Molecular Basis of Inheritance is the most-asked of the 17 Botany chapters we counted in NEET. It was asked 43 times in the seven papers from 2018 to 2026, about 6.1 questions a paper and 13% of all Botany questions. At +4 each, that is about 24 marks a paper. And 33 of those 43 questions came from just two topics: transcription and translation, and DNA structure.
How many questions come from Molecular Basis of Inheritance?
| Year | Questions |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 | 2 |
From 2021 to 2024 each paper had 200 questions, with a choice in Section B, so those counts are not exactly like for like.
Do not read much into the low count in 2026. One paper can be low, and six of the seven papers had 4 or more. Plan for about six.
Which topics are asked most?
| Topic | Questions in seven papers | Share of the chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription and translation | 22 | 51% |
| DNA structure | 11 | 26% |
| Lac operon | 5 | 12% |
| Human genome project | 2 | 5% |
| Replication | 2 | 5% |
| DNA fingerprinting | 1 | 2% |
Transcription and translation alone carried about half the chapter. That is where the first hours should go.
How should I study this chapter?
- Start with the NCERT chapter, line by line. Biology questions are often built from one sentence in the book.
- Then spend most of your practice on the top two topics. Do the previous-year questions on transcription, translation and DNA structure first, before anything else.
- Do the lac operon next. Five questions in seven papers is enough to make it worth learning properly, even though it is a small part of the chapter.
- Keep the rest short. Read the human genome project and DNA fingerprinting well, but do not give them days.
- Log every wrong answer. A mistake book shows you whether you lost the mark on the idea or on one word in the statement.
Every year's count and ten practice questions with explanations are on the Molecular Basis of Inheritance PYQ page. For how it compares with the rest of the subject, see NEET Biology chapter-wise weightage.
How we counted
We sorted every question in the seven NEET papers we hold (2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) by chapter and topic. Another count may place a question differently, so treat the figures as a guide to where the weight is, not as a forecast of the next paper. NTA does not publish chapter weightage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Molecular Basis of Inheritance important for NEET?
Yes. It is the most-asked Botany chapter in our count, at about 6 questions a paper, which is about 24 marks.
How many questions came from Molecular Basis of Inheritance in NEET 2026?
Two in the 2026 paper we counted. That was the lowest of the seven papers; the other six had between 4 and 9.
Which topic should I study first?
Transcription and translation. It carried 22 of the 43 questions, about half the chapter. DNA structure comes next, with 11.