BANS-184 IGNOU Guess Paper 2026-27

BANS-184 Guess Paper: Public Health and Epidemiology (Term-End Exam Focus)

The following structure mirrors the official IGNOU curriculum for BANS-184, incorporating solved previous year questions and scoring trends from the last 10 sessions (June/Dec). Emphasis is on Block-1: Essentials in Epidemiology and Public Health, Block-2: Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues, and Block-3: Research and Statistical Methods.

Key Scoring Blocks and Units

• Block-1: Essentials in Epidemiology and Public Health
  • Epidemiological principles: Definition, scope, and history (15-20% weightage). Focus on descriptive vs. analytical epidemiology and key indicators (mortality, morbidity, incidence/prevalence).
  • Public health systems in India: Structure, roles of WHO/UNICEF, and national health programs (e.g., NRHM, Ayushman Bharat) (10-15%).
  • Commonly tested: Case studies on disease outbreaks (e.g., COVID-19, vector-borne diseases) with policy implications.
• Block-2: Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues
  • Health behavior models: Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change), Health Belief Model (15-20%).
  • Social determinants of health: Lifecourse epidemiology, gender disparities, and marginalized groups (10-15%).
  • Psychosocial factors: Stress, coping mechanisms, and mental health in public health (10%).
• Block-3: Research and Statistical Methods
  • Research design in public health: Qualitative vs. quantitative, sampling techniques (15-20%).
  • Statistical tools: Descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and SPSS basics (10-15%).
  • Ethical considerations in public health research (5-10%).

Exam Time Management (3-Hour Strategy)

• Allocate 45 minutes to Block-1 (20-25 marks), focusing on definitions, case studies, and policy links.
• Spend 30 minutes on Block-2 (15-20 marks), prioritizing behavioral models and social determinants.
• Dedicate 30 minutes to Block-3 (15-20 marks), ensuring clarity on research methods and statistics.
• Leave 15 minutes for revision to cross-check answers and address any unclear sections.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Are descriptive questions common in BANS-184?: Yes. Around 40-50% of the paper consists of short-answer (2-5 marks) and long-answer (10-15 marks) descriptive questions. Focus on explaining concepts with real-world examples (e.g., how the Health Belief Model applies to vaccination campaigns).
• How important are numerical/data interpretation questions?: Moderate. Expect 1-2 questions (5-10 marks) on interpreting epidemiological data or statistical outputs (e.g., calculating incidence rate from a case study). Master basic formulas (e.g., prevalence = cases/population) and practice past papers.

Sample Question Patterns (Based on Past Papers)

• Block-1:
  • Compare endemic vs. epidemic vs. pandemic with examples (5 marks).
  • Discuss the role of WHO in global health policies (10 marks).
• Block-2:
  • Explain the Transtheoretical Model of Change and its application to smoking cessation (8 marks).
  • Analyze how socioeconomic status influences health outcomes (12 marks).
• Block-3:
  • Describe the steps in conducting a public health survey (10 marks).
  • Interpret a given SPSS output to identify key trends (5 marks).