CSIR NET Dec Exam Pattern 2026: Check Subject-wise Pattern

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern is designed to assess candidates' aptitude in teaching and research across various scientific disciplines. The exam will be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, with three sections: Part A covering General Aptitude, Part B focusing on subject-specific multiple-choice questions, and Part C testing higher-order thinking skills and scientific concept application. The details of CSIR NET December 2026 Exam pattern are as follows:

• Part A will contain questions from General Aptitude with emphasis on logical reasoning, graphical analysis, analytical and numerical ability, quantitative comparison, series formation, puzzles, etc.
• Part 'B' will be subject-related conventional Multiple-Choice questions (MCQs), generally covering the topics given in the syllabus.
• Part 'C' will have questions based on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) that will test one's knowledge of scientific concepts and application of the scientific concepts.

CSIR NET December 2026 will be conducted for 5 subjects. The details are as follows:

(Please note that you can choose any of the given subjects depending on the field of your master's degree. You need to indicate the opted subject in the CSIR NET application form.)

The test will be conducted in three parts with no break in between. The questions will be multiple-choice based, and the rest of the details vary by subject. The detailed exam pattern and syllabus PDFs are given below for reference.

CSIR NET Highlights

• A total of 120 questions will be asked in the exam, which will be conducted in a computer-based (CBT) mode.
• The question paper will be divided into 3 sections – A, B, and C.
• Part A of the CSIR NET exam will be common in all subjects and will test candidates’ General Aptitude, whereas Parts B and C will have subject-specific questions.

CSIR NET December 2026 exam Mode

As per the official notification released by the NTA for CSIR, CSIR NET December 2026 will be held in CBT (Computer Based Test Mode) i.e., online mode only.

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern for Chemical Sciences

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2026 for Chemical Sciences is as follows:

• You are required to answer a maximum of 15, 35, and 25 questions from Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively.
• With every question in Part A, Part B, and Part C, four alternatives or responses are given. Only one of these alternatives will be the "correct" option to the question.
• There will be four alternatives for a question; you will have to mark only one alternative as your answer.
• Questions in Part A, B, and C will be of 2, 2, and 4 marks respectively.
• There is a negative marking of one-fourth mark for incorrect answers.

Please note that if more than the required number of questions are answered, only the first 15, 35, and 25 questions in Part A, Part B, and Part C respectively, will be taken up for evaluation.

CSIR NET Syllabus for Chemical Sciences

CSIR NET December 2026 syllabus for Chemical Science is divided into 4 major sections. The candidates must check the detailed CSIR NET Chemical Science syllabus for each of the following topics:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Interdisciplinary Topics

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern 

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern for Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean, and Planetary Sciences is mentioned below: 

• You are required to answer a maximum of 15, 35, and 25 questions from Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively.
• With every question in Part A, Part B, and Part C, four alternatives or responses are given. Only one of these alternatives will be the "correct" option to the question.
• There will be four alternatives for a question; you will have to mark only one alternative as your answer.
• Questions in Part A, B, and C will be of 2, 2, and 4 marks respectively.
• There will be a negative marking of 25% in all the parts.

Please note that if more than the required number of questions are answered, only the first 15, 35, and 25 questions in Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively, will be taken up for evaluation.

CSIR NET Syllabus for Earth Sciences

CSIR NET 2026 syllabus for Earth Sciences is divided into various sections listed below. The candidates must check the detailed CSIR NET Earth Science Syllabus to know more about each of them.

• Geology
• Applied Geology
• Physical Geography
• Geophysics
• Meteorology
• Ocean Sciences

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern for Life Sciences

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern for Life Sciences is as follows:

• You are required to answer a maximum of 15, 35, and 25 questions from Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively.
• With every question in Part A, Part B, and Part C, four alternatives or responses are given. Only one of these alternatives will be the "correct" option to the question.
• There will be four alternatives for a question; you will have to mark only one alternative as your answer.
• Questions in Part A, B, and C will be of 2, 2, and 4 marks respectively.
• There will be a negative marking of 25% in all the parts.

Please note that if more than the required number of questions are answered, only the first 15, 35, and 25 questions in Part A, Part B, and Part C respectively, will be taken up for evaluation.

CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus

There are multiple topics under the CSIR NET Life Sciences syllabus. Candidates can check some of the syllabi from the table below:

CSIR NET December 2026 Mathematics Exam Pattern

CSIR NET Mathematics Exam Pattern 2026 is mentioned below:

• You are required to answer a maximum of 15, 35, and 25 questions from Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively.
• With every question in Part A, Part B, and Part C, four alternatives or responses are given. Only one of these alternatives will be the "correct" option to the question.
• There will be four alternatives for a question; you will have to mark only one alternative as the answer.
• In Part C of the exam, many questions may have "ONE" or "MORE" correct options; in such a case, marks will be awarded only on identification of "ALL" the correct options in Part C.
• Questions in Part A, B, and C will be of 2, 2, and 4 marks respectively.
• There will be a negative marking of 25% in Part A and Part B. However, no negative marking is applicable in Part C.

Please note that if more than the required number of questions are answered, only the first 15, 35, and 25 questions in Part A, Part B, and Part C respectively will be taken up for evaluation.

CSIR NET Syllabus for Mathematical Sciences

There are four units in the CSIR NET Mathematical Sciences Syllabus. All students are supposed to answer Unit 1 questions; students with a Mathematics background may attempt additional questions from Units 2 and 3, whereas students with a Statistics background are expected to solve problems from Unit 4.

The unit-wise syllabus of CSIR NET Mathematical Sciences is tabulated below:

• Unit 1: Analysis, Linear Algebra
• Unit 2: Complex Analysis, Algebra, Topology
• Unit 3: Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Partial Differential Equations (PDEs), Numerical Analysis, Calculus of Variations, Linear Integral Equations, Classical Mechanics
• Unit 4: Statistics, Exploratory Data Analysis

CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2026 for Physical Sciences

CSIR NET December 2026 Exam Pattern for Physical Sciences is as follows:

• You are required to answer a maximum of 15, 35, and 25 questions from Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively.
• With every question in Part A, Part B, and Part C, four alternatives or responses are given. Only one of these alternatives will be the "correct" option to the question.
• There will be four alternatives for a question; you will have to mark only one alternative as your answer.
• Questions in Part A, B, and C will be of 2, 2, and 4 marks respectively.
• There will be a negative marking of 25% in all the parts.

Please note that if more than the required number of questions are answered, only the first 15, 35, and 25 questions in Part A, Part B, and Part C, respectively, will be taken up for evaluation.

CSIR NET Physical Science Syllabus

CSIR NET December 2026 syllabus is divided into two levels: Core and Advanced. You can check the detailed CSIR NET Physical Science syllabus below:

CSIR NET December 2026 Syllabus: Subject-wise Detailed PDF

Recommended CSIR NET Books 2026

Some of CSIR NET December 2026 recommended books are listed below. Candidates can avail of these best CSIR NET books from any online store or shop in the market.

CSIR NET December 2026 Important Instructions

CSIR NET December 2026 important instructions are as follows:

• A list of candidates with successful applications is made available on the official website. Aspirants must refer to the website to check their registration and latest updates.
• The Question paper will be set in Hindi and English. Candidates opting for Hindi medium in the Application Form will be presented with questions in both English and Hindi, whereas candidates opting for English medium will be asked questions in the English Version only.
• The actual number of questions in each Part and Section to be asked and attempted may vary from subject to subject.
• No candidate shall be permitted to leave the exam hall before the completion of 3 hours from the start of the exam.
• Candidates must carry their CSIR NET Admit Card along with an original photo ID proof and two passport-size photos.