NEET UG · Biology · Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Genetic Code and Translation: NEET previous year questions

12 questions in ten years of NEET, in 8 of 10 papers. Pattern: Every year. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Asked in 10 years: 12; about 1.2 per paper
Years asked: 8/10; last asked 2025
Chance of a question next paper: 64%; historical rate, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 0.9; model; history: 1.2 a paper on average, typically 0–2

Key findings

01
Asked in 8 of 10 papers, 12 questions in all: #60 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average. Last asked in 2025.
02
73% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; none repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Ribosome Structure and Role, asked 2 times (2021, 2023), usually as “recall number of items”.
04
NEET has asked 9 of the 86 ideas in this topic; 72 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as one-line MCQ (75%); 50% easy, 8% hard, and down from 1.4 to 0.7 questions a paper since 2024.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.4; per paper
Since 2024: 0.7; -0.7
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±0.7; questions, year to year

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 12 questions on Genetic Code and Translation since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

Easy6 · 50%
Medium5 · 42%
Hard1 · 8%

Format

One-line MCQ · 9 Q75%
Two statements · 2 Q17%
Numerical · 1 Q8%

Skill tested

Recall · 6 Q50%
Concept · 4 Q33%
Application · 2 Q17%

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 9 of the 86 ideas in this topic. 72 have never been asked yet.

972

Asked directly9 · 10%
Touched inside another question5 · 6%
Never asked72 · 84%

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

Repeated2 · 17%17%2/10
- 2019 · Q172
  Under which of the following conditions will there be no change in the reading frame of following mRNA ? 5′ AACAGCGGUGCUAUU 3′
  mediumOne-line MCQ
- 2017 · Q130
  If there are 999 bases in an RNA that codes for a protein with 333 amino acids, and the base at position 901 is deleted such that the…
  mediumNumericalNew idea
Repeated2 · 17%17%2/10
Repeated2 · 17%17%2/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%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

9 different ideas were tested; 3 came more than once. Properties of Genetic Code is the foundation for 35 other ideas in the syllabus.

Ribosome Structure and Role2×
recall number of items
One-line MCQ · 6% next · foundation for 31
Properties of Genetic Code2×
statement i/ii on genetic code
One-line MCQ · 6% next · foundation for 35
Frameshift Mutations and the Reading Frame2×
predict effect of mutation on reading frame
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 2
George Gamow's Triplet Code Proposition1×
identify scientist for a discovery
One-line MCQ · 6% next · foundation for 2
tRNA as Adapter Molecule1×
statement i/ii on rna functions
Two statements · 6% next · foundation for 33
Translation Initiation Complex Formation1×
definition recall
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 2
First Step of Aminoacylation: AA Activation1×
identify first step of a process
One-line MCQ · 4% next
23S rRNA as a Ribozyme1×
correct match among genetics terms
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Polysomes / Polyribosomes1×
definition recall
One-line MCQ · 4% next

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Ribosome Structure and Rolerecall number of items	2	One-line MCQConcept	6%	31 ideas
Properties of Genetic Codestatement i/ii on genetic code	2	One-line MCQConcept	6%	35 ideas
Frameshift Mutations and the Reading Framepredict effect of mutation on reading frame	2	NumericalApplication	4%	2 ideas
George Gamow's Triplet Code Propositionidentify scientist for a discovery	1	One-line MCQRecall	6%	2 ideas
tRNA as Adapter Moleculestatement i/ii on rna functions	1	Two statementsConcept	6%	33 ideas
Translation Initiation Complex Formationdefinition recall	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	2 ideas
First Step of Aminoacylation: AA Activationidentify first step of a process	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
23S rRNA as a Ribozymecorrect match among genetics terms	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Polysomes / Polyribosomesdefinition recall	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

Genetic Code and Translation questions, year by year

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

NEET 20252 questions

Q114
Given below are two statements : Statement I : Transfer RNAs and ribosomal RNA do not interact with mRNA. Statement II : RNA interference…
Idea: tRNA as Adapter Molecule
New ideaMediumTwo statements
Q163
Who proposed that the genetic code for amino acids should be made up of three nucleotides?
Idea: George Gamow's Triplet Code Proposition
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20231 question

Q146
How many different proteins does the ribosome consist of?
Idea: Ribosome Structure and Role
HardOne-line MCQ

NEET 20221 question

Q130
The process of translation of mRNA to proteins begins as soon as :
Idea: Translation Initiation Complex Formation
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20212 questions

Q157
Which of the following RNAs is not required for the synthesis of protein ?
Idea: Ribosome Structure and Role
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ
Q186
Statement I : The codon 'AUG' codes for methionine and phenylalanine. Statement II : 'AAA' and 'AAG' both codons code for the amino acid…
Idea: Properties of Genetic Code
EasyTwo statements

NEET 20201 question

Q33
The first phase of translation is :
Idea: First Step of Aminoacylation: AA Activation
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20192 questions

Q154
Which of the following features of genetic code does allow bacteria to produce human insulin by recombinant DNA technology ?
Idea: Properties of Genetic Code
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ
Q172
Under which of the following conditions will there be no change in the reading frame of following mRNA ? 5′ AACAGCGGUGCUAUU 3′
Idea: Frameshift Mutations and the Reading Frame
MediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20182 questions

Q102
Select the correct match :
Idea: 23S rRNA as a Ribozyme
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ
Q174
Many ribosomes may associate with a single mRNA to form multiple copies of a polypeptide simultaneously. Such strings of ribosomes are…
Idea: Polysomes / Polyribosomes
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20171 question

Q130
If there are 999 bases in an RNA that codes for a protein with 333 amino acids, and the base at position 901 is deleted such that the…
Idea: Frameshift Mutations and the Reading Frame
MediumNumerical

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