SET Exam Syllabus 2026: Important Topics, Updated Syllabus; Download Free PDF

Questions on mathematics in the SET exam are based on Class 10 and Class 12 levels. The SET entrance is a popular BBA exam that the students can take after Class 12. The difficulty level of the SET exam is usually easy. The SET question paper is divided into four sections, i.e. General English, Quantitative Aptitude, General Knowledge and Logical Reasoning. The QA (Maths) is an important section of the SET exam and usually of a moderate difficulty level. The exam is a test of your speed and ability to pick and solve the right questions. Class 10 and Class 12 Maths dominate the exam. To score well in the SET exam, students must be very clear with the concepts of NCERT Mathematics. 

Subject	Questions	Marks
General English	16	16
Quantitative	16	16
General Awareness	16	16
Analytical and Logical Reasoning	12	12
Total	60	60

SET is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to various undergraduate courses. SET 2026 will be conducted in the computer-based test mode. The difficulty level of the SET exam is usually easy to moderate. But, a few questions might trick your mind and can be time-consuming.

General Knowledge and Analytical and Logical Reasoning are easier than the Quantitative Aptitude section. In 2025, according to the students who appeared for the SET session 1 exam, the SET exam was moderate. The General English section was the easiest of all four sections. The Quantitative Aptitude section was the toughest, and the other two sections were moderate to easy. The overall difficulty level of the SET question paper was moderate. Students who appeared for the SET 2025 session 2 exam said that the overall difficulty level was easy. Again, the General English section was the easiest. In this session, the Analytical and Logical Reasoning section was also easy to moderate. The Quant section was easy to moderate, and the General Knowledge section was difficult.

Yes, IPMAT books can be used for the SET exam preparation as both are BBA entrance exams. Candidates can use the same books for preparing for topics such as Quantitative Aptitude and General English. However, the difficulty level of the SET exam is much easier as compared to that of the IPMAT exam. To prepare for other sections of the SET exam such as Analytical and Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge, candidates should refer to the subject-specific preparation books. 

To prepare well of the SET exam, candidates must also solve previous years' question papers and sample papers in order to know the important topics in the exam, structure, weightage of the topics, etc. 

No, the SET exam does not have negative markings. Each question in the SET exam carries one mark and if the answer is incorrect no marks will be awarded for that particular question. This means that if the candidate has four incorrect answers, then four marks will be deducted from the SET overall score. If the candidate marks more than one answer for a particular question, the answer will be considered incorrect. To avoid maximum marks deduction, students must attempt the easier question first and then move on to the more difficult ones in that particular section. If the candidate is unsure about a particular question, they can also skip the question. No marks will be deducted or awarded for unanswered questions. 

SET exam has four sections having multiple-choice questions. The sectional weightage of each section of the SET question paper is different. The General English, Quantitative Aptitude and General Knowledge sections have 16 questions. Each question carries one mark. The Analytical and Logical Reasoning section of the SET question paper has12 multiple-choice questions and each question carries one mark. For incorrect answers, there is no negative marking. The detailed SET sectional weightage is given below:

Subject	Questions	Marks
General English	16	16
Quantitative	16	16
General Awareness	16	16
Analytical and Logical Reasoning	12	12
Total	60	60

No, the SET exam will be conducted in a single shift. SET exam is usually conducted in a single shift for one hour, i. e. from 9 AM to 10 AM. The exam was, however, is conducted on two days. 

However, in 2020, the SET exam was conducted in the remote-proctored mode in order to follow the social distancing guidelines for COVID-19, and the students had the option to choose the exam slot according to their preference and convenience. SET exam pattern was also changed after 2020. 

Previously, the SET exam had 150 questions. They were reduced to 60 multiple-choice questions in the year 2021, and the duration of the exam was also reduced  proportionally. Check out the table below to know what can be considered a good score in SET exam according to the previous years' analysis:

Section	Total Marks	Good Score
General English	16	12-14
Quantitative Aptitude	16	10-12
General Awareness	16	11-12
Analytical and Logical Reasoning	12	9-10

Students who do not have a mathematics background can crack the SET exam with practice and consistency. Even if they have not studied mathematics in previous academics, dedicatedly learning formulas, theorems, and concepts can help the students ace the SET exam. 

