • Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
  • Chemical Sciences
  • Life Sciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Physical Sciences

Total questions to attempt

  • Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences: 75 MCQs
  • Chemical Sciences: 75 MCQs
  • Life Sciences: 75 MCQs
  • Mathematical Sciences: 60 MCQs
  • Physical Sciences: 55 MCQs

Type of questions

MCQs; 4 options with only 1 correct option

Total marks

200

Marking scheme

  • +2 for the correct answer
  • Negative marking of 25 per cent (33 per cent for some parts)

Language of paper

English and Hindi

Also Read:

CSIR NET 2024: Latest Updates

CSIR NET Exam Date 2024

Q:   How many attempts are allowed in CSIR NET exam?

A:

There is no limit on the number of attempts for the CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) exam. A candidate can appear for the exam as many times as they wish, provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria. However, it's important to note that the validity of the CSIR NET scorecard is only for two years from the date of the result declaration.

Therefore, if a candidate wants to use their CSIR NET score for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) or lectureship, they must apply for these positions within the validity period of the scorecard. It's also important to note that the CSIR NET exam is conducted twice a year, usually in June and December. Therefore, the candidates have two opportunities each year to appear for the exam and improve their scores.

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Q:   How many times is CSIR NET conducted in a year?

A:
CSIR NET is conducted twice a year in typically the months of June and December. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR NET (also known as CSIR UGC NET is a national-level exam conducted by the National Testing Agency to determine the eligibility of candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for Lectureship (LS)/ Assistant Professor in the universities and colleges of India. Candidates clearing the CSIR NET exam can become lecturers in the subject areas falling under the faculty of Science & Technology only.
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Q:   Is the CSIR NET exam conducted in offline mode?

A:
No, the CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) exam is conducted in online mode as a computer-based test (CBT). The exam is conducted at designated exam centers across the country, and the candidates have to take the test using a computer provided at the exam center. The exam is conducted in a secure and controlled environment to ensure that there is no malpractice or cheating. The test centers are equipped with modern computer systems, and the candidates are provided with a login ID and password to access the exam. The online mode of the exam has several advantages, such as faster result processing, elimination of errors in OMR sheet filling, and the ability to randomize the question order for each candidate. The online mode also allows for a more secure and transparent examination process.
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CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024: Subject-Wise

The CSIR NET exam pattern varies for all five subjects. The subject-wise exam pattern of the CSIR NET Question Paper 2024 is given below:

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 for Chemical Sciences

In the CSIR NET Chemical Sciences paper, candidates need to attempt a total of 75 MCQs combinedly from Part A, B and C. Each question in Part A and B carries two marks weightage and each question in Part C carries four marks. There is a negative marking of 25 per cent for wrong answers. Have a look at the detailed CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Chemical Sciences below.

Particulars

Part A

Part B

Part C

Total

Total Questions

20

40

60

120

Max no of questions to attempt

15

35

25

75

Marks for each correct answer

2

2

4

200

Negative marking of 25%

0.5

0.5

1

-

Also Read: CSIR NET Syllabus 2024

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 for Earth Sciences

In the CSIR NET Earth Sciences paper, candidates need to attempt a total of 75 MCQs combinedly from Part A, B and C. Each question in Part A and B carries two marks and each question in Part C carries four marks. There is a negative marking of 25 per cent in Part A and B and 33 per cent in Part C for each incorrect answer. Have a look at the CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Earth Sciences below.

Particulars

Part A

Part B

Part C

Total

Total Questions

20

50

80

150

Max no of questions to attempt

15

35

25

75

Marks for each correct answer

2

2

4

200

Negative marking- 25% in Part A & B and 33% in Part C

0.5

0.5

1.32

-

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CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 for Life Sciences

In the CSIR NET Life Sciences paper, candidates need to attempt a total of 75 MCQs combinedly from Part A, B and C. Each question in Part A and B carries two marks and each question in Part C carries four marks. There is a negative marking of 25 per cent in Part A, B and C for each incorrect answer. Have a look at the CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Life Sciences below.

