Admissions test

The written test will be of three hours duration, and it will have two sections.

The first section, to be answered in two hours, will contain a total of 90 multiple choice questions distributed among several subjects as follows:

(a) 30 questions that test scientific literacy, technical comprehension, quantitative and logical reasoning.

(b) 20 questions on education, social sciences and cognitive sciences.

(c) 10 questions each on biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. The 10 questions in each subject will test the candidate's ability to apply concepts and reason with concepts in these subjects. The subject content covered by the questions will be up to the level of CBSE Std. XII.

The candidate is expected to answer a maximum of 50 questions from section one in a time duration of two hours. There is no negative marking. However, in case more than 50 questions are attempted, the score obtained will be normalized (i.e., proportionally decreased) to a score corresponding to 50 questions.

The second section will have the following questions to be answered in one hour.

(a) Describe briefly (in 300 words or less) any research topic of your interest related to science, mathematics or design and technology education. Provide arguments for why that research is important, and outline the possible educational outcomes of the research you have described. 

(b) Describe your response (in 300 words or less) to any one of the given issues in education. (Issues will be given in the question paper.)

(c) Write short notes (about 150 words each) on any two of the topics given . (Topics will be given in the question paper.)

Candidates who pass the written test will be required to appear for interview. The final selection will be based *only* on the performance in the interviews.

The pattern of the written test for PhD admission 2019 will be broadly similar to the tests conducted in the previous years (questions papers given below).

RS Question Set 2021 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2020 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2019 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2018 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2017 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2015 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2014 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2013 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2012 (click to download)

RS Question Set 2011 (click to download)