Mathematics background may give the aspirants an edge in the QA section, it is by no means obligatory.

Like other management entrance exams, the General English section is divided into Reading Comprehension and English Usage. There are a few comprehension passages while the topics of English usage are as follows: 1. Synonyms 2. Antonyms 3. Grammar 4. Fill in the blanks 5. Word meanings 6. Vocabulary 7. Parajumbles 8. Idioms and Phrases 9. Error Identification 10. Para Formation Questions (PFQs) 11. Correct statement 12. Cloze 13. Incorrect word/phrase.

The SET syllabus is not available for download because the SET exam authority, SIU, does not provide any details other than the exam sections related to the SET syllabus. Aspirants who want to appear in SET can refer to the syllabus of other BBA entrance exams similar to SET to get an idea of the topics associated with the SET syllabus. However, students can check the SET syllabus and important topics for SET preparation on Shiksha pages. 

SET syllabus includes all the important topics of subjects that are relevant for business and general aptitude. For the SET exam, candidates have to study, English Quantitative Aptitude General Knowledge and Analytical Reasoning. Given below are the key topics included in the SET syllabus: - The General English section of the SET exam syllabus includes various topics of Grammar, Word Meaning, Vocabulary, Para jumbles, Fill in the Blanks, Sentence Completion, Synonyms and Antonyms, Reading Comprehension, etc. - The Quantitative Aptitude section of the SET syllabus includes all the topics of Mathematics from Class 9 to 10 such as Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra Trigonometry Modern Math, Number Systems and Mensuration. - The General Knowledge section of the SET exam syllabus includes topics on Current Affairs politics, sports Science, people and personalities, global news, awards and accolades, etc. - The Analytical and Logical Reasoning syllabus of SET exam includes topics that require analytical interpretation of data presented in the form of Puzzles, Pie Charts, Venn Diagrams, Tables and Bar Graphs.

SET exam is conducted for BBA admissions. The syllabus in the SET exam is based on Class 12 and students need not study advanced topics beyond Class 12. The SET syllabus assesses the knowledge of the students and skills at Class 12 level. The SET syllabus is primarily based on subjects and topics that students would have studied in your 10+2 (or equivalent). This includes subjects such as English, Mathematics (Quantitative Aptitude), Logical Reasoning, and General Knowledge. The General Knowledge section may require knowledge of current affairs and general awareness, which may extend beyond the Class 12 curriculum.

The SET syllabus is not much difficult, and regular practice and consistency can help the candidates ace the SET exam.

The General Knowledge section of SET is usually of a higher difficulty level but it can be completed in maximum 15 minutes. The questions pertain to static GK and Current Affairs. Topics included in SET GK section are: 1. Business 2. Politics 3. Awards 4. Inventions 5. Science and Technology 6. Sports 7. Society 8. World 9. Advertising 10. Books and Authors 11. Entertainment 12. History 13. Geography 14. Politics.

SET exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. Each question carries one mark, and there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. Candidates should however be cautious while answering the questions as accuracy is key a player in scoring well in the SET exam. Practicing previous years' papers can help in understanding the question pattern and managing time effectively.

Since there are no optional questions in the SET exam, all 60 MCQs are compulsory. 

SET exam syllabus varies depending on the programme students are applying for. SET is used for admissions to a wide range of undergraduate programmes, including BBA, BCA, design, media, and more, each of which may have unique subject requirements. Symbiosis International University (SIU) typically defines programme-specific syllabi for each undergraduate programme. These syllabi are tailored to the academic requirements and subject areas of the respective programme. 

The Analytical and Logical Reasoning section of the SET question paper is considered the toughest of all the sections of the SET exam. This section of the exam mainly consists of topics from Analytical Reasoning and Critical Reasoning. Some of the important topics of the Analytical and Logical Reasoning that the students should not miss include: 1. Syllogisms 2. Critical Reasoning 3. Cause and Effect 4. Statement and Conclusion 5. Strong and Weak Arguments 6. Coding and Decoding 7. Statement and Inference 8. Data Sufficiency 9. Data Interpretation 10. Arrangements