ICAR AIEEA Exam Pattern 2026: PG and PhD Marking Scheme

The ICAR AIEEA exam pattern decides how you spend two hours on exam day, and it is simpler than most aspirants expect. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission (AIEEA) PG on behalf of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It is held on the same day as the AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) test. The 2026 papers were held on 4 July 2026 as a computer-based test, and the results were declared at the end of August 2026.

This guide explains the current paper for PG, the matching PhD paper, and what happened to the old UG exam. It also covers the marking scheme with a worked example and how to use the pattern to plan your time. One thing has changed in recent years. Many older pages still describe a 150-question paper or a separate AIEEA UG exam. Neither applies now.

Table of Contents

ICAR AIEEA Exam Pattern

The table below sums up the 2026 cycle for both the PG and PhD papers. The details come from the official NTA information bulletins.

There is no separate preliminary and main stage. A single paper decides your all-India rank, and that rank is used in ICAR counselling.

ICAR AIEEA PG Exam Pattern

The PG paper is a single objective test of 120 questions in 120 minutes. You do not write a common paper for everyone. Instead, you choose one Major Subject Group in the application form, and your question paper is set from the ICAR syllabus for that group.

The official bulletin does not split the paper into fixed sections with separate timers. You can move freely between questions and review marked questions until time runs out. This freedom helps, but it also means nobody stops you from spending too long on one difficult question.

Level of questions

Questions are set at the level of the bachelor's degree in your subject group. Many subject groups also include a general agriculture unit. It covers the role of agriculture in the economy, crop production basics, soils, cell biology, plant physiology, rural development and basic statistics. So even a specialist paper such as Horticulture or Social Sciences carries questions from the wider agriculture base you studied in your first two years of graduation.

How the computer-based test works

The paper appears one question at a time on screen, with a question palette on the side. The palette shows which questions you have answered, skipped or marked for review.

• Save every answer: In the NTA interface, an option is recorded when you save it. Get into the habit of using the save button in every mock.

• Use mark for review sparingly: It is useful for questions you plan to revisit, but a long list of marked questions in the last ten minutes creates pressure.

• Watch the on-screen timer: The test closes automatically when the 120 minutes end, so pace yourself against the clock rather than your watch.

Major Subject Groups in the PG Paper

The 2026-27 bulletin lists 20 Major Subject Groups covering 81 sub-subjects. You pick the group at the time of applying. The specific sub-subject, such as Agronomy or Plant Pathology, is chosen later during counselling, based on your rank and eligibility.

Choose your group carefully. Your rank is prepared within the group you appear in, and it decides which sub-subjects you can opt for in counselling. For example, a candidate who appears in Plant Sciences competes for Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Seed Science and Technology, and Plant Genetic Resources.

ICAR AIEEA Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

The marking scheme is the same for the PG and PhD papers.

Unanswered questions carry no penalty. Only a wrong answer costs you a mark. A question marked for review but not answered is treated as unattempted.

Worked example of score calculation

Suppose a candidate attempts 105 questions, gets 88 right and 17 wrong, and leaves 15 blank.

• Marks for correct answers: 88 x 4 = 352

• Deduction for wrong answers: 17 x 1 = 17

• Final score: 352 - 17 = 335 out of 480

Now compare a second candidate who attempts all 120 questions but gets only 84 right and 36 wrong. The score is 336 - 36 = 300. Fewer careless attempts and better accuracy produced a much higher score for the first candidate.

What the Pattern Means for You

Numbers in a pattern table only become useful when you turn them into a plan. Here is what this pattern tells you.

• One minute per question: With 120 questions in 120 minutes, you have an average of 60 seconds each. Factual questions should take 20 to 30 seconds, which buys time for numerical and statement-based questions.

• A wrong answer costs five marks of swing: You lose the 4 marks you could have earned and 1 more as penalty. Accuracy matters more than the attempt count.

• Smart guessing can pay: On a typical four-option question, a blind guess has a small positive expected value. If you can eliminate even one option confidently, the odds improve clearly. Guess only after elimination, never blindly across a whole block.

• The general agriculture unit is shared marks: It appears in many subject groups and is the easiest area to make fully scoring. Do not leave it for the last week.

