National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the Biotechnology Eligibility Test (BET) at different Centres located in various cities throughout the country on 13 May 2025 (Tuesday) in CBT Mode. The exam will be conducted for 180 minutes, from 10 AM to 1 PM.

NTA has released the BET admit card 2025 has been released on May 9, 2025. The admit card link is available on the official website exams.nta.ac.in/DBT. Download it with the application number and date of birth. 

Please check your Photo, Signature and Barcode in your Admit Card - Provisional. If any of the Photo, Signature and Barcode is missing, kindly Re-download it. 

BET Admit Card 2025

The Biotechnology Eligibility Test 2025 city intimation slip has been released on May 6, 2025. Candidates can download their exam city intimation slip on the official website exams.nta.ac.in/DBT using your Application Number and Date of Birth. You can also click on the below link to download the City intimation slip.

Direct Link to Download BET 2025 City Intimation Slip

Candidates may please note that this is NOT the Admit Card for BET 2025. This is an Advance information for the allotment of the City where the Examination Centre will be located, to facilitate the candidates. 

The Biotechnology Eligibility Test (BET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India. The Biotechnology Entrance exam after 12th is a national-level competitive examination. Biotechnology Eligibility Test primarily aims at selecting candidates for the DBT-Junior Research Fellowship (DBT-JRF) Program, which supports postgraduate students in pursuing research in the field of Biotechnology and allied areas.

The Biotechnology Eligibility Test 2025 assesses students' understanding of core biotechnology concepts, including molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, bioinformatics, and related subjects. BET is conducted in two categories:

  • Category I: Qualifies candidates for DBT-JRF funding under the Biotechnology Research Fellowships Program
  • Category II: Places candidates on a merit list for research positions in other DBT-funded projects.

General candidates need to pay a non-refundable and non-transferable application fee of INR 1300/-. It is also the same for OBC/ EWS candidates. SC/ST/PWD candidates need to pay an application fee of INR 650/-.

What is BET exam eligibility?

The eligibility for BET or Biotechnology Eligibility Test for General, EWS & OBC category is a minimum of 60% of marks.

  • For SC/ ST/ Differently Abled with a minimum of 55% of marks.

The Age limit also varies as per the category of the candidate

  • JRF 28 years for General & EWS category.
  • Relaxation up to 5 years (33 years) for SC/ ST/ PH/ women candidates.

What is the amount of BET fellowship?

DBT-JRF Fellowship is a fellowship for Biotechnology Eligibility test students. This Fellowship is offered by the Government of India for biotechnology scholars who clear the biotechnology eligibility test (BET). The fellowship amount is INR 25,000 per month for the first two years and INR 28,000 for the last three years.

BET 2025 Exam Dates

The NTA has announced the dates for the BET 2025 exam; candidates can check below.

Event Date/Details
Duration of Online Registration and Submission of Application Form for BET-2025 28 February to 28 March 2025 (up to 05:00 P.M)
Last Date for Submission of Examination Fee (through Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking Payment Modes up to 11:50 P.M) 28 March 2025 (up to 11:50 P.M)
Correction in the Particulars of Application Form Online Only 30 March 2025 to 31 March 2025
Date of Examination for BET-2025 13 May 2025 (Tuesday)
Duration of Examination 180 minutes (03 hours)
Timing of Examination 10:00 A.M. to 01:00 P.M.

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Highlights

The details of the Biotechnology entrance exam after 12th are as follows:

Particulars Details
Medium of Exam English 
Validity period Two years from the date of issuance of award letter
Fellowship duration Five years from the date of activation of fellowship
Fellowship amount

Rs. 37000 per month + HRASRF

Rs. 42,000/- p.m for the 3rd and subsequent years

Annual contingency grant of Rs. 30,000/- per year
Mode of examination Computer based test (CBT)
Number of seats 275
Time duration 3 hours
Maximum marks 300
Nature of questions MCQs
Number of questions 200
Pattern

Part-A 50 (Answer all 50 questions)

Part-B 150 (Answer any 50 questions)
Negative marking Negative marking: 1/3
Eligibility B.E./ B.Tech./ M.Sc./ M.Tech./ M.Sc./ Integrated M.Sc./ M.Tech. in Biotechnology, Life-Sciences or any other allied areas of Biologyor M.Sc./ M.Tech./ M.VSc./ M.Sc.(Agri) programs supported under the DBT Post Graduate Teaching Program.For General, EWS & OBC category with a minimum 60% of marksFor SC/ ST/ Differently Abled with a minimum of 55% of marks
Age limit For JRF 28 years for General & EWS category
  • Relaxation up to 5 years (33 years) for SC/ ST/ PH/ women candidates
  • Relaxation up to 3 years (31 years) for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates
Website https://exams.nta.ac.in/DBT

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Eligibility

To take the BET 2025, you must be eligible. The eligibility criteria are as follows:

Particulars Details
Academic Qualification
  • Bachelors (B.E./ B.Tech./ M.B.B.S.)
  • Masters (M.Sc./ M.Tech./ M.VSc./ M.Pharm./ Integrated M.Sc./M.Tech.) in any discipline of Biotechnology, Life-Sciences or any other allied areas of Biology.
  • Candidates admitted in any of the M.Sc./M.Tech./M.VSc./ M.Sc. (Agri) programs supported under the DBT Post Graduate Teaching Program shall be eligible to apply.
  • Candidates who are yet to appear in the final semester examination or are awaiting the result of the final semester examination are also eligible to apply.
Marks
  • Minimum 60% of marks for General, EWS & OBC category and 55% of marks for SC/ST/ Differently Abled in aggregate (or equivalent grade).
Age Limit
  • Up to 28 years of age as on the last date of application for General & EWS category.
  • Age relaxation of up to 5 years (33 years) is given for SC/ST/ Differently Abled/ women candidates
  • Relaxation upto 3 years (31 years) for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates.

