TISSNET Exam Pattern 2027: 100 Questions, 100 Marks, Marking Scheme and Section-wise Duration

TISSNET (Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Entrance Test) was a 100-minute computer-based test with 100 MCQs for 100 marks. TISSNET as a standalone exam was discontinued after January 2024. For TISS 2027 admissions, students must qualify through CUET PG 2027 (for most MA and MSW programmes) or CAT 2026 (for management programmes), followed by a TISS Programme Aptitude Test (TISS-PAT) and Online Personal Interview (OPI) for select programmes.

• TISSNET was a 100-minute CBT with 100 MCQs for 100 marks — the exam was last conducted in January 2024.
• For TISS 2027 admissions, students must apply through CUET PG 2027 (most MA and MSW programmes) or CAT 2026 (management programmes like MA HRM & LR and MA ODCL).
• The historical TISSNET had 3 sections: General Awareness (40 questions), English Proficiency (30 questions), and Mathematics & Logical Reasoning (30 questions).
• No negative marking applied in TISSNET — every correct answer earned +1 mark and incorrect or unattempted answers scored 0.
• CUET PG 2027 (the current replacement) awards +4 marks per correct answer and deducts 1 mark per wrong answer — a significant strategy change from the old TISSNET.
• After clearing CUET PG or CAT, select programmes require students to appear for TISS-PAT and an Online Personal Interview (OPI) for final selection.
• General Awareness carried the highest weightage in TISSNET — 40 out of 100 marks.

TISSNET Exam Pattern 2027: Overview

TISSNET 2024 was the last edition of the standalone Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Entrance Test. From the 2025–26 admission cycle, TISS discontinued TISSNET and shifted to national-level exams — CUET PG (conducted by NTA) for most MA and MSW programmes, and CAT (conducted by IIMs) for three management programmes. Students targeting TISS admission in 2027 must register for CUET PG 2027 or use their CAT 2026 score, depending on the programme.

Source: TISS Official Admissions Portal — Selection Procedure

TISSNET 2027: Important Dates

The TISS 2027 admission cycle will follow the CUET PG and CAT schedule. As of September 2026, official dates for the 2027 cycle have not been announced. The expected dates below are based on the 2025–26 cycle timeline and are subject to official confirmation by TISS and NTA.

Note: All 2027 cycle dates are expected and have not been officially confirmed. Monitor admissions.tiss.ac.in for official announcements from November 2026 onwards.

TISSNET 2027: Detailed Exam Pattern

The section below covers two components: the historical TISSNET pattern (last used in January 2024) for reference, and the CUET PG pattern that students must now follow for TISS 2027 admission. The historical breakdown remains a useful guide for CUET PG subject preparation, as both exams test overlapping content areas.

Historical TISSNET Detailed Pattern (Last Conducted: January 2024)

Note: No per-section time limit existed in TISSNET — the 100 minutes were shared across all three sections. Students could move freely between sections during the exam.

CUET PG Pattern (Current Route for TISS 2027 Admission)

Students applying to TISS 2027 through CUET PG must appear for a 120-minute computer-based test with 100 MCQs for a total of 400 marks. Unlike TISSNET, CUET PG carries negative marking of 1 mark per wrong answer. The subject paper you appear for depends on the TISS programme you apply for.

Note: CUET PG subject papers relevant for TISS include Social Work, Development Studies, Education, and Public Health, among others. Select the correct paper on the NTA portal during CUET PG registration.

TISSNET Marking Scheme 2027

The marking scheme differs significantly between the historical TISSNET and the current CUET PG route. TISSNET had no negative marking — each correct answer earned +1 mark and wrong answers scored 0. The CUET PG deducts 1 mark per wrong answer, which requires a fundamentally different test strategy for students targeting TISS 2027.

Negative marking of 1 mark applies to all CUET PG MCQs — avoid random guessing, unlike the safe all-attempt strategy used for the old TISSNET.

TISSNET Subject-Wise Exam Pattern 2027

The historical TISSNET had three sections. General Awareness carried the highest weightage at 40 out of 100 marks. The subject-wise breakdown below is from the historical TISSNET and remains a useful guide for preparing CUET PG social science papers, which test many of the same content areas.

Section 1: General Awareness

Section 2: English Proficiency

Section 3: Mathematics & Logical Reasoning

Note: Topic-wise distribution above is based on historical TISSNET analysis (2022–2024). Since TISSNET is discontinued, students targeting TISS 2027 must prepare for the CUET PG subject-specific paper or CAT depending on their programme.

TISSNET Question Types 2027

The historical TISSNET used only MCQs with a single correct answer. There were no numerical, integer-type, essay, or multi-correct questions. CUET PG also uses only single-correct MCQs — the question format transition is seamless. CAT, used for management programmes, adds TITA (non-MCQ) questions in select sections.

There are no MSQ (multiple correct) or numerical-type questions in CUET PG — all 100 questions are single-correct MCQs, identical in format to the old TISSNET.

TISSNET Exam Pattern: Changes in 2027 vs Previous Year

The most critical change for TISSNET 2027 is the continuation of the CUET PG / CAT-based admission system, which replaced the standalone TISSNET from 2025 onwards. No reversal to the old TISSNET format is expected for 2027. The 2027 cycle is also expected to retain the TISS-PAT and OPI components for select programmes, consistent with the 2026 cycle.

The TISSNET exam pattern has changed fundamentally from 2025 onwards — students targeting TISS 2027 must prepare for CUET PG or CAT, not the historical TISSNET format.

How to Prepare Based on TISSNET Exam Pattern

Since TISS 2027 admissions use CUET PG or CAT, your preparation must align with those exam patterns rather than the old TISSNET format. Use the historical TISSNET section breakdown as a guide for content areas — the skills TISSNET tested (General Awareness, English, Reasoning) remain directly relevant to CUET PG social science papers.

1. Choose your admission route early. Confirm whether your TISS programme requires CUET PG or CAT. Management programmes (MA HRM & LR, MA ODCL, MHA) use CAT; all other MA and MSW programmes use CUET PG. Preparing for the wrong exam wastes a full year.
2. Prioritise General Awareness. In the historical TISSNET, GA carried 40% of total marks. CUET PG papers for social science disciplines also test current affairs, development issues, and socio-political topics heavily — this preparation skill transfers directly.
3. Change your guessing strategy for CUET PG. TISSNET had no penalty, so attempting all 100 questions was risk-free. CUET PG deducts 1 mark per wrong answer — attempt only questions where you are at least 70% confident.
4. Prepare for TISS-PAT and OPI. After clearing CUET PG or CAT, select programmes require a TISS Programme Aptitude Test followed by an Online Personal Interview. Practise written expression, current social issues, and verbal communication for this second stage.
5. Use previous TISSNET papers for English and Reasoning practice. TISSNET 2024, 2023, and 2022 papers are useful for practising comprehension, vocabulary, and logical reasoning — all tested in CUET PG as well.
6. Register for CUET PG on the NTA portal from December 2026. Select TISS and your preferred programme during the registration itself. Missing the CUET PG window means you cannot apply to TISS that year.
7. Monitor TISS and NTA official portals from November 2026. CUET PG 2027 registration opens in December 2026 (expected). Set reminders and check official websites to avoid missing deadlines.