What is the exam pattern of NSEB?

National Standard Examination in Biology has 80 questions for 216 marks, to be completed in 180 minutes.

Is there negative marking in NSEB?

Yes — 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer in National Standard Examination in Biology.

In which languages is NSEB conducted?

National Standard Examination in Biology is offered in: English, Hindi.

What is the expected cutoff for NSEB?

Cutoffs change every cycle with paper difficulty and vacancies. Shishya maintains indicative score-to-rank bands and category-wise (General/EWS/OBC/SC/ST) expected cutoffs at https://shishya.in/exams/NSEB/cutoff.

Is there a full-length NSEB mock test in the real exam pattern?

Yes — Shishya has a free full-length National Standard Examination in Biology mock with the real pattern: 80 questions in 180 minutes, sections in the real paper's order, scored with solutions. It is the "Full-Length Mock (Real Pattern)" tile on this page.

Can I build a topic-wise NSEB mock test?

Yes — pick any topics from the NSEB syllabus, choose 10, 25 or 50 questions and the difficulty, and attempt it as a timed mock with solutions and weak-topic analysis, free, at https://shishya.in/exams/NSEB/build-mock. Questions can be read in Hindi and 12 other Indian languages inside the test.

How can I prepare for NSEB for free?

Shishya offers NSEB preparation 100% free: adaptive mock tests, previous-year papers, full syllabus with study notes (https://shishya.in/exams/NSEB/syllabus), subject-wise memory tricks (https://shishya.in/exams/NSEB/tricks), and an AI tutor in 22 Indian languages.

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Dashboard · Exams · NSEB

Olympiad

NSEB

National Standard Examination in Biology

HBCSE/IAPT Stage-1 biology olympiad. 80 MCQs in 3 hours covering cell biology, genetics, plant & animal physiology, ecology, and evolution.

72 days to exam(reported)80 Qs216 marks180 minNegative: −1📅 Dates & updates 📋 Full syllabus 🎯 Expected cutoff 🧠 Tricks & mnemonics 📖 How to crack it 🔁 Mistake Notebook

🎓 Preparing for NSEB? Get a free day-by-day plan to exam day. Rebuilt every morning around what you actually did — miss a day, nothing is lost.Build my plan →

~350 vacancies(indicative / typical)✓ Verify on Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) ↗

Updated 2 Sept 2026 ·Vacancy counts change every cycle — always confirm the exact number in the latest official notification before applying.

Share with your prep group:WhatsApp

Sourced

Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →

Free NSEB preparation on Shishya

Take expert-curated mocks, practise previous year papers, and Ask Shishya when you're stuck — verified by students who cleared the same path. All free, no credit card. Sign in with Google to begin.

✦ Try a NSEB question — free, no signup

Kingdom-level Classification

Kingdom Protista includes organisms that are:

Tap an option to check your answer.

Start with a diagnostic

10 questions across the syllabus to see where you stand.

Ask Shishya →

One email when the official result is out, nothing else.

🧩 Build your own mock — pick exact topics → · every mock readable in हिंदी + 12 languages inside the test

NSEB eligibility

Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.

Education: Currently studying in Class 11 or Class 12 in a recognised Indian school.
Attempts: One attempt per cycle.
Nationality: Indian citizen, OCI, or studying in Indian schools.

NSEB paper analysis — what actually got asked

Topic-by-topic weightage averaged across 2022-2024 papers. Use this to decide where to invest study hours, not where to skim. Source ↗ · verified 2026-05.

Cell + Molecular Biology

50/240 marks avg

Cell structure + biomolecules + genetics + biotech
~50 marks(21%)

Plant Biology

50/240 marks avg

Anatomy + physiology + ecology + evolution
~50 marks(21%)

Animal Biology

60/240 marks avg

Anatomy + physiology + human systems + reproduction
~60 marks(25%)

Ecology + Behaviour + Evolution

40/240 marks avg

Population + community + behaviour + Darwinian evolution
~40 marks(17%)

Biosystematics + Practicals

40/240 marks avg

Taxonomy + classification + applied biology
~40 marks(17%)

Takeaways for prep planning

NSEB material extends far beyond NCERT — Campbell Biology + Vander's Physiology + Plant Physiology by Taiz & Zeiger are the standard references.
Olympiad biology rewards depth, not just NEET-style breadth. Specifically prepare experimental + analytical questions.
The IBO international round includes practical exams — Stage 3+ candidates should practise dissections and lab techniques.

NSEB — Frequently asked questions

Is Shishya free for NSEB preparation?

Yes. Every NSEB mock test, previous-year paper, and study tool on Shishya is completely free — no subscription and no credit card. Shishya is community-verified, so questions are checked by students and educators who have cleared the same exam.

