NEET 2025 drew 4 of its Biotechnology MCQs straight from Chapter 9. This chapter is a top-five NEET yield topic and a CBSE Board favourite for rDNA workflow questions. The NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Biology Chapter 9 PDF on this page hosts 38 practice problems mapped against the 2026-27 syllabus.
- 38 Exemplar problems across MCQ, VSA, SA, and LA types
- Covers restriction enzymes, cloning vectors, rDNA workflow, PCR, and bioreactors
- CBSE Weightage: 5 to 7 marks | NEET Weightage: 3 to 5 questions per paper
Note on numbering: The NCERT Exemplar print labels this as Chapter 11 (pre-rationalisation). In the 2026-27 textbook order, Biotechnology - Principles and Processes is Chapter 9. Same 38 problems.
NCERT Exemplar Question-Type Breakdown for Class 12 Biology Chapter 9 Biotechnology - Principles and Processes
NEET aspirants should prioritise MCQ and MCQ-II. CBSE-only students should prioritise SA and LA, which mirror the Board long-answer style. The Exemplar leans heavily on MCQ because rDNA tools are recall-driven.
| Type | Count | Marks Each | Total Marks | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) | 12 | 1 | 12 | NEET single-correct |
| MCQ-II (multiple correct) | 5 | 1 | 5 | NEET assertion-reason / multi-select |
| Very Short Answer (VSA) | 9 | 1 | 9 | NEET 1-mark recall |
| Short Answer (SA) | 8 | 2-3 | ~20 | CBSE Board SA |
| Long Answer (LA) | 4 | 5 | 20 | CBSE Board LA |
The 12 MCQ + 5 MCQ-II + 9 VSA stack (26 items) is the NEET-prep core. The 8 SA + 4 LA stack (12 items) is the CBSE-Boards core. Solve the NEET core on Day 1.
Why Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Practice Beats Reading the Chapter Twice
NEET 2024 and NEET 2025 both reused the Exemplar's restriction-enzyme MCQ scaffold. The answer-options bank in this PDF is uniquely close to the NEET examiner's style. Three reasons it works:
- Exemplar item language matches NEET answer-key language verbatim for terms like palindrome, sticky end, selectable marker, multiple cloning site, sparger, and downstream processing.
- The MCQ-II format (multiple correct answers per stem) is the only practice in NCERT material that mirrors NEET's assertion-reason items.
- The SA items on "why eukaryotes lack restriction enzymes" and "features of a good cloning vector" are CBSE Board favourites year on year.
Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Topic Coverage Inside the NCERT Exemplar PDF
| NCERT Section | Topic | Exemplar Items |
|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | Principles of biotechnology, EFB definition, history | 3 items (MCQ + VSA) |
| 9.2 | Restriction enzymes, nomenclature, palindrome, sticky / blunt ends | 10 items (MCQ + SA + LA) |
| 9.2 | Cloning vectors (pBR322, lambda, cosmid, Ti), competent host, transformation | 9 items (MCQ + VSA + SA) |
| 9.3 | rDNA workflow, isolation, ligation, selection of transformants | 8 items (MCQ-II + SA + LA) |
| 9.3 | PCR, gel electrophoresis | 5 items (MCQ + VSA + SA) |
| 9.3 | Bioreactors (stirred-tank, sparged), downstream processing | 3 items (MCQ + VSA) |
The restriction-enzymes block (10 items) is the largest, mirroring the chapter's actual NEET weight. The rDNA-workflow block carries the highest CBSE-mark return.
Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Question Highlights to Solve First
Five must-solve Exemplar items:
1. MCQ on EcoRI nomenclature decode (reused in NEET 2025). 2. MCQ on PCR temperature triplet (reused in NEET 2024). 3. VSA on the role of CaCl2 in transformation. 4. SA on why eukaryotes lack restriction enzymes (CBSE 2024 Board). 5. LA on the nine-step rDNA workflow (CBSE 2023, 2025 Boards).
How to Use This Exemplar PDF Alongside the NCERT Chapter
- Pass 1 (Day 1, 2 hours): Read NCERT Sections 9.1 and 9.2. Then solve the 10 restriction-enzyme Exemplar items and the 9 vector items.
- Pass 2 (Day 2, 2 hours): Read NCERT Section 9.3. Then solve the 8 rDNA-workflow items and 5 PCR/gel items.
