GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025

The GATE 2025 Life Science Syllabus will be available on the official website after it is released by IISc Bangalore. The candidates choosing life sciences as their subject should review the syllabus to know what topics will be covered. 

By understanding the GATE Life Science syllabus, students can plan their preparation strategically and achieve the rank they desire. Students will have to choose topics from the Syllabus for Life Sciences based on their choice of subject from all combinations released by the officials.

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Sections of the GATE Life Sciences Syllabus 2025
The GATE Life Sciences syllabus 2025 for all the subjects consists of three sections including:
Section 1: General Aptitude
Section 2: Chemistry (XL-P)
Section 3: Life Science subjects 

The section 1 and 2 are compulsory for all students. The third section of Life Science (XL) includes segments Q to U . The candidates must choose two questions to attempt.

The segments Q to U are: 

• Biochemistry (XL- Q) 
• Botany (XL-R)
• Microbiology (XL-S)
• Zoology (XL-T) 
• Food Technology (XL-U)

Below is the detailed  syllabus for Life Sciences for all the sections: 

General Aptitude Syllabus for GATE Life Sciences

The General Aptitude section is common in all the GATE Syllabus for Life Sciences 2025. This section is divided into numerical ability and verbal ability. This section contains 10 questions. This includes five questions with a mark of 1 each, five questions with a mark of 1 each, and five questions with a mark of 2 each. 

Section: Verbal Ability 

Topics:
1. Sentence Completion
2. English grammar
3. Instructions
4. Word groups
5. Verbal Analogies
6. Verbal Deduction
7. Critical Reasoning 

Numerical Ability 

1. Numerical Estimation
2. Numerical Computation
3. Data Interpretation
4. Numerical Reasoning 

GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025 – Chemistry (XL-P) 

Chemistry is a mandatory subject on the GATE XL syllabus, so preparation for this subject should be thorough. The topics of the Chemistry section of the GATE Life Sciences Syllabus are: 

1. Thermodynamics 
2. Atomic Structure and Periodicity
3. Structure and Bonding 
4. Chemical Equilibria 
5. S, P, and D-block elements 
6. Electrochemistry
7. Reaction Kinetics 
8. Chemistry of Biomolecules 
9. Structure-Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Botany (XL-R) Syllabus 

The botany (XL-R) section of the Syllabus for Life Sciences includes various topics like plant breeding, genome editing, economic and applied botany, and genetic modification. 

The botany section of the GATE Syllabus for Life Sciences 2025

1. Plant Systematics 
2. Plant physiology and biochemistry
3. Plant development, cell, and tissue morphogenesis 
4. Plant breeding, genome editing, and genetic modification 
5. Economic and Applied Botany
6. Ecology and Environment 
7. Plant Pathology 

Biochemistry (XL-Q) Syllabus 

GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025 for Biochemistry comprises topics like the importance of water, organization of life, metabolism and bioenergetics, structure and function of biomolecules, vitamins, and coenzymes, enzyme kinetics including its regulation and inhibitions, metabolism and bioenergetics, biochemical separation techniques, organelles and cell structure, transcription, DNA replication and translation and immune system. 

Syllabus for Life Sciences – Microbiology (XL-S) 

The microbiology section of the GATE Life Sciences syllabus covers topics like microbial metabolism, microorganisms, and Prokaryotic cells: Structure and Function. This section includes topics and sections like:

1. Methods in microbiology 
2. Historical perspective 
3. Microbial taxonomy and diversity
4. Prokaryotic Cells: Function and Structure 
5. Control of Microorganisms 
6. Microbial growth 
7. Microbial metabolism 
8. Microbial diseases and host-pathogen Interaction 
9. Antibiotics / Chemistry 
10. Microbial Ecology 
11. Microbial Genetics

GATE Life Science Syllabus – Zoology (XL-T)

This section comprises topics like physiology and animal anatomy, immunology and parasitology, cell biology, etc. The GATE Life Sciences Syllabus for zoology comprises of topics like:
1. Evolution
2. Animal Diversity
3. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
4. Gene expression in Eukaryotes
5. Cell Biology
6. Parasitology and Immunology
7. Animal Anatomy and Physiology
8. Ecology
9. Development Biology
10. Animal Behaviour

GATE Syllabus for Life Sciences 2025 for Food Technology (XL-U)

The GATE Syllabus for Life Sciences 2025 for Food Technology is the highest-scoring section. The candidates can score and achieve a good rank with the help of this section. This section includes topics like food microbiology, food chemistry and nutrition, food engineering, and food products technology. 

GATE Life Sciences Exam Pattern
The GATE applicants should know the GATE exam marking system, mode of exam, and GATE exam pattern. Below is the table which students can follow: 

Read more: GATE Exam Pattern 2024 – Subject-Wise Question Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme

GATE Syllabus for Life Sciences exam paper marking scheme
Total marks: 100
Negative Marking: For MCQs only 

FAQs on GATE Life Sciences Syllabus 2025

Below are the FAQs for the GATE Life Sciences Syllabus 2025

1. What is the GATE Life Sciences Syllabus 2025?

      The GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025 is divided into three sections including Chemistry (XL-P), General Aptitude, and Life Science subjects, namely- Botany (XL-R), Biochemistry (XL-Q), Zoology (XL-T), Microbiology (XL-S) and Food Technology (XL-U). 

2. The GATE Life Science syllabus lists the sections by their weightage. What is this weightage?
     According to the GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025, there will be three sections of the exam, along with the following weightage: 

• General Aptitude – 15 marks 
• Chemistry – 25 marks 
• Life Science Section Q to U- 30 marks 

3. Which are the top books to prepare for GATE XL Syllabus?
     The best books for the GATE XL Syllabus 2025: 

• Food Technology: Textbook of Food Science and Technology by Avantika Sharma 
• Zoology: Animal Cell Structure Methods by Jennie P Mather, Davide Barnes 
• Botany: Principles of Genetics by Gardrer
• Chemistry: A Logical Approach to Chemistry by Pragati Publications 
• Biochemistry by Satyanarayana
• Microbiology by Michael Pelcze, E.C.S Chan, Noel R. Krieg

Read more: GATE Preparation Books – Best Books For GATE 2024

4. What are the preparation tips for covering GATE Life Sciences Syllabus? 

      The GATE Life Sciences Syllabus can be prepared with the following tips:
          1. Master the tough concepts
          2. Develop the speed for the aptitude section by practising more
          3. When selecting study materials, prioritize quality over quantity.
          4. Analyze the syllabus according to the time left for preparation
          5. Practice mock tests.

Read more: How To Prepare For GATE Exam – Common Challenges And How To Overcome Them

5. Is the GATE Life Science Syllabus tough?
     The GATE Life Science Syllabus is widely considered one of the toughest syllabi. It measures one’s subject knowledge and
aptitude acquired over four years of study.

6. Does the GATE Life Science Syllabus change every year?
     The GATE Life Science Syllabus is released every year and the syllabus for 2025 will be released by IISc Bangalore. Syllabus changes are           seen every year, and major changes must be notified to aspirants on the official website along with the updated syllabus.