Exams

Seven entrance exams open the doors into zoology and the life sciences in India — an undergraduate seat, a master's place, or a funded PhD. Each one has its own page here, and every page carries the same four things.

Exam details — what the exam is for, who conducts it, who is eligible and how the paper is structured. Syllabus — the official syllabus as a PDF you can download and keep, taken from the conducting body's own notification. Previous year question papers — the real papers, because nothing tells you what a paper actually asks like the paper itself. Recommended books — the titles worth buying for that specific exam, rather than a list of everything in print.

What the exams cover: CUET-UG for undergraduate admission in participating universities. CUET-PG for MSc admission. CSIR-DBT NET for JRF and lectureship in the life sciences. ICMR JRF for a PhD fellowship in medical research. GATE XL for PhD admission through the life sciences paper. TIFR GS for MSc and PhD at TIFR with a fellowship. NEET-UG for MBBS, BDS and the AYUSH courses.

Application windows change every year and are set by the conducting body — NTA, CSIR, ICMR, the organising IIT or TIFR. Each exam page links to that body's official portal, and the notification published there is the only date worth trusting. Check it before you plan anything around a deadline.