NEET UG · Biology · Biotechnology: Principles and Processes

Cloning Vectors: 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: 2.1; model; history: 1.7 a paper on average, typically 1–3

Key findings

01
Asked in 9 of 10 papers, 18 questions in all: #17 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average.
02
63% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; 1 repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Origin of Replication (ori), asked 4 times (2020, 2024, 2026), usually as “identify vector feature by function”.
04
NEET has asked 10 of the 85 ideas in this topic; 63 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as one-line MCQ (56%); 61% easy, 0% hard, and up from 1.2 to 2.9 questions a paper since 2024.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.2; per paper
Since 2024: 2.9; +1.6
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±1.0; questions, year to year

Recent framings

match list on rDNA technology terms
statement I/II on plasmids
statement I/II on recombinant screening

Revise first

Origin of Replication (ori) (2020 2024 2026); Bioreactors (2019 2024 2025); Definition of a Plasmid (2026)

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 18 questions on Cloning Vectors since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

117

Easy11 · 61%
Medium7 · 39%
Hard0 · 0%

Format

One-line MCQ · 10 Q56%
Figure-based · 3 Q17%
Two statements · 2 Q11%
Match the lists · 2 Q11%
Other · 1 Q6%

Skill tested

Recall · 10 Q56%
Concept · 4 Q22%
Application · 2 Q11%
Figure reading · 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 10 of the 85 ideas in this topic. 63 have never been asked yet.

101263

Asked directly10 · 12%
Touched inside another question12 · 14%
Never asked63 · 74%

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%3/102
- 2026 · Q180
  Match List-I with List-II. List-I | List-II A. Transformation | I. Restriction enzyme B. Cloning site | II. Transfer DNA to host bacteria…
  easyMatch the lists
- 2024 · Q133
  What is the fate of a piece of DNA carrying only gene of interest which is transferred into an alien organism? A. The piece of DNA would…
  mediumOther
- 2024 · Q169
  The following diagram showing restriction sites in E.coli cloning vector pBR322. Find the role of 'X' and 'Y' genes:
  mediumFigure-based
- 2020 · Q78
  The sequence that controls the copy number of the linked DNA in the vector, is termed :
  easyOne-line MCQNew idea
Repeated3 · 17%17%3/10
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
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

12 different ideas were tested; 3 came more than once. Selectable Markers is the foundation for 34 other ideas in the syllabus.

Origin of Replication (ori)4×
identify vector feature by function
Figure-based · 11% next · foundation for 31
Bioreactors3×
identify equipment for industrial process
One-line MCQ · 11% next
Ti Plasmid and T-DNA2×
match organism with biotech use
Match the lists · 6% next · foundation for 9
Definition of a Plasmid1×
statement i/ii on plasmids
Two statements · 6% next
Blue-White Screening Outcomes1×
statement i/ii on recombinant screening
Two statements · 6% next
Recombinants as White Colonies1×
identify recombinant selection strategy from plasmid map
Figure-based · 6% next
BAC and YAC Vectors1×
odd-one-out among cloning vectors
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Rationale for Gold/Tungsten in Biolistics1×
identify material used in a method
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Single Recognition Sites1×
identify undesirable feature of cloning vector
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 2
PvuI/PstI Site Insertional Inactivation1×
predict outcome of insertional inactivation
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Downstream Processing1×
definition recall
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Selectable Markers1×
definition recall
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 34

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Origin of Replication (ori)identify vector feature by function	4	Figure-basedRecall	11%	31 ideas
Bioreactorsidentify equipment for industrial process	3	One-line MCQConcept	11%	–
Ti Plasmid and T-DNAmatch organism with biotech use	2	Match the listsRecall	6%	9 ideas
Definition of a Plasmidstatement i/ii on plasmids	1	Two statementsRecall	6%	–
Blue-White Screening Outcomesstatement i/ii on recombinant screening	1	Two statementsConcept	6%	–
Recombinants as White Coloniesidentify recombinant selection strategy from plasmid map	1	Figure-basedApplication	6%	–
BAC and YAC Vectorsodd-one-out among cloning vectors	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Rationale for Gold/Tungsten in Biolisticsidentify material used in a method	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Single Recognition Sitesidentify undesirable feature of cloning vector	1	One-line MCQConcept	4%	2 ideas
PvuI/PstI Site Insertional Inactivationpredict outcome of insertional inactivation	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	–
Downstream Processingdefinition recall	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Selectable Markersdefinition recall	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	34 ideas

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

Cloning Vectors 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

Q168
Given below are two statements: Statement I: Plasmids are autonomously replicating DNA. Statement II: Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA.…
Idea: Definition of a Plasmid
New ideaEasyTwo statements
Q180
Match List-I with List-II. List-I | List-II A. Transformation | I. Restriction enzyme B. Cloning site | II. Transfer DNA to host bacteria…
Idea: Origin of Replication (ori)
EasyMatch the lists

NEET 20253 questions

Q115
In the above represented plasmid an alien piece of DNA is inserted at EcoRI site. Which of the following strategies will be chosen to…
Idea: Recombinants as White Colonies
New ideaMediumFigure-based · figure
Q126
Identify the part of a bio-reactor which is used as a foam braker from the given figure.
Idea: Bioreactors
Asked last yearMediumFigure-based · figure
Q179
The blue and white selectable markers have been developed which differentiate recombinant colonies from non-recombinant colonies on the…
Idea: Blue-White Screening Outcomes
New ideaEasyTwo statements

NEET 20244 questions

Q133
What is the fate of a piece of DNA carrying only gene of interest which is transferred into an alien organism? A. The piece of DNA would…
Idea: Origin of Replication (ori)
MediumOther
Q165
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
Idea: Bioreactors
MediumOne-line MCQ
Q169
The following diagram showing restriction sites in E.coli cloning vector pBR322. Find the role of 'X' and 'Y' genes:
Idea: Origin of Replication (ori)
MediumFigure-based · figure
Q180
The 'Ti plasmid' of Agrobacterium tumefaciens stands for:
Idea: Ti Plasmid and T-DNA
EasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20232 questions

Q127
In gene gun method used to introduce alien DNA into host cells, microparticles of ________ metal are used.
Idea: Rationale for Gold/Tungsten in Biolistics
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ
Q158
Which of the following is not a cloning vector?
Idea: BAC and YAC Vectors
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20221 question

Q199
Which of the following is not a desirable feature of a cloning vector ?
Idea: Single Recognition Sites
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20211 question

Q147
Plasmid pBR322 has PstI restriction enzyme site within gene $amp^{R}$ that confers ampicillin resistance. If this enzyme is used for…
Idea: PvuI/PstI Site Insertional Inactivation
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20202 questions

Q27
Match the organism with its use in biotechnology. (a) Bacillus thuringiensis | (i) Cloning vector (b) Thermus aquaticus | (ii)…
Idea: Ti Plasmid and T-DNA
New ideaMediumMatch the lists
Q78
The sequence that controls the copy number of the linked DNA in the vector, is termed :
Idea: Origin of Replication (ori)
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20191 question

Q113
Which one of the following equipments is essentially required for growing microbes on a large scale, for industrial production of enzymes ?
Idea: Bioreactors
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20172 questions

Q115
The process of separation and purification of expressed protein before marketing is called :
Idea: Downstream Processing
EasyOne-line MCQ
Q132
A gene whose expression helps to identify transformed cell is known as :
Idea: Selectable Markers
EasyOne-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.