NEET UG · Biology · Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom: Basis of Classification and Non-chordates: NEET previous year questions

18 questions in ten years of NEET, in 9 of 10 papers. Pattern: Every year. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Asked in 10 years: 18; about 1.7 per paper
Years asked: 9/10; last asked 2026
Chance of a question next paper: 84%; historical rate, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 1.8; model; history: 1.7 a paper on average, typically 1–2

Key findings

01
Asked in 9 of 10 papers, 18 questions in all: #20 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average.
02
50% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; 5 repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Distinctive Structures of Phyla, asked 4 times (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024), usually as “match list on animal phyla features”.
04
NEET has asked 0 of the 12 ideas in this topic; 0 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as one-line MCQ (39%); 33% easy, 0% hard.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.6; per paper
Since 2024: 1.9; 0.3
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±0.9; questions, year to year

Recent framings

identify mode of respiration in organism
statement I/II on body symmetry
count correct statements on animal phylum functions

Revise first

Body Symmetry (2023 2026); Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate and Coelomate (2024 2025); Distinctive Structures of Phyla (2019 2020 2021 2024)

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 18 questions on Animal Kingdom: Basis of Classification and Non-chordates since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

612

Easy6 · 33%
Medium12 · 67%
Hard0 · 0%

Format

One-line MCQ · 7 Q39%
Other · 5 Q28%
Match the lists · 5 Q28%
Two statements · 1 Q6%

Skill tested

Recall · 16 Q89%
Application · 2 Q11%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a paper. Blue questions tested an idea NEET had not asked before; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier paper. 2017 is the first paper, so everything in it counts as new.

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier paper

Coverage of the topic

NEET has asked 0 of the 12 ideas in this topic. 0 have never been asked yet.

Asked directly0 · 0%
Touched inside another question12 · 100%
Never asked0 · 0%

Ideas come from Lumi’s syllabus map of NCERT. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: most new questions come from exactly these.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea NEET tested in this topic, with its ten papers. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Repeated4 · 22%22%4/10
- 2024 · Q176
  Match List I with List II List-I | List-II A. Pleurobrachia | I. Mollusca B. Radula | II. Ctenophora C. Stomochord | III. Osteichthyes D.…
  mediumMatch the lists
- 2021 · Q152
  Match List - I with List - II. List - I | List - II (a) Metamerism | (i) Coelenterata (b) Canal system | (ii) Ctenophora (c) Comb plates |…
  easyMatch the listsAsked the year before
- 2020 · Q9
  Match the following columns and select the correct option. Column - I | Column - II (a) Gregarious, polyphagous pest | (i) Asterias (b)…
  mediumMatch the listsAsked the year before
- 2019 · Q157
  Match the following organisms with their respective characteristics : (a) Pila | (i) Flame cells (b) Bombyx | (ii) Comb plates (c)…
  mediumMatch the listsNew idea
Repeated3 · 17%17%3/10
Repeated2 · 11%11%2/10
Repeated2 · 11%11%2/10
Repeated2 · 11%11%2/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10

Squares are the ten papers, 2017 to 2026; darker means more questions. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

10 different ideas were tested; 5 came more than once.

Distinctive Structures of Phyla4×
match list on animal phyla features
Match the lists · 6% next
Phyla Sharing Combined Features3×
identify phylum by symmetry and coelom
Other · 6% next
Body Symmetry2×
identify phylum by symmetry and coelom
One-line MCQ · 6% next
Porifera2×
identify mode of respiration in organism
One-line MCQ · 6% next
Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate and Coelomate2×
identify phylum by symmetry and coelom
Other · 6% next
Echinodermata1×
count correct statements on animal phylum functions
Other · 6% next
Common Names of Animals1×
match list on animals and common names
Match the lists · 4% next
Earthworm Morphology1×
count correct statements on earthworm structure
Other · 4% next
Direct and Indirect Development1×
odd-one-out among animals
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Hemichordata1×
count correct statements on chordate features
One-line MCQ · 4% next

