Exam Pattern
TIFR GS Exam Pattern
TIFR Graduate School Admissions 2026 (Computer Science)
The TIFR GS exam pattern below is checked stage by stage, so one stage cannot inherit another stage's scoring rules.
TIFR GS 2026 Computer Science
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 30 |
| Total marks | 120 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Part A Common, Part B Computer Science |
| Test | Qs | Marks | Min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A Common | 15 | 60 | — |
| Part B Computer Science | 15 | 60 | — |
Timing: The official paper is 45 questions in 180 minutes with no per-part time limits and free navigation. This mock covers the 30 questions that count for Computer Science admission, on a proportional 120-minute TakeMockTest timer rather than an official sectional limit..
For Computer Science admission, TIFR counts Part A and Part B and ignores Part C, so Part C (Learning, Information and Data Science) is not covered here. Questions carry five options, which is the official width for this paper. Part B follows the published Computer Science syllabus: discrete mathematics, formal languages and computability, data structures and algorithms, programming languages and compilers, operating systems and concurrency, switching theory and digital circuits, and theory of databases. TIFR identifies Part A as common but does not publish a separate formal Part A syllabus, so the Part A questions here use broad mathematical and logical common-test reasoning rather than claiming a syllabus that does not exist.
Official source · checked 8 September 2026The TIFR GS TIFR GS 2026 Computer Science exam pattern is 30 questions carrying 120 marks, to be answered in 120 minutes. That works out to about 240 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 2 sections are Part A Common and Part B Computer Science. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
TIFR GS TIFR GS 2026 Computer Science marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 4 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1 mark; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is clearly worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 24 of the 30 questions and get 18 right and 6 wrong, and you score 66 out of 120.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 240 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free TIFR GS mock test to see where your time actually goes.
TIFR GS exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in TIFR GS?
TIFR GS deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in TIFR GS?
TIFR GS has 30 questions. That leaves about 240 seconds per question in TIFR GS.
What are the total marks in TIFR GS?
TIFR GS is out of 120 marks.
How long is the TIFR GS exam?
TIFR GS runs for 120 minutes.
Does TIFR GS have a sectional time limit?
No. Every section shares one composite timer, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.