• Rank, not marks, gets you a seat: Because admission is through rank in counselling, a few extra correct answers can move you past many candidates in a competitive subject.

AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Exam Pattern

The All India Competitive Examination for JRF/SRF (PhD) is conducted by NTA on the same day as the PG paper. It is used for PhD admission and for the award of ICAR Junior and Senior Research Fellowships in the agricultural university system.

The format mirrors the PG paper, but the depth is very different. PhD questions are set at the Master's level. For example, the Genetics and Plant Breeding syllabus runs to eight units, from cytogenetics and biometrical genetics to breeding for stress resistance and field plot techniques. Expect more application and analysis questions than in the PG paper.

What Happened to ICAR AIEEA UG

ICAR no longer holds a separate AIEEA UG paper. Admission to ICAR's quota of bachelor's seats now happens through CUET (ICAR-UG), which uses the scores of the Common University Entrance Test (UG) conducted by NTA.

• Seat share: CUET (ICAR-UG) fills 20% of seats in agricultural universities for agriculture and allied subjects other than veterinary science. Some institutions, such as RLBCAU Jhansi, Dr. RPCAU Pusa, ICAR-NDRI Karnal and ICAR-IVRI Izatnagar, fill all their seats this way.

• Subjects to take: Candidates must take at least three subjects out of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Agriculture in CUET, matching the combination their chosen programme requires.

• Pattern to follow: The question paper follows the CUET (UG) pattern for those domain subjects, not an ICAR-specific paper.

So if a page still shows an "ICAR AIEEA UG exam pattern" with 150 questions across Physics, Chemistry and Biology, it is out of date.From Score to Seat: Rank, Counselling and Scholarship

Your score turns into an all-India rank within your Major Subject Group, and ICAR uses that rank for online counselling. In 2026, round 1 registration and choice filling opened on 29 September 2026 on the official ICAR counselling portal.

• Seats covered: AIEEA (PG) fills 30% of Master's seats in agricultural universities and all Master's seats at IARI, IVRI, NDRI, CIFE, RLBCAU Jhansi and Dr. RPCAU Pusa. The bulletin puts total all-India quota seats for 2025-26 at 4,883.

• Reservation: SC 15% and ST 7.5%, with OBC (NCL) and EWS as per government rules. PwBD (5%) and candidates from remote and underprivileged states (2%) get horizontal reservation.

• ICAR-PG Scholarship: Meritorious admitted students receive Rs. 12,640 per month for two years, plus a contingency grant of Rs. 6,000 a year. The number of scholarships per subject depends on how many candidates appear, so a good rank matters for funding too.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

A clear plan for the 120 minutes stops you from losing marks to panic or to one stubborn question.

1. First pass (about 60 to 70 minutes): Answer every question you know with confidence. Mark anything that needs calculation or careful reading and move on.

2. Second pass (about 35 to 40 minutes): Return to marked questions. Solve the numericals, and attempt statement questions where you can eliminate options.

3. Final check (last 10 to 15 minutes): Confirm that every intended answer is saved. Make careful elimination-based guesses only where you have narrowed the choices.

Practise this exact routine before the exam. The pattern rewards candidates who have already sat several timed, full-length papers on a computer. For realistic practice in this format.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing the wrong subject group: Check which group matches your degree and the sub-subjects you want before you submit the form.

• Ignoring the general agriculture unit: It carries easy marks in many groups and is often under-prepared by specialists.

• Blind guessing at the end: Random answers across many questions can cancel out hard-earned marks.

• Preparing from old pattern guides: Use the latest bulletin rather than a guide written for the older exam format.

Pattern Changes and Outdated Information

The current paper has a simple format: 120 questions, 480 marks, 2 hours, English medium, and +4/-1 marking. Older pages may still show a 150-question paper, three fixed sections or a separate AIEEA UG test. Follow the official information bulletin on the NTA ICAR portal for each new cycle. The format has stayed the same in recent cycles, but NTA can revise details in a new notification.

Once you know the pattern, map your subject group to its topics using the syllabus. Then check your eligibility and build a weekly schedule of timed practice.