CSIR NET Physical Sciences Part A Syllabus

Part A syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Part A in CSIR NET Physical Sciences, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Analytical Reasoning

   14 topics

   • Syllogisms
   • Analogies
   • Directions
   • Coding-Decoding
   • Classification
   • Alphabet Series
   • Symbols and Notations
   • Similarities and Differences
   • Number Series
   • Blood Relationships
   • Arrangements
   • Statements
   • Data Sufficiency
   • Non-verbal Reasoning
     • Visual Ability
     • Graphical Analysis
     • Data Analysis
2. 2

   Quantitative Aptitude

   13 topics

   • Simplifications
   • Number System
   • Average
   • Algebra
   • PercentageTime & Work
   • Simple & Compound Interest
   • Time & Speed
   • HCF, LCM Problems
   • Area
   • Profit & Loss
   • Bar Graph, Pictorial Graph, Pie Chart
   • Ratio & Proportion
   • Permutation & Combination
3. 3

   Data Interpretation & Graphical Analysis

   5 topics

   • Mean
   • Median
   • Mode
   • Measures of Dispersion
   • Graphical Analysis
     • Bar Graph
     • Line Graph
     • Pie-Chart
     • Tabulation

Part A flashcards for CSIR NET Physical Sciences

24 of 51 cards from the Part A deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In syllogism, what is the rule about the middle term and the conclusion?

   The middle term (the common term in both premises) must NOT appear in the conclusion. The conclusion only links the two end terms; the middle term serves only to connect the premises.

2. For a valid syllogism, what condition must the middle term satisfy regarding distribution?

   The middle term must be distributed (cover the whole class) in at least one of the two premises; otherwise no valid conclusion follows.

3. In syllogisms, if both premises are particular (begin with 'Some'), what can be concluded?

   No definite conclusion can be drawn. At least one premise must be universal ('All' or 'No') for a valid conclusion.

4. In syllogisms, if both premises are negative, what is the conclusion?

   No valid conclusion is possible. At least one premise must be affirmative (positive).

5. State the rule about the 'quality' of the conclusion when one premise is negative in a syllogism.

   If one premise is negative, the conclusion must be negative. A negative premise forces a negative conclusion.

6. What is the basic principle for solving analogy questions of the form A : B :: C : ?

   Identify the specific relationship between the first pair A and B, then apply that exact same relationship to C to find the missing fourth term.

7. In the analogy 'Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?', what is the answer and what relationship type is used?

   Answer: School. Relationship type: worker to workplace (a person paired with the place where they work).

8. In number analogies, what relationship links the pair in '4 : 16 :: 5 : 25'?

   Each second number is the square of the first: $16 = 4^{2}$ and $25 = 5^{2}$. The relationship is $x : x^{2}$.

9. In a direction test, if you face North and turn 90° clockwise (to your right), which direction do you face?

   East. From North, a right (clockwise) turn of 90° gives East.

10. In direction problems, how do you compute the shortest (straight-line) distance between start and end points after several perpendicular moves?

    Find the net horizontal displacement and net vertical displacement, then apply the Pythagorean theorem: $d = \sqrt{x^{2} + y^{2}}$.

11. A person walks 3 km North then 4 km East. What is the shortest distance from the starting point?

    $\sqrt{3^{2} + 4^{2}} = \sqrt{9 + 16} = \sqrt{25} = 5$ km.

12. At sunrise, your shadow falls toward which direction, and what does this imply about the direction you face?

    At sunrise the Sun is in the East, so shadows fall toward the West. If your shadow is to your right, you are facing North.

13. In coding-decoding, what is 'letter-shift' (Caesar) coding?

    Each letter of the original word is replaced by another letter a fixed number of positions ahead or behind in the alphabet. E.g. shifting each letter +1: CAT becomes DBU.

14. In coding-decoding, decode the logic where 'CAT' is written as '3-1-20'.

    Each letter is replaced by its position number in the alphabet: C=3, A=1, T=20. This is positional (place-value) coding.

15. What is the position value of the letters M and N in the English alphabet, and why are they important?

    M = 13 and N = 14. They mark the midpoint of the 26-letter alphabet, useful for opposite-letter pairing where a letter and its opposite sum to 27 (e.g. A↔Z, M↔N).

16. In opposite-letter (complementary) coding, the opposite of a letter is found how? Give the opposite of letter G.

    Opposite letter = $27 -$ (position of the letter). G is 7th, so opposite position = $27 - 7 = 20$, which is T (the EJOTY/opposite rule: A↔Z).

17. What is the EJOTY rule used for in alphabet-series problems?

    It is a memory aid for letter positions: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25. From these anchors you quickly find any letter's position by counting up or down.

18. In a classification ('odd-one-out') question, what is the task?

    Identify the one item that does not share the common property or pattern possessed by all the other items in the group; that item is the odd one out.

19. From the group: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 — which is the odd one out and why?

    9 is the odd one out. All others (3, 5, 7, 11) are prime numbers, but $9 = 3 \times 3$ is composite.

20. In a continuous alphabet series like A, C, E, G, ?, what is the next term and the pattern?

    The pattern skips one letter each time (+2 positions): A→C→E→G→I. The next term is I.

21. In an alphabet series, how do you handle a backward (reverse) sequence such as Z, X, V, T, ?

    Recognize the step is $-2$ positions each time: Z→X→V→T→R. The next term is R.

22. In 'Symbols and Notations' questions, how should given symbol definitions (e.g. $P + Q$ means 'P is the father of Q') be interpreted?

    Each symbol is assigned an artificial meaning given in the question; you must substitute the stated meaning for each symbol and build the relationship exactly as defined, ignoring the symbol's normal arithmetic meaning.

23. In a mathematical-operation substitution problem, if $+$ means $\times$, $-$ means $+$, $\times$ means $\div$, and $\div$ means $-$, evaluate $6 + 2 - 4 \times 2$.

    Substitute: $6 \times 2 + 4 \div 2 = 12 + 2 = 14$. (Apply BODMAS after substitution.)

24. What order of operations (BODMAS/PEMDAS) governs simplification problems?

    Brackets, Orders (powers/roots), Division and Multiplication (left to right), then Addition and Subtraction (left to right).

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Planning Part A for CSIR NET Physical Sciences

Part A (CSIR NET Physical Sciences) FAQ