ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) previous year question papers for 2024 and 2020 are free to download here, subject by subject: 72 papers from the 2024 test and 74 from the 2020 test, from Agri Business Management to Water Science. Answer keys are not on the page. The pattern has stayed at 120 questions for 480 marks in 2 hours, with −1 for a wrong answer, so the 2024 paper in your subject is the closest practice for the exam expected in July 2027.
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Previous Year Question Papers
Pick a year, then open the paper for your PhD subject from the subject-wise list on that page.
Newest papersICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2024 Question Paper
View 2024 papers72 papers
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Question Papers by Year
| Year | Papers | Pattern that year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2024 | 72 papers | 120 Q · 2 h | View papers |
| ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2020 | 74 papers | 120 Q · 480 marks · 2 h | View papers |
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Paper at a Glance
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice questions: Part A 20 (general agriculture and allied sciences), Part B 50 (your core group), Part C 50 (your subject) |
|---|---|
| Marks and time | 480 marks in 2 hours |
| Marking | +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one, 0 if unattempted |
| Mode and medium | Computer-based test, English only |
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) for ICAR; counselling by ICAR |
| Papers on this page | 2024 (72 subjects) and 2020 (74 subjects); no answer keys |
| Next exam | ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027: July 2027 (expected). Application: May 2027 (expected) |
How to Use ICAR PhD Previous Year Papers?
- Work at one minute a question. 120 questions in 120 minutes leaves no slack. Clear the 20 Part A questions in about 15 minutes so you have time for the 100 subject questions.
- Guess only after ruling something out. With +4 and −1, a blind guess among four options averages +0.25 marks. Ruling out one option raises that to about +0.67, so make an informed guess rather than a blind one.
- Solve your subject’s 2024 paper first, then the 2020 paper. Part C is set at Master’s level in your own subject, so check every answer from your M.Sc. textbooks and notes, since there is no key here.
- Use other papers in your core group. Part B covers the whole core group that contains your subject. Papers of the other subjects in that group give you extra Part B practice.
- Plan for July 2027. About eight months remain. Build a Part A notebook of agriculture current events alongside your subject revision.
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Previous Year Question Papers FAQs
What is the ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) exam pattern?
One 2-hour computer-based paper of 120 multiple-choice questions for 480 marks: 20 general questions in Part A, 50 from your core group in Part B and 50 from your subject in Part C.
Is there negative marking in the ICAR PhD exam?
Yes. A correct answer gets 4 marks, a wrong answer loses 1 mark and an unattempted question gets 0.
Are subject-wise ICAR PhD papers available?
Yes. The 2024 page has 72 subject papers and the 2020 page has 74, one PDF per subject.
Is there an answer key for the ICAR PhD papers?
No. Only the question papers are on the 2024 and 2020 pages.
Is the ICAR PhD paper in Hindi?
No. The 2026 bulletin says the AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) paper is in English only.
Who conducts the ICAR PhD exam?
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts it for ICAR. ICAR then runs the counselling for PhD seats and fellowships.
When is ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027?
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027: July 2027 (expected). Application: May 2027 (expected). See the ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027 page for every date.