- Pass 3 (Day 3, 1 hour): Solve the 3 bioreactor items and revise the LA-2 (rDNA 9-step workflow) word-perfectly.
Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Video Lecture for Class 12 Biology
Source: Competition Wallah on YouTube
Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Class 12 PYQ Trend Behind This Exemplar PDF (2021 to 2025)
| Year | CBSE Marks | NEET Questions | Most-Asked Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 4 | EcoRI / pBR322 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | Taq / restriction enzyme |
| 2023 | 5 | 3 | DNA ligase / sticky ends |
| 2022 | 6 | 4 | Gel electrophoresis |
| 2021 | 5 | 3 | Ti plasmid |
Five-year averages: 5.8 CBSE marks and 3.8 NEET questions. The Exemplar's question bank covers every theme NEET has touched in this window.
Full step-by-step Exemplar Solutions: Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Solutions.
Student Feedback: Chapter 9 Biotechnology - Principles and Processes
Student Feedback
What 14,800 students told us about the Chapter 9 Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Book:
- 75% of students surveyed marked the PCR step-by-step amplification diagram as the hardest sub-topic.
- 67% reported losing marks on naming restriction enzymes and their recognition sequences.
- 4 out of 5 students said the gel-electrophoresis labelled apparatus was the most-skipped figure in their answer sheet.
- Average student took 6.5 hours for the first read of the chapter and 2.8 hours for a focused revision pass.
Source: 2025-26 Class 12 Biology student survey. Sample of 14,800 students from CBSE-affiliated schools across 18 states.
Other Resources for Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Class 12 Biology
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Exemplar Book PDF | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Book |
| Exemplar Solutions | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Solutions |
| NCERT Book PDF | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes NCERT Book PDF |
| NCERT Solutions | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes NCERT Solutions |
| Notes | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Notes |
| Formula Sheet | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Formula Sheet |
| Handwritten Notes | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Handwritten Notes |
NCERT Exemplar Book PDF for Class 12 Biology: All Chapters
| Chapter No. | Chapter Title |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 2 | Human Reproduction Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 3 | Reproductive Health Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 4 | Principles of Inheritance and Variation Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 5 | Molecular Basis of Inheritance Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 6 | Evolution Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 7 | Human Health and Disease Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 8 | Microbes in Human Welfare Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 9 | Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 10 | Biotechnology and Its Applications Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 11 | Organisms and Populations Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 12 | Ecosystem Exemplar Book PDF |
| Chapter 13 | Biodiversity and Conservation Exemplar Book PDF |
Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Class 12 Biology NCERT Exemplar Book PDF FAQs
Ques. Where can I download the NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Biology Chapter 9 Biotechnology - Principles and Processes PDF for free?
Ans. The official 2026-27 NCERT Exemplar PDF for Biotechnology - Principles and Processes is downloadable directly from this page. It is the latest print, with all 38 Exemplar problems intact.
Ques. How many problems are there in the Class 12 Biology Chapter 9 NCERT Exemplar?
Ans. The Exemplar carries 38 problems: 12 MCQ (single correct), 5 MCQ-II (multiple correct), 9 VSA (1-marker), 8 SA (2-3 marker) and 4 LA (5-marker), spread across 10 pages.
Ques. Why does the NCERT Exemplar print label this as Chapter 11 when the 2026-27 textbook calls it Chapter 9?
Ans. The NCERT Exemplar booklet was published before the 2023 rationalisation and still uses pre-rationalisation chapter numbering. The content is identical; only the chapter number on the cover differs. In the 2026-27 textbook order Biotechnology - Principles and Processes is Chapter 9.
Ques. Is this NCERT Exemplar still aligned with the 2026-27 syllabus?
Ans. Yes. NCERT did not trim any topic from Biotechnology - Principles and Processes in the 2026-27 rationalisation. Every Exemplar problem still maps to a live syllabus topic.
Ques. What is the difference between the NCERT chapter PDF and the NCERT Exemplar Book PDF?
Ans. The NCERT chapter PDF is the official textbook explanation (~16 pages) with 11 end-of-chapter questions. The NCERT Exemplar Book PDF is a separate practice booklet (~10 pages) with 38 additional problems designed to stretch students towards NEET and competitive-exam difficulty. Both are required for full preparation.
Ques. Where can I find the worked solutions to these Exemplar problems?
Ans. The full step-by-step solutions for all 38 Exemplar problems are at our Biotechnology - Principles and Processes Exemplar Solutions page.
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