BET 2025 Exam Pattern

The Biotechnology Eligibility Test (BET) will be held in one session on May 13, 2025 (10:00 am to 1:00 pm). The exam duration is three hours. The BET will be conducted online, and the medium of the question paper is English. The BET 2025 question paper is divided into two sections -

Section No. of Questions Marks
Section “A” 50 MCQs of 10+2 level in subjects - General Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, General Aptitude, Quantitative Ability and General Biotechnology. Each question carries one mark with negative marking of -1 for incorrect response
Section “B” 150 questions (MCQs) in specific areas of Biotechnology, where the candidate has to attempt at least 50 questions. Each question carries three marks, with a negative marking of 1 mark for each incorrect answer
Duration 3 hours in total

Candidates willing to apply must go through the BET 2025 eligibility criteria carefully. The last date to submit the BET 2025 application form is March 28, 2025 (11:50 pm).

What is the marking scheme for GAT B 2025?

The marking scheme for the BET exam is that the candidates will get three marks for a correct answer while one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

BET Syllabus 2025

The Biotechnology Eligibility Test syllabus consists of 2 parts. You must prepare for both parts to excel in the test.

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Syllabus Part A (General Biotechnology)

Candidates can check the BET 2025 exam syllabus for General Biotechnology from below.

  • Biomolecular structure and function
  • Methods in Biotechnology
  • Organization of structure and functions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
  • Cellular processes
  • Recombinant DNA Technology
  • Genetics, Phylogeny & Evolution
  • Genomics and Proteomics
  • IPR, Biosafety & Bioethics

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Syllabus Part B (Specialized Branches in Biotechnology)

Chapters Topics
Agricultural Biotechnology
  • Plant Biology, physiology, molecular biology, and seed technology
  • Tissue Culture, Transgenic Technologies and Biotechnology
  • Molecular Breeding and Genomics
  • Abiotic and Biotic Stress Biology
  • Biodiversity
Animal Biotechnology
  • Animal Physiology and Biochemistry
  • Histology and Embryology
  • Animal Parasitology
  • Animal Virology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Medicine and Surgery
  • Research Methodologies
M. Tech. Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology
  • Introductory Mathematics
  • Engineering Principles
  • Thermodynamics in Biological Systems
  • Downstream Processing in Biotechnology
  • Bio process Plant Design
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
  • Major Bioinformatics Resources
  • Database Searches
  • Sequence Analysis, Basic concepts
  • Classification and comparison of protein 3D structures
  • Application in drug design
Environmental Biotechnology
  • Basic Ecological Concepts and Principles
  • Chemistry of organic and inorganic chemicals polluting the Environment
  • Treatment of Typical Industrial Effluents
  • Environmental Pollution control
  • Environment-friendly technologies
  • Global environmental problems
Medical Biotechnology
  • Immuno Technology
  • Genetics in Medical Practice
  • CMI and Imaging techniques
  • Genetics of Neurogenetic Disorders
  • Components of genetic counseling
  • Infections of the Respiratory system
  • Host-pathogen interactions in a disease process
  • Proteomics based diagnosis
Molecular and Human Genetics
  • Cell Biology and Cytogenetics
  • Principles of Genetics
  • Human Genome
  • Common genetic disorders

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Results

Biotechnology Eligibility Test results are categorized into two merit lists:

  • "Category I" which allows for a fellowship in any Indian university/institute
  • "Category II" which enables candidates to join DBT sponsored projects through a selection process

The Category I usually comprises the top 275 candidates based on their BET performance. The last year's BET results are:

S. No. Category Category-I Last Qualifying Percentage (%) Category-I Last Qualifying Marks Category-II Last Qualifying Percentage (%) Category-II Last Qualifying Marks
1 Unreserved (UR) 72.00% 216 70.00% 210
2 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) 65.33% 196 63.33% 190
3 Other Backward Class – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) 63.33% 190 61.33% 184
4 Scheduled Caste (SC) 55.33% 166 53.33% 160
5 Scheduled Tribe (ST) 50.00% 150 48.00% 146
6 Differently abled (DA) 50.67% 152 48.67% 146

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Score

The minimum score required for the Biotechnology Eligibility Test (BET) depends on the category of the candidate.

  • General, EWS, and OBC: Minimum 60% marks in aggregate
  • SC/ST and Differently Abled: Minimum 55% marks in aggregate

The qualifying marks for Biotechnology Eligibility Test 2025 can be tentatively around:

  • Unreserved (UR): 210 marks
  • Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 190 marks
  • Other Backward Class – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL): 184 marks

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Choice Of Examination Cities

NTA will allow students to opt for any four different cities of their choice from the options provided in the application form.

  • The authorities will make an effort to allot one of the four opted cities
  • However, in certain cases, candidates may be allotted a different city due to administrative reasons.
  • No TA/ DA will be payable to candidates for appearing in the examination.

Biotechnology Eligibility Test Mode Of Application

A non-refundable and non-transferable application fee of INR 1300/-is payable by General/ OBC/ EWS candidates and INR 650/- by SC/ST/PWD candidates.

  • The Information Bulletin for filling the application form, payment of application fee and uploading of required documents/ certificates is available at http://dbtbet2025.ntaonline.in/ www.nta.ac.in.
  • Prescribed formats of category certificates and undertaking to be submitted by appearing/ result awaited candidates are available at http://dbtbet2025.ntaonline.in/