How to Crack CSIR NET Life Science Exam 2023 – Learn Preparation Strategy

How to Crack CSIR NET Life Science Exam 2023

First and foremost, an aspirant must have an effective preparation strategy in order to crack CSIR NET 2023. Many candidates struggle while preparing for the exam because they lack a proper strategy and planning. Moreover, they are not able to cover all the topics on time and end up leaving many important topics while studying. To overcome this, the candidates need to make sure of the level of clarity they have and make a list of those concepts that they need to brush up on. To help out with this, we have laid out some tips that will help candidates reach their desired goals.

Understanding of the Life Science Curriculum

The CSIR NET Life Sciences exam also includes some questions about basic concepts from Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biological Sciences. It is expected from a candidate that a Life science graduate or postgraduate will be comfortable with biological sciences. Let’s get to know some of the examples of basic concepts from Physics and Chemistry that are a part of the CSIR NET Syllabus.

• Physics is a part up to 10+2, hence students must try to get a grip on this subject very well. However, the concepts of Physics are always asked about as applications of biological sciences. Topics like Thermodynamics help students to learn Why ATP is the major source of energy in cells. Topics like Colligative Properties enable students to learn Why Plant cells contain cell walls, and animal cells do not? Why Glucose cannot be stored in the cells and has to be converted into Glycogen or starch?
• Chemistry is also part of a 3-year graduation course and is an indispensable part of Biology as living cells obey chemical laws. Hence, knowledge of some topics like Solutions, Acids and Bases, Electrochemistry Chemical kinetics, etc will help candidates. These topics are a part of the Intermediate also. As a researcher, you might come across work with solutions on a day-to-day basis.
• Knowledge of chemical bonds, energetics, and kinetics helps to comprehend Why glucose, a six-carbon molecule, has to undergo 10 reactions to produce two 3 carbon molecules? Thus, concepts of Glycolysis, a part of Biochemistry, and similarly, Photosynthesis, a part of plant physiology can become more clear. Atomic size and ionic mobilities will help in knowing the reason behind the high concentration of sodium (Na+) ions outside a cell whereas the concentration of potassium ions (K+) is high inside the cells.

Examine the CSIR NET Paper Pattern

Knowing the syllabus and exam format is perhaps the most important starting point while preparing for any exam. Thus, it will be easier for you to prepare and create a successful exam strategy if you are aware of the CSIR NET Exam Pattern. Candidates will be able to determine the number of questions and marks allotted for each subsection by understanding the exam format. You can use it to estimate how much time is needed for each topic.

CSIR NET Exam Pattern for Life Science
Sections	Total Questions	Questions to attempt	Marks Allotted	Negative marking
Part A	20	15	2	0.5
Part B	50	35	2	0.5
Part C	75	25	4	1
Total	145	75	200	–

CSIR NET Study Plan for Life Science

Here is the CSIR NET Life Science Study Plan broken down by week, which has assisted many candidates in performing well on the test. 13 to 14 weeks can be used to divide the entire syllabus.

Study Plan for 2 Months

In the last two months before the Life Science exam, candidates must optimize their preparation and ensure that they only cover the important topics from the CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus mentioned below.

Weeks	Topics to be covered
Week 1	Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology
Week 2	Cellular Organization
Week 3	Fundamental Processes
Week 4	Cell Communication and Cell Signaling
Week 5	Developmental Biology
Week 6	System Physiology – Plant
Week 7	System Physiology – Animal And Inheritance Biology
Week 8	Diversity of Life Forms
Week 9	Ecological Principles
Week 10	Evolution and Behavior
Week 12	Applied Biology
Week 13	Methods in Biology

Study Plan for 3 Months

In the last three months before the exam, candidates can take the following route and streamline their preparation for the exam.

Time Span	Areas to Focus on
Week 3-4	Recognize your weaknesses and strengthen them. Review all of the previously covered material, then take practice exams to see how well you prepared.
Week 2-3	Include subjects like biomolecules, protein structure and function, bioinformatics tools and databases, and life sciences instrumentation techniques. Concentrate on biophysics, bioinformatics, and instrumentation-related topics.
Week 2-3	Practice MCQs and questions from prior exams that deal with these topics.