Particulars

Part A

Part B

Part C

Total

Total Questions

20

50

75

145

Max no of questions to attempt

15

35

25

75

Marks for each correct answer

2

2

4

200

Negative marking of 25% in Part A, B & C

0.5

0.5

1

-

Download CSIR NET Syllabus 2024 - Click Here

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 for Mathematical Sciences

CSIR NET Mathematical Sciences paper contains 120 MCQs out of which candidates need to attempt 60 questions. Candidates need to complete the exam in three hours duration. Each question in Part A carries 2 marks, each question in Part B carries 3 marks and each question in Part C carries 4.75 marks. There is a negative marking of 25 per cent in Part A and B for each incorrect answer and there is no negative marking in Part C. Have a look at the CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Mathematical Sciences below.

Particulars

Part A

Part B

Part C

Total

Total Questions

20

40

60

120

Max no of questions to attempt

15

25

20

60

Marks for each correct answer

2

3

4.75

200

Negative marking in Part A & B of 25% and no negative marking in Part C

0.5

0.75

0

-

Also Read: CSIR NET Admit Card 2024

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 for Physical Sciences

CSIR NET Physical Sciences paper contains 75 MCQs out of which candidates need to attempt 55 questions. Each question in Part A carries two marks marks weightage and each question in Part B and C carries a weightage of 3.5 and five marks, respectively. There is a negative marking of 25 per cent in Part A, B and C for each wrong answer. Here is the detailed CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Physical Sciences.

Particulars

Part A

Part B

Part C

Total

Total Questions

20

25

30

75

Max no of questions to attempt

15

20

20

55

Marks for each correct answer

2

3.5

5

200

Negative marking of 25%

0.5

0.875

1.25

-

Also Read: CSIR NET Exam Dates 2024

Q:   How many papers are there in the CSIR NET Exam?

A:

There is only one paper in the CSIR NET exam. However, the question paper is divided into three parts- Part A, Part B and Part C. The CSIR NET Question Paper will be divided into three sections- Part A, B and C. Part 'A' shall be common to all subjects. This part shall be a test containing a maximum of 20 questions of General Aptitude. The candidates shall be required to answer any 15 questions for two marks each. The total marks allocated to this section shall be 30 out of 200. The CSIR NET Part B and C consist of questions that are based on the subjects chosen by candidates from the following five subjects - Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences.

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Q:   For which subjects is CSIR NET conducted?

A:
CSIR NET is conducted for five Science subjects including Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR NET (also known as CSIR UGC NET is a national-level exam conducted by the National Testing Agency NTA to determine the eligibility of candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for Lectureship (LS)/ Assistant Professor in the universities and colleges of India.
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Q:   How many sections are there in CSIR NET exam?

A:
The CSIR NET exam contains three sections- Part A, B and C. Part A contains generic questions and is common for all subjects. Part B and C contain subject-specific questions. The CSIR NET Part A consists of General Aptitude questions that assess the candidates teaching/research aptitude, reasoning ability, comprehension skills, divergent thinking and general awareness. The CSIR NET Part B and C consist of questions that are based on the subjects chosen by candidates from the following five subjects - Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences.
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CSIR NET Negative Marking

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 contains a Negative Marking in the exam. CSIR NET Negative Marking varies for different subjects. Candidates can check the subject-wise CSIR NET Negative Marking in the subject-wise CSIR NET exam pattern provided in this article. 

Q:   What type of questions are asked in CSIR NET exam?

A:
The CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) exam consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that assess the candidate's knowledge and understanding of their respective subject. The questions are designed to test the candidate's conceptual clarity, analytical ability, and reasoning skills. The questions are designed to cover various topics within the subject, and the difficulty level increases from Part A to Part C. Part A carries 20 marks, Part B carries 40 marks, and Part C carries 120 marks. The questions in Part C are designed to be more challenging and require the candidate to apply their knowledge and understanding of the subject to solve complex problems. Overall, the exam is designed to test the candidate's knowledge, understanding, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills in their respective subject.
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Q:   How many marks are allotted for a correct answer in the CSIR NET exam?

