How to Prepare for the Forensic Science Entrance Test: A Class 12 Student’s Complete AIFSET Guide

Forensic science entrance tests in India are becoming popular day by day but students are taking it without actually understanding how to crack it. As a student of class 12th planning to pursue a degree course in forensic science, the problem area is not necessarily going to be the subjects but rather the preparation needed for the entrance exam without jeopardizing your studies for the board exams.

If you are a student planning to appear in the All India Forensic Science Entrance Test (AIFSET), there is some good news. The entrance syllabus for BSc Forensic Science entrance test is not entirely new to you. The subjects covered include the science disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, in addition to forensic sciences. This implies that the science subjects you have been studying in classes 11 and 12th can be the backbone of your preparation.

What needs additional attention is the subject of forensic sciences, in addition to the entrance exam format. AIFSET 2027 is an online examination consisting of 100 multiple choice questions to be solved in 60 minutes. The weight of each correct answer is 1 mark. There is no negative marking for wrong answers.

So the preparation does not have to mean adding another full-time subject to your Class 12 routine. It is more about knowing what you already have, what is missing, and where your preparation needs to become faster. 

Begin with comparing the AIFSET syllabus with what you know

Rather than buying a new book or spending many hours watching entrance preparation videos, begin with the present AIFSET syllabus and compare it with the chapters that you have already studied at school.

The existing BSc syllabus has chapters on biology such as cell biology, biomolecules, physiology of plants and humans, genetics, evolution, human diseases and health, microbes and ecology. Chemistry includes topics such as atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, equilibrium, organic chemistry, electrochemistry and kinetics. Physics includes mechanics, work and energy, gravitation, electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics and semiconductor electronics. The list of mathematics as an optional unit is presented in the BSc syllabus.

You may use this information as a basis. Take each subject and divide all the chapters into three categories – comfortable, need revision and not ready. You will find out that the first category includes a much bigger amount of chapters than you thought. These chapters will not take most of your time. The second category will require more attention. The third group can then be worked into your plan according to the time available before the exam.

Official AIFSET UG Syllabus link: AIFSET_2026_BSC_Syllabus.pdf 

What you are already doing for Class 12	What you need to add for AIFSET
Revising Physics, Chemistry and Biology	Practising them as MCQs
Learning concepts for board exams	Recalling them quickly
Solving numerical problems	Working within a short time limit
Studying your regular syllabus	Covering the forensic science portion
Writing answers in school	Choosing the correct option quickly

This is why preparing for boards and preparing for AIFSET do not have to feel like two unrelated tasks.

Also read: How to Prepare for the AIFSET exam? 

Don't leave forensic science until the very end 

There is one aspect of the preparation process, however, that is unlikely to be presented in the same way by your school books: forensic science. AIFSET has basic concepts like definition and history of forensic science, types of crimes, police organization and crime scenes covered.

If you have never heard these terms, start with the basic meaning of each concept, not trying to memorize a lot of terminology from the beginning.For instance, while reading about crime scene investigation, first try to grasp what actually takes place at a crime scene and why it requires identification and careful collection of evidence. If you come to the subject of questioned documents, realize why there is a need for their scientific analysis. While studying ballistics, find out what kind of evidence is studied in this area.

After having grasped the general picture, it will be much easier for you to memorize the terms and definitions. This is also a good place to remember what you are preparing for. You are applying for an undergraduate programme. You are not expected to already know everything that a professional forensic scientist learns during a degree. 

If Chemistry or Physics is weak, what should you do?

Do not allocate equal time to all subjects just because they are on the syllabus. If you do a quick practice test and discover that you are doing well on most of the Biology questions and poor on Chemistry, then what? It may not be a significant boost in overall preparation to spend another evening editing a chapter of Biology because it is comfortable. Instead, review the Chemistry questions that you missed. If you don't grasp the idea, return to the chapter. If you were familiar with the idea, but forgot a reaction or formula, rewrite it. 

If you didn't understand the concept, go back to the chapter. If you knew the concept but forgot a reaction or formula, revise it. If you understood the question but made a calculation error, solve a few similar problems. And if you knew the answer but spent too long arriving at it, the issue is no longer just subject knowledge. 

Also read: Top Forensic Science Courses to Pursue Through AIFSET: A Complete Guide for BSc & MSc Aspirants 

How to prepare for AIFSET while studying for boards

This could be the most useful aspect of preparation for a Class 12 student. If you are preparing for your board exam, study it correctly once. Then, once you have completed the chapter, answer some Multiple Choice questions on the same topic. You don't need to study the whole chapter just for an entrance test.

The same method can be used for Chemistry and Physics. The difference is that you will have more time to explain a concept, write an answer or work through a problem when preparing a board. The entrance test requires you to identify the question and pick an answer a lot quicker.

