The GAT-B / BET 2027 syllabus comes from RCB, which NTA links in its bulletin. GAT-B tests 10+2 Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology plus bachelor’s-level biotechnology. BET tests aptitude and general biotechnology, then one of ten specialised branches. The 2027 bulletin is expected around March 2027.
GAT-B / BET 2027 Syllabus
Section-wise topics for GAT-B and BET, the marking scheme, the official syllabus PDFs and how to prepare.
What is the GAT-B syllabus?
GAT-B has a 10+2-level Section A and a bachelor’s-level Section B. RCB publishes a topic list only for Section B; Section A follows the Class 11 and 12 level of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology.
- Biomolecules, biological membranes, enzymes, metabolism and bioenergetics
- Microbiology: viruses, microbial diversity, growth, nutrition and host-pathogen interaction
- Cell biology: cell structure, cell cycle and cell signalling
- Genetics and molecular biology: replication, transcription, translation, inheritance, microbial genetics, DNA repair
- Analytical techniques: microscopy, centrifugation, spectroscopy, chromatography, electrophoresis
- Immunology: innate and adaptive immunity, antibodies, MHC, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity
- Bioinformatics: databases, sequence alignment, phylogeny, molecular dynamics basics
- Recombinant DNA technology: vectors, libraries, cloning, PCR, sequencing, blotting, gene transfer
- Plant and animal biotechnology: tissue and cell culture, transgenics, hybridoma and stem cells
- Bioprocess engineering: bioreactors, fermentation kinetics, sterilisation, downstream processing, scale-up
What is the BET syllabus?
BET Section A covers aptitude and general biotechnology, and Section B has questions from ten specialised branches plus general biotechnology. You answer 50 of the 150 Section B questions, so you can focus on your own branch.
- Section A, aptitude: comprehension passages, non-verbal reasoning and quantitative questions
- Section A, general biotechnology: biomolecular structure, methods in biotechnology, cell organisation, cellular processes, recombinant DNA technology, genetics and evolution, genomics and proteomics, IPR, biosafety and bioethics
The ten Section B branches are listed below.
- Agricultural Biotechnology
- Animal Biotechnology
- Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology (M.Tech. level)
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
- Environmental Biotechnology
- Marine Biotechnology
- Medical Biotechnology
- Molecular and Human Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
What is the GAT-B / BET 2027 exam pattern and marking scheme?
Each test is a 3-hour CBT in English. If a question is dropped, marks go to those who attempted it.
| Exam and section | Questions (attempt) | Marking | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAT-B Section A: Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology (10+2 level) | 60 (all 60) | +1, -0.5 | 60 |
| GAT-B Section B: Basic Biology, Life Sciences, Biotechnology (bachelor’s level) | 100 (any 60) | +3, -1 | 180 |
| BET Section A: General Science, Maths, Chemistry, Aptitude, General Biotechnology | 50 (all 50) | +3, -1 | 150 |
| BET Section B: Specialised areas of Biotechnology | 150 (any 50) | +3, -1 | 150 |
Where is the official GAT-B / BET syllabus PDF?
The 2026 bulletin links two RCB files: the GAT-B syllabus PDF and the BET syllabus PDF. Their titles still say 2020 and 2021, but the 2026 bulletin uses them unchanged. The bulletin itself is listed below.
- PDFGAT-B / BET 2026 Information Bulletin (latest) (19 March 2026)Official site · cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.inOpen
- LINKGAT-B / BET official website (NTA)Official site · exams.nta.nic.inOpen
How should you prepare for GAT-B and BET?
- For GAT-B Section A, revise Class 11 and 12 Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology; these 60 questions are compulsory.
- For GAT-B Section B and BET Section A, cover biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, immunology and recombinant DNA well, since they overlap.
- For BET Section B, pick the branch closest to your degree and study its full topic list.
- Practise with the GAT-B and BET previous year papers in 3-hour sittings.
- With -1 for a wrong answer in Section B, attempt only the questions you can answer with confidence.