A:
The marks allotted for a correct answer in the CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) exam vary depending on the part and type of question. Part A comprises 20 questions, and each question carries 1 mark. Therefore, the total marks allotted for Part A is 20. Part B and Part C comprise subject-specific questions, and each question carries 2 or 4 marks. Part B comprises 40 questions, and the total marks allotted for this section is 80. Part C comprises 60 questions, and the total marks allotted for this section is 120. It's important to note that there is negative marking of 25 per cent marks (33 per cent in Part C of Earth Sciences paper) for each incorrect answer in Part B and Part C. Therefore, it's essential to attempt only those questions for which the candidate is confident about the correct answer. Overall, the CSIR NET exam is designed to test the candidate's knowledge, understanding, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills in their respective subject, and the marks allotted for each question reflect the difficulty level of the question.
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CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024: Important Points

Candidates can read the CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2024 Important Points below.

  • Questions in Part-A are common for all subjects. This part contains questions on topics/subjects such as logical reasoning, graphical analysis, analytical and numerical ability, quantitative comparison, series formation, puzzles etc. 
  • Part B of the CSIR UGC NET exam contains subject-related multiple-choice questions. The questions in this part generally cover the topics given in the syllabus
  • Questions in Part C test candidates' knowledge of scientific concepts and/or application of the scientific concepts. The questions are analytical in nature in which candidates are required to apply scientific knowledge to arrive at the solution to the given problem
  • If a candidate attempts more than the required number of questions, only the first set of the required questions is considered for scoring
  • The CSIR UGC NET question paper is set in both Hindi and English languages

Also Read: CSIR NET Preparation Tips 2024

CSIR NET Best Books 2024

Candidates can check the subject-wise CSIR NET Best Books 2024 in the table below which can help candidates prepare for the exam. 

Subject Book Name Author/Publisher
Chemical Sciences UGC-CSIR JRF/ NET Chemical Sciences (Chemistry) Trueman’s
Earth Sciences Joint CSIR-UGC NET Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean, and Planetary Sciences R. Gupta’s
Life Sciences UGC CSIR NET/ SET (JRF & LS) Life Sciences Arihant
Mathematical Sciences CSIR-UGC NET/ SET (JRF & LS) Mathematical Sciences Khanna Publishers
Physical Science CSIR-UGC NET/ JRF/ SET Physical Sciences Upkar’s

Read More: CSIR NET Exam Centres List 2024

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CSIR NET Exam

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Answered a week ago

The CSIR NET 2024 December cut off will be released by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in an online mode on the official website. It will be released subject-wise separately for the CSIR UGC NET 2024 December exam. The cut-off for CSIR NET is the minimum marks required by th

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Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

Based on your score of 28 percentile in CSIR NET Mathematical Sciences, you are unfortunately not qualified for the Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) roles in the current CSIR NET cutoffs. 

 

To be eligible for the Assistant Professor role through CSIR NET, candidates must meet a

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T

Tejas Bodhankar

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

You can find the subject-wise and category-wise cutoffs on the official NTA website as CSIR NET 2024 cutoff marks have been already been released by the National Testing Agency.

You can visit the official NTA website or search online for "CSIR NET 2024 cutoff."

A

Anushka Mendiratta

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The NTA will release the CSIR NET 2024 application form for the December session soon in an online mode on the official website at csirnet.nta.ac.in. Candidates are advised to check the eligibility criteria before applying for the application form. Those candidates who have successfully filled out t

...more

S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

 The CSIR NET City Intimation Slip 2024 for the December session will be released in PDF format and candidates are advised to take a print-out of the CSIR NET City Intimation Slip for future purposes. CSIR NET Exam City Intimation Slip helps candidates to know about their CSIR NET Exam Cities in adv

...more

S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

CSIR NET City Intimation Slip 2024 for the December session will be released on the official website csirnet.nta.ac.in to facilitate the candidates where the exam city and centre are located for the exam. To download the exam city slip candidates are required their application number and date of bir

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S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

The CSIR NET is a prestigious examination conducted by the National Testing Agency twice a year. The CSIR NET 2024 notification for the December session will be released tentatively in November 2024 on the official website.

S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

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