After every chapter add a short MCQ session. It may be 15 questions initially. Later, add more as you get more comfortable. This way you can prepare for the entrance exam while you are preparing for school.

What is the daily amount of study that you should be doing?

The answer to the question “How many hours should I study for AIFSET?” is really quite unhelpful. A student who can read a chapter in two concentrated hours is better off than a student who reads the same pages in five hours, but who has not tested himself.

Of course, if you're in Class 12, you will need to spend a significant amount of your study time on your board preparation. AIFSET can be incorporated in shorter regular sessions: a few MCQs after science revision, a bit of forensic science throughout the week and a timed paper when adequate preparation for it is possible.

As the board examinations get closer, your entrance-specific work can become lighter. Once the boards are under control, you can increase the amount of timed practice. Your timetable doesn't have to be the same throughout the year, and because AIFSET is easier if your class 12th and 10th concepts are clear. 

Also read: B.Sc Forensic Science: Eligibility, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Fees & Career Scope 

When to begin taking mock tests?

If you are just starting a chapter, start with questions from that chapter. When a few topics are prepared, combine them. Once you are fairly familiar with the syllabus, progress to full-length tests.

AIFSET 2027 has 60 minutes for 100 questions, giving you an average of 36 seconds per question. This doesn't mean that every question needs to be answered in 36 seconds. Some will be much quicker and some will need more time. But it does not mean that you can't get bogged down in one hard question for several minutes. Learning when to move on and come back later should therefore be a part of practice. Your incorrect responses will tell you more than your score will.

Suppose that you get 64 out of 100 in a practice paper. The score indicates where you are now. The 36 questions you missed can help you figure out what you need to do next.Go through them without rushing to start another test. Were some questions from chapters you had never studied? Did you forget information you had previously learned? Did you misread a question? Did you spend too much time on a calculation? 

It's possible that you're getting 10 wrong answers from just 2 weak chapters. If this is the case, it is likely that another mock paper is not the best use of that evening. Those two chapters might need to be revised. This is one of the easiest ways to make preparation personal. Rather than following someone else's time table, your own errors start to tell you where to invest your time.

What should you use to prepare? 

For Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics, start from your existing books and notes of class 11, 12 and verify with the current AIFSET syllabus. For forensic science, abide by the present syllabus. The amount of forensic material available on the internet is enormous, and not everything will be applicable to an undergraduate entrance test.

The official website of AIFSET gives information regarding the examination 2027 and there is a download section for preparation material. It also recommends candidates to read the syllabus and exam pattern and then solve the sample papers in its FAQ. It makes sense in that order: first, find out what they are testing, then, what you need to learn.

Can class 12th students apply for AIFSET?

Yes. AIFSET is a national level entrance examination for admission to forensic science courses in the participating universities, and all the students who meet the eligibility criteria can take the entrance test. As per the current AIFSET eligibility candidates who are due to appear in their 10+2 examination are eligible to apply. However, it requires Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics as the primary subjects and an aggregate of at least 50% (if completed schooling) for the undergraduate forensic science pathway. It also mentions that a candidate can take the AIFSET exam at most three times.

Also read: What Can You Do to Be the Best Criminologist? A Complete Guide for Indian Aspirants 

A simple preparation plan for the last few months

If you have several months left, you can divide the preparation into three broad phases rather than following a rigid daily timetable. First, build the base. Finish or revise your Class 11–12 science topics and identify the chapters where you are least confident. Start learning the basic forensic science topics at the same time. Then, start mixing. Move from chapter-wise questions to mixed MCQs. Add a timed test regularly and keep a record of your mistakes. Finally, focus on exam practice. At this point, you should be spending less time learning completely new material and more time revising weak areas, taking full tests and becoming comfortable with the 60-minute format.

The exact point at which you move from one phase to another will depend on how much of your school syllabus you have already covered. There is no benefit in moving to full mocks simply because a timetable says you should if the underlying concepts are still unclear.

What AIFSET preparation should look like for a Class 12 student

By the time you reach the exam, the aim is not to have memorised every page you have ever read about forensic science. You should be comfortable with the science topics in the syllabus, familiar with the basic forensic concepts, able to recognise the type of question being asked and accustomed to working through a large number of MCQs in a limited time.

If forensic science is the course you want to pursue after Class 12, AIFSET gives you a specific entrance route to prepare for. The preparation itself can remain quite familiar, i.e, strengthen the science you are already learning, add the forensic topics that are new to you, and let your practice tests show you where the next hour of study is best spent. That is a much more manageable task than trying to prepare for an entirely new course before you have even entered it.

Remember, a forensic science entrance test can be easy to take only if you are mentally prepared for it. So, spend your time studying instead of worrying and watching videos of how to crack forensic science entrance exams.