UGC NET
National Testing Agency
Complete guide to passing the UGC NET exam on your first attempt.
~$15 (INR 1,100)
~6%
Twice yearly
India
National Testing Agency
University professor, JRF
Are you ready for UGC NET?
Loading quiz...
Complete Overview
UGC NET is the National Eligibility Test conducted by the National Testing Agency on behalf of the University Grants Commission to determine eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor, for the award of a Junior Research Fellowship, and for admission to a PhD in Indian universities and colleges. For the June 2026 cycle the fee is INR 1,150 for General and Unreserved candidates, INR 600 for General-EWS and OBC non-creamy-layer candidates, and INR 325 for SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates, plus payment gateway charges and GST.
The test is a single 180-minute computer-based session with two papers and no break between them. Paper 1 has 50 multiple-choice questions worth 100 marks and assesses teaching and research aptitude, reasoning ability, reading comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness. Paper 2 has 100 multiple-choice questions worth 200 marks in the subject the candidate selects. Total marks are 300 across 