NDA Biology Guide
How NDA Biology actually works
A 199-question analysis of the Biology half of GAT PART B from 2017 to 2026. We mapped the 9 chapter playbooks, the 50 most-tested named-fact pairs, the year-on-year drift (the paper has NOT hardened), and the distractor traps — so you can prep what the exam actually tests.
- Past-year questions
- 199
- Papers (2017–2026)
- 19
- Chapters
- 9
- Playbooks
- 9
How the 199 questions break down
All 9 chapters tested in NDA PART B Biology, sized by question count across the 2017–2026 bank. Sorted by share of bank.
| Chapter | Questions | Share | % HARD | Focus subtopics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Physiology | 55 | 27.6% | 2% | Connective and Epithelial Tissues (9 · the building-block tissues), Nervous System and Sense Organs (9 · neurons, reflex arc, eye), Nutrition, Vitamins and Minerals (8 · vitamin↔deficiency table), Digestive System and Enzymes (8 · 14% HARD), Circulatory and Lymphatic System (6 · heart, vessels, clotting), Endocrine System and Hormones (5), Respiratory System (5), Excretory and Reproductive Anatomy (3), Immune System (2). |
| Cell Biology | 46 | 23.1% | 2% | Cell Organelles and Functions (17 · ribosome/mitochondria/golgi/ER), Cell Structure Fundamentals (6), Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells (6), Osmosis and Tonicity (4 · 25% HARD — chapter's lone trap subtopic), Cell Wall and Cell Membrane (4), Cellular Respiration and ATP (5), Cell Division and DNA Replication (2), Microscopy (2). |
| Plant Biology | 30 | 15.1% | 3% | Plant Tissues and Meristems (12 · xylem/phloem/meristem), Photosynthesis (10 · light/dark reactions, chloroplast), Seed, Fruit and Embryo Development (4), Transpiration, Tropisms and Plant Processes (3 · 33% HARD — chapter's lone HARD pool), Vegetative Propagation (1). |
| Microbiology and Disease | 21 | 10.6% | 0% | Pathogens and Diseases (13 · disease↔pathogen pairs — the marquee recall lever), Antibiotics — Discovery (7 · Fleming-Penicillin, viruses immune to antibiotics), Disease Vectors — Malaria (1). Zero HARD across 10 years. |
| Reproduction | 16 | 8.0% | 6% | Angiosperm Reproduction — Pollination and Fertilization (9), Sexual Reproduction — Genetic Principles (3 · 33% HARD — chapter's lone HARD), Animal and Human Reproduction (3 · oestrus cycle), Meiosis and DNA in Flowering Plants (1). |
| Ecology and Environment | 11 | 5.5% | 0% | Environment and Biodiversity (5), Ecosystems, Biomes and Ecological Interactions (6 · biome characteristics, food chains). Zero HARD across 10 years. |
| Biodiversity and Classification | 12 | 6.0% | 0% | Animal Kingdom Classification (5 · phylum Porifera/sponges, arthropods), Plant Kingdom Classification (5 · bryophytes/pteridophytes), Kingdom Fungi (2). Zero HARD across 10 years. |
| Genetics and Evolution | 4 | 2.0% | 0% | Heredity and DNA (3 · base pairing A-T G-C, DNA structure), Theory of Evolution (1 · Darwin/Origin of Species). |
| Biochemistry | 4 | 2.0% | 0% | Food Spoilage — Rancidity and Browning (2), Anaerobic Respiration and Fermentation (1), Protein Structure (1 · peptide bonds). Tiny chapter, all EASY. |
What’s inside
Six sections, each answering a different question a candidate walks in with. Read top-to-bottom or jump to what you need.
Strategy
Recall, Apply, Verify — three skill strands matched to the bank's actual shape. Per-chapter must-drill subtopics and a ~22-hour time plan.
Playbooks
9 playbooks — one per chapter. The dominant subtopic shape, the traps, and the worked PYQs you need.
Reference tables
Single-page index of the ~50 named-fact pairs NDA Biology actually tests. 4 themed clusters — diseases ↔ pathogens, vitamins ↔ deficiencies, hormones ↔ glands, scientists ↔ discoveries.
Trends
How NDA Biology shifted 2017→2026 — Cell Biology grew, Microbiology faded, no hardening trend. Drill all 10 years equally.
Traps
Distractor shapes NDA Biology reuses — disease↔pathogen swap, vitamin↔deficiency swap, hormone↔gland swap, RNA-virus vs DNA-virus, monocot↔dicot trait swap.
Why we built this
Most NDA Biology prep splits two ways: a textbook chapter-list that doesn’t match the exam weights, or a flash-card grind without strategy. We’ve done the third thing: pull every question, tag every subtopic, look at the patterns.
Every claim on this site is verifiable. Click any “Drill these N questions →” link and you’ll see the exact set we’re talking about.
Data snapshot: 14 September 2026. Numbers refresh as new papers land.