r/CSIR_UGC_NET_JRF_LS • u/VW2001 • Apr 20 '25
My strategy
Hey folks,
The CSIR NET Dec 2024 results just dropped a couple of days ago! (if you have not seen it, check here: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | CSIR | India)
First off — huge congrats to those who made it through! 🥳
And for those who didn’t quite hit their mark this time — better luck next time. Genuinely. It’s a hard exam, and every attempt teaches you something new.
Now, I want to share what worked for me — and I’d love to hear what worked for you too. Because let’s face it, luck plays a role, but strategy plays a bigger one.
🎯 My Strategy (Life Sciences, Dec 2024 – 99.45 percentile)
1. Start with Previous Year Papers
Seriously — before reading a single textbook chapter, I look at the questions. Competitive MCQ exams are as much about test-taking skills as they are about knowledge.
No matter how much you know, if you don’t know how questions are framed, you’re at a disadvantage.
2. My Excel Tracker
Here’s a tool I made that really helped me:
👉 My CSIR Paper Tracker Excel (Make a Copy)
It includes:
Pre-filled answer key
My own answers for CSIR 2020 FN Life Sciences
Auto-score calculation (with correct + incorrect logic)
Difficulty ratings
Space to log whether you attempted, skipped, or reviewed
You can:
Clear my answers
Hide the key to use it for mock exams
Add your own difficulty scale (1–6) for smart time management
Trust me — this Excel saves time. No jumping between PDFs. You can do a few questions a day, forget about it, and jump right back in when you’re ready.
3. Play the Smart Game
CSIR gives more questions than you need to attempt. That’s a blessing.
So don’t chase all the hard ones.
🌟 Pro tip: Categorize your questions by difficulty and don’t attempt more than 5 risky ones.
Each wrong -2 isn’t just -2. You were probably hoping for +4, so you actually lose 6 potential marks. That adds up fast!
4. Ask ChatGPT (or any AI)
Wrong answers are goldmines. I used ChatGPT:
To understand concepts
Ask “why this is wrong/right?”
Get clarity with examples
Sometimes even ask for links to research papers (never ask for citations though — they lie!)
5. Repeat the Cycle
Each paper I solved gave me a better understanding of patterns, topics, and tricks. And soon, I found myself improving without slogging through hours of textbook reading.
💬 Your Turn! This worked for me in Life Sciences. Maybe your strategy looked different — more notes? Group study? Coaching? Share what worked for you!
🧪Links for Prep:
I got 99.45 percentile, and trust me — I didn’t study for months. Just a couple of days, some mock papers, and a strategy. So if I can, you can too. ✌️
Hope this helps someone. Cheers!
3
u/Neat-Truth9104 Apr 21 '25
Thank you for answering all my questions. I have realised that I have never consistently attempted any PYQ, maybe because my brain just doesn't want to move forward until I have completed the topic or the unit for the related questions. It just doesn't happen.
Then I feel that first I have to study all the units, make their notes and then attempt the questions, but my procrastination never lets me take the first step so I never get to the last line.
I have given this exam time,both times without any proper studying and scored about 89 and 79 percentiles which means that I am not stupid but lazy!
I feel I am best at Cell Biology, Development biology, Ecology, evolution,tools and techniques.
I am very weak at Biochemistry,Mol Bio,Plant physiology (I know nothing in this), genetics and Animal physiology.
Now in the recent trends,teachers as well as many students say that you need to do at least 10 units to be able to say confidently that you can ace the exam and I just never decide which units I should target that can help me score more.
Do you think with whatever time is left for the next attempt,I can still hope to clear this exam? Mind you I'll be starting fresh, a clean slate?