SET General English sample papers cover 16 questions - carrying 16 of the 60 total marks - in MCQ format with no negative marking. Download the last 10 years SET question papers with solutions below and use the topic wise weightage table to find which English topics repeat most across years.
Official website: set-test.org
- General English section: 16 questions, 16 marks | Full paper: 60 questions, 60 marks, 60 minutes
- Sections: English (16), Quantitative Aptitude (16), General Awareness (16), Analytical Reasoning (12)
- Marking scheme: +1 per correct answer | No negative marking - attempt every question
- Reading Comprehension: 1 passage with 4-5 questions | Highest single-topic block in General English
- No sectional time limit - manage your own 60 minutes across all four sections
- SET is accepted by 50+ Symbiosis institutes across India for BBA, B.Com, BA LLB, and other UG programs
SET General English Sample Papers 2026 - Download PDF
Solve the five practice papers below before moving to previous year papers. Each is built to match the current 16-MCQ format.
| Sample Paper | PDF Download |
|---|---|
| SET General English Sample Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 2 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 3 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 4 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 5 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 6 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 7 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 8 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 9 | Download PDF |
| SET General English Sample Paper 10 | Download PDF |
PDFs updated as new papers are added.
For previous year papers, start with 2023 to 2025, then work backwards.
| Year | Papers Available | Solutions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Full Paper (All Sections) | Available | Collegedunia |
| 2024 | Full Paper (All Sections) | Available | Collegedunia |
| 2023 | Full Paper (All Sections) | Available | Collegedunia |
| 2022 | Full Paper (All Sections) | Available | Collegedunia |
| 2021 | Full Paper (All Sections) | Available | Collegedunia |
SET General English Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution 2026
SET runs for 60 minutes with 60 questions at 1 mark each - no negative marking at any stage. General English carries 16 marks with no sectional time cap.
- Total: 60 questions | 60 marks | 60 minutes | Computer-based test (CBT)
- General English: 16 questions, 16 marks
- Marking: +1 correct, 0 wrong - never leave a question blank
- No sectional cutoffs - total score out of 60 determines your institute rank
SET Sample Papers with Post-2021 Pattern Change - Why 2022 to 2025 Papers Matter Most
Pre-2021 SET papers tested rote vocabulary - synonym lists and direct grammar rules were enough. From 2022, RC became the anchor block with 4-5 questions per paper and vocabulary shifted to contextual usage rather than dictionary definitions.
Start with 2023 - it shows the current format most clearly. Then solve 2022 and 2024 to build pattern recognition.
SET General English Topic Wise Weightage - High Scoring Topics to Focus in Sample Papers
Reading Comprehension is the single biggest block. Vocabulary and grammar split the remaining 11-12 questions across 8 topic types.
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty | What to Watch For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4-5 | Moderate | Skim once; answer only from the passage text |
| Synonyms and Antonyms | 2-3 | Easy | Class 10-12 words; Barron's 333 covers most repeats |
| Grammar - Tenses and Voice | 1-2 | Easy | Active-passive; present perfect vs simple past errors |
| Grammar - Articles and Prepositions | 1-2 | Easy-Moderate | "a/an/the" with abstract nouns; "in/on/at" for time |
| Idioms and Phrases | 1-2 | Moderate | NCERT English textbook idioms repeat most often |
| Para Jumbles | 1-2 | Moderate-Hard | Connector words (however, therefore) reveal the order |
| Sentence Correction | 1-2 | Easy-Moderate | Subject-verb agreement and misplaced modifiers |
| Fill in the Blanks | 1 | Easy | Prepositions and conjunctions; read the full sentence first |
| One-Word Substitution | 1 | Easy-Moderate | Legal and literary terms ("Philatelist", "Bibliophile") |
| Analogies | 1 | Easy | Part-whole and cause-effect are the most common types |
Do not skip Fill in the Blanks, Analogies, and One-Word Substitution - each takes under 30 seconds and is a free mark.
SET General English Sample Paper Video Solutions 2026 - Watch Before You Start Solving
Watching one expert walkthrough before you solve on your own shows the ideal approach - not just the right answer but the step order and time to spend per question type.
Video solutions specifically for SET General English 2026 will be linked here once available.
Search: SET General English Sample Paper Solutions on YouTube
How to Use SET General English Sample Papers to Score Full Marks in First Attempt
With no negative marking, your target is 16 out of 16. Most students drop marks from poor time allocation.
- Attempt RC first - 4-5 questions from one passage; complete it while your focus is sharp
- After RC, move to synonyms and grammar - highest accuracy rate for most students, under 20 seconds each
- Save para jumbles for last - skip and return if you are not confident within 45 seconds
- After each sample paper, tag every wrong answer by topic - not just the right option, but which topic it belongs to
- Track your English section time - target 14 to 16 minutes out of 60 and check after each paper
SET General English Sectional Strategy - How to Score 16 Out of 16 Using Sample Papers
General English is the most predictable SET section. The topic mix stays consistent and accuracy depends on preparation depth, not guesswork.
- RC: Read the questions before the passage - you will know exactly which facts to find and cut RC time by 40%
- Vocabulary: Keep a running word list from each paper - 5 papers builds roughly 60 words that cover most SET repeats
- Grammar: Subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and articles cover 90% of grammar questions across all years
SET General English 4 Week Preparation Plan Using Sample Papers
- Week 1 - Solve the 2023 SET paper untimed. Mark every English question you could not answer confidently and note which two topics fill your error list.
- Week 2 - Work on your two weakest topics from Week 1. Then solve 2022 timed - target under 15 minutes for all 16 English questions.
- Week 3 - Solve 2024 and 2025 back to back. Track accuracy by topic. Vocabulary errors should fall to 1 or fewer.
- Week 4 - One full paper daily under timed conditions. Stop new papers 2 days before the exam and revise only your error log.
FAQs on SET General English Sample Papers 2026
Ques. How many SET General English sample papers are enough to score full marks?
Ans. 5 to 7 full papers with an error log is enough. Solving 15 papers without reviewing mistakes usually leads to a plateau at 12 to 13 out of 16.
Ques. Are SET General English questions repeated from previous year papers?
Ans. Exact questions rarely repeat, but 30 to 40 vocabulary words recur across multiple SET years. Solving the last 5 papers builds this bank naturally.
Ques. Which SET General English topic should I start with when using sample papers?
Ans. Start with Reading Comprehension (4-5 marks). Once confident in RC, move to grammar and vocabulary. Leave para jumbles last.
Ques. Can I score full marks in SET General English in 30 days using only sample papers?
Ans. Yes - 30 days is enough with 45 daily minutes on English and a running error log.
Ques. Where can I download SET General English previous year papers with answer key PDF for free?
Ans. Collegedunia has year-wise SET papers with answer keys; set-test.org also releases papers after each exam.
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