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Distinctive Structures of Phylamatch list on animal phyla features	4	Match the listsRecall	6%	–
Phyla Sharing Combined Featuresidentify phylum by symmetry and coelom	3	OtherRecall	6%	–
Body Symmetryidentify phylum by symmetry and coelom	2	One-line MCQRecall	6%	–
Poriferaidentify mode of respiration in organism	2	One-line MCQRecall	6%	–
Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate and Coelomateidentify phylum by symmetry and coelom	2	OtherApplication	6%	–
Echinodermatacount correct statements on animal phylum functions	1	OtherRecall	6%	–
Common Names of Animalsmatch list on animals and common names	1	Match the listsRecall	4%	–
Earthworm Morphologycount correct statements on earthworm structure	1	OtherRecall	4%	–
Direct and Indirect Developmentodd-one-out among animals	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Hemichordatacount correct statements on chordate features	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–

Chance next is the historical rate at which an idea with this record came back in the following paper. It is low for every idea, which is why learning the topic beats memorising past questions. All repeated ideas

Every question

Animal Kingdom: Basis of Classification and Non-chordates questions, year by year

The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested.

NEET 20262 questions

Q107
Given below are two statements: Statement I: When any plane passing through the central axis of the body divides the organism into two…
Idea: Body Symmetry
MediumTwo statements
Q150
Sponges exchange $O_2$ with $CO_2$ by
Idea: Porifera
EasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20252 questions

Q109
While trying to find out the characteristic of a newly found animal, a researcher did the histology of adult animal and observed a cavity…
Idea: Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate and Coelomate
Asked last yearMediumOne-line MCQ
Q166
Role of the water vascular system in Echinoderm is: A. Respiration and Locomotion B. Excretion and Locomotion C. Capture and transport of…
Idea: Echinodermata
New ideaMediumOther

NEET 20242 questions

Q176
Match List I with List II List-I | List-II A. Pleurobrachia | I. Mollusca B. Radula | II. Ctenophora C. Stomochord | III. Osteichthyes D.…
Idea: Distinctive Structures of Phyla
MediumMatch the lists
Q184
Consider the following statements: A. Annelids are true coelomates B. Poriferans are pseudocoelomates C. Aschelminthes are acoelomates D.…
Idea: Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate and Coelomate
New ideaEasyOther

NEET 20231 question

Q167
Radial symmetry is NOT found in adults of phylum ________.
Idea: Body Symmetry
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20214 questions

Q151
Read the following statements. (a) Metagenesis is observed in Helminths. (b) Echinoderms are triploblastic and coelomate animals. (c)…
Idea: Phyla Sharing Combined Features
Asked last yearMediumOther
Q152
Match List - I with List - II. List - I | List - II (a) Metamerism | (i) Coelenterata (b) Canal system | (ii) Ctenophora (c) Comb plates |…
Idea: Distinctive Structures of Phyla
Asked last yearEasyMatch the lists
Q175
Match the following : List - I | List - II (a) Physalia | (i) Pearl oyster (b) Limulus | (ii) Portuguese Man of War (c) Ancylostoma |…
Idea: Common Names of Animals
New ideaMediumMatch the lists
Q197
Following are the statements about prostomium of earthworm. (a) It serves as a covering for mouth. (b) It helps to open cracks in the soil…
Idea: Earthworm Morphology
New ideaMediumOther

NEET 20202 questions

Q9
Match the following columns and select the correct option. Column - I | Column - II (a) Gregarious, polyphagous pest | (i) Asterias (b)…
Idea: Distinctive Structures of Phyla
Asked last yearMediumMatch the lists
Q87
Bilaterally symmetrical and acoelomate animals are exemplified by :
Idea: Phyla Sharing Combined Features
Asked last yearEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20192 questions

Q100
Consider following features : (a) Organ system level of organisation (b) Bilateral symmetry (c) True coelomates with segmentation of body…
Idea: Phyla Sharing Combined Features
New ideaMediumOther
Q157
Match the following organisms with their respective characteristics : (a) Pila | (i) Flame cells (b) Bombyx | (ii) Comb plates (c)…
Idea: Distinctive Structures of Phyla
New ideaMediumMatch the lists

NEET 20181 question

Q151
Which of the following animals does not undergo metamorphosis ?
Idea: Direct and Indirect Development
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20172 questions

Q139
In case of poriferans, the spongocoel is lined with flagellated cells called
Idea: Porifera
EasyOne-line MCQ
Q160
An important characteristic that Hemichordates share with Chordates is :
Idea: Hemichordata
MediumOne-line MCQ

Questions from the official NEET UG papers published by NTA (CBSE before 2019). Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.