It is important to follow these tips while preparing for the exam-

• Review your notes
• Solve test questions from prior years
• Remember to take breaks and continue to exercise.
• Take practice exams to gauge your readiness

Preparation Tips for CSIR NET Life Science Topics

We have provided topic-wise preparation strategies below, follow them during your preparation.

• Start With the Basic Topics: Students should begin their CSIR NET preparation by starting the topics like Cell Biology first since it is a part of the high school syllabus and a common portion in both Botany and Zoology graduation levels. Cell biology is a compulsory subject for all Life Science students, hence, it is the easiest choice to start your preparation with.
• Importance of the Unit Cell Biology: Cell Biology is included in the syllabus in 2 sections – Cell organization and Cell Signaling/Communication. Studying cellular organization will help in understanding the structure and function of the cells. Basic knowledge of how a Bacterial cell (Prokaryote) differs from a plant cell or animal cell is required. It also enables them to appreciate the basic concepts in biochemistry for example – Why Krebs Cycle occurs only in Mitochondria and not in the Cytoplasm?
• The right way to Learn Molecular Biology: After Cell Biology, Molecular Biology is the right option to proceed with. Molecular Biology will help in learning fundamental procedures like the structure of DNA, RNA, transcription, translation, etc., A student who is well versed in cell biology and molecular biology will easily understand the difference between B-cell and T-cell and how leucocytes differ from a lymphocyte. Thus the Immunology concepts will become easy.
• Biochemistry is Important: Basic Biochemistry is another important part of the Life Science exam. It is necessary that topics like amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, vitamins, and hormones are studied well. Enzymology is another crucial part that every student must learn. Topics like the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids can be difficult for students who are not specialized in Biochemistry. While studying any biochemical pathway, the regulatory steps have to be focused on. However, it is essential to study energy production pathways such as Glycolysis, Kreb’s Cycle and electron transport chain, photosynthesis (PS I and PS II), C3, and C4 cycles, etc.
• Know About Basic Genetics: Along with Biochemistry, basic genetics forms an inevitable portion of the syllabus which is very much required. Mendelian genetics includes laws of inheritance, gene interactions, linkage and crossover, sex determination and sex-linked inheritance are important. However, for those students not specialized in genetics qualitative and human genetics can be ignored. But topics like mutations and recombination are Important.
• Importance of Molecular Biology: Having studied Molecular Biology and basic genetics, applications of these fields form the core of a concept like Recombinant DNA technology. Thus gene cloning, vectors, and sequencing techniques can be easily learned. After learning the techniques like PCR, applications of PCR like RAPD, AFLP, etc., become much easier.
• Common Topics: Simultaneously biophysical techniques, radiolabelling techniques, histochemical and immune techniques, and microscopic techniques can be learned easily. While learning these techniques, students shall focus on the principle of each technique and its applications.
• General Microbiology: General microbiology which includes the structure of prokaryotic cells, growth curves, and kinetics are also essential. Fermentation technology forms an important topic to study. However, applications of microbiology like food, water, and air microbiology are optional and thus not necessary.
• Lastly, subjects like System Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution are more based on theory and can be learned directly by reading standard textbooks. Ecology and Evolution have to be given a special emphasis as traditionally more questions have appeared from these areas and are not part of a regular syllabus for many courses.

Thus by following a clear strategy, one can qualify for the CSIR NET exam with ease. Early preparation right from the first year of Post-graduation or third year of B.Tech or B.Pharma can be extremely rewarding.

Choose the Best Study Material

Candidates should refer to all the books that exam-planning professionals recommend. The CSIR NET Life Science Books will aid in simplifying and demonstrating concepts that would otherwise be challenging to understand. The following list includes some of the top books for CSIR NET life science courses.