How many NSEB practice questions does Shishya have?

Shishya has 112 student-verified NSEB practice questions, available as adaptive mock tests with a worked solution for every question.

Are NSEB previous year question papers available?

Yes. Shishya has free NSEB previous-year papers covering 2021–2025 (5 years). Each is a timed practice set with full solutions.

How long is the NSEB exam?

The National Standard Examination in Biology (NSEB) runs for 3 hours. Shishya's mock tests mirror this duration so you can practise under real exam-time pressure.

Previous year papers

92 questions across all years

Some years hold a set of questions from that paper, not the full paper — each card shows how many.

2025
19 of 80 questions
Practise these →
2024
18 of 80 questions
Practise these →
2023
19 of 80 questions
Practise these →
2022
18 of 80 questions
Practise these →
2021
18 of 80 questions
Practise these →

Mock tests

All my attempts →

Take any mock in your preferred language — use the language picker inside the mock to switch (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and 15 more).

New to NSEB? Start small:a 25-question subject test first — 4 in 5 aspirants finish these; full mocks after your first win.Pick a subject test ↓

NSEB — Quick Practice
FULL
20 questions · 180 min
Start mock →
NSEB — Full-Length Mock (Real Pattern: 80Q · 180 min)
FULL
80 questions · 180 min
Start mock →

Practice by subject & topic

Full-length subject tests below — 25 questions each, real exam format, instant scoring. Want to drill a single topic? Every topic has its own 10-question test in the syllabus.

Biology
112 Qs

🎯 Build my own mock

Tell Shishya exactly what to test you on — topics, size, difficulty — and get a fresh mock in seconds. Leave the box blank and we'll target your weakest topics.

Questions

Difficulty

Your rank

vs everyone who has taken this exam

Take a mock to see where you stand on the leaderboard.

Students

Mocks taken

Average score

20%

Top score

20%

What can I get from NSEB?

Mock-score → expected rank → likely outcome. Use the mocks below to find your current band, then plan how many marks you need to climb.

Elite tier — Top 20 nationally
95–100% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Top 50 nationally — IBO contention
90–95% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
OCSC probable — National camp contenders
80–90% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
INBo top performers
70–80% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
INBo qualification likely
55–70% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
State-level qualification range
35–55% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Below qualification threshold
0–35% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)

AI-curated from historic cut-off patterns. Always verify with the latest official notification before making decisions.

See older updates →

Latest news

NSEB 2026 student enrolment begins 21 August 2026
20 d ago
Student enrolment for NSEB 2026 has commenced from 21 August 2026 and will remain open until 14 September 2026. The registration fee is ₹300 per student, payable online through the official IAPT portal.
Read full notice →
NSEB 2026 exam date confirmed as 22 November 2026
32 d ago
IAPT has confirmed the NSEB 2026 examination will be conducted on Sunday, 22 November 2026, from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. This is the first stage of India's Biology Olympiad programme leading to INBO and IBO.
Read full notice →
NSEB 2026 centre registration opens at iapt.org.in
40 d ago
The Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) has started centre registration for NSEB 2026 from 1 August 2026. Schools and junior colleges can register as examination centres through the official IAPT website until 20 August 2026.
Read full notice →
NSE 2025-26 results declared on 23 December 2025
78 d ago
The IAPT declared NSE results for the 2025-26 cycle on 23 December 2025. Toppers of NSEB have qualified for INBO 2026 (Stage 2), scheduled for February 2026.
Read full notice →

Important dates

NSEB 2026 centre registration starts
passed
Sat, 1 Aug, 2026
Schools and junior colleges register as exam centres
NSEB 2026 centre registration ends
passed
Thu, 20 Aug, 2026
NSEB 2026 student enrolment starts
passed
Fri, 21 Aug, 2026
Students can register through schools or individually via iapt.org.in
NSEB 2026 student enrolment deadline
3 days away
Mon, 14 Sept, 2026
Registration fee: ₹300 per student per subject
NSEB 2026 admit card release (expected)
50 days away
Sat, 31 Oct, 2026
Based on previous cycle; IAPT typically releases admit cards in late October
🏅NSEB 2026 exam (Stage 1)
72 days away
Sun, 22 Nov, 2026
Sunday, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM; OMR-based offline exam
NSEB 2026 result declaration (expected)
103 days away
Wed, 23 Dec, 2026
Based on previous cycle; results usually announced in late December
🏅INBO 2027 exam (Stage 2, expected)
143 days away
Mon, 1 Feb, 2027
Indian National Biology Olympiad for NSEB qualifiers; typically held in late January/early February

Syllabus

Tap any topic for its study notes + a 10-question topic test