CSIR NET Books for Life Science	Author/Publication
Unit: Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology Subject: Biochemistry and Metabolism	Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry- Nelson, and Cox
	Biochemistry: International Edition by Stryer, Berg and Tymoczko
	Principles of Biochemistry by Voet
	Plant Biochemistry by Walter
Unit: Cellular Organization Subject: Cell and Molecular Biology	Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments by Gerald Karp
	Molecular Cell Biology- Lodish
	Cell And Molecular Biology / 8th Edition by Robertis De
	Molecular Biology of the Gene by James D. Watson
Unit: Cell Signalling Subject: Immunology	Kuby Immunology- Owen, Punt, Stanford,7th Ed
	Essential Immunology by Ivan M. Roitt
	Immunology (Schaum’s series) By Pinchuk
	Immunology (Instant notes) by Lydyard
Unit: Microbiology	Microbiology by Prescott
	Microbiology by Pelczar
	Brock Biology of Microorganisms by Madigan
Unit: Developmental Biology	Developmental Biology by Scott F. Gilbert
	Molecular Cell Biology- Lodish
Unit: System Physiology – Plant	Plant Physiology – Taiz and Zeiger
	Plant Physiology by Ross and Salisbury
	Introductory Plant Biology by Stern
Unit: System Physiology – Animal	Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology
	Human Anatomy and Physiology by Graaff
	Animal Biology (Instant Notes) by Jurd
Unit: Bioinformatics	Bioinformatics by Baevanis and Oullette
	Introduction to Bioinformatics by Lesk
	Bioinformatics (Instant Notes) by Hodgman
Unit: Ecological Principles Subject: Ecology	Ecology by Odum
	Elements of Ecology By Smith and Smith
	Ecology: Principles And Applications by JL Chapman and MJ Reiss
	Genetics: A Conceptual Approach by Benjamin A. Pierce
Unit: Evolution and Behavior	Evolution by Strickberger
	The Evolution Handbook by Vance Ferrell
	Theory of Evolution by Dawkins and Maynard
Unit: Applied Biology Subject: Biotechnology	Biotechnology – B D Singh
	Genomes by T. A. Brown
	Principles of Fermentation Technology by Stanbury
Unit: Methods in Biology Subject: Molecular Biology and Recombinant DNA Methods	Principles of Gene Manipulation and Genomics – S.B. Primrose and R.M. Twyman
	Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Wilson and Walker
	Biophysical Chemistry (Principles and Techniques) By Upadhyay

Strategic Time Allotment

Aspirants can create a strategy using the table below to learn how to manage their time for CSIR NET Life Science preparation. It is crucial to allot specific time to different activities like solving CSIR NET Mock Tests, revising the topics already covered, and note-taking.

Activity	Reasons	1 Month	3 Months	6 Months
Time Table	It is important to follow a strategic timetable	12-13 Hours Plan	7- 8 Hours Plan	6 Hours Plan
Analyse Syllabus	Candidates must be aware of both new developments in the field of life science and its practical applications.	30 Minutes	15 Minutes	10 Minutes
Important Topic Coverage	Candidates must read and underline crucial Life Science topics	2-4 Hours	2 Hours	1 Hour
PYQs Analysis	Candidates must use the previous year’s papers to help them understand the exam.	1 Hour	2 Hours	1 Hour
Highlighted Notes	Candidates must make notes to refer to while revising.	1 Hour	30 Minutes	15 Minutes
Revision	Candidates must find time during the weekend for a thorough revision of all the topics.	3 Hours	2 Hours	1 Hour
Solving Mock Tests and Quizzes	The best way for a candidate to comprehend the exam setting is to complete practice exams	2 Hours	1 Hour	30 Minutes

Best Apps for CSIR NET Preparation

Candidates can also rely on various mobile programs and applications to fast-track their preparation. The BYJU’S Exam Prep App is one of the top preparation tools that provides candidates with a one-stop learning solution. The app includes a number of practice exams that mimic the experience of taking an actual exam. Anyone studying for the challenging CSIR NET Life Science exam should consider using BYJU’S Exam Prep app. Candidates can feel confident about the study materials on this app because it was made by professionals in the science and technology fields. 

• Daily Free Videos from the expert faculty member for Mathematical Science, Life Science, and Chemical Science.
  
• Direct Interaction with Faculty Members and clearing of doubts.
  
• Free study materials and CSIR NET Online Coaching cumulated by the subject experts.
• Special workshops weekly, with surprise study material links
  
• Instant notifications and updates on CSIR NET Exams.
  

In conclusion, self-discipline, tenacity, and dedication are necessary for CSIR NET Life Science preparation without coaching. If you stick to the advice given above, you’ll be able to pass the test with flying colors. The free BYJU Exam Prep App can be downloaded by candidates to learn more about the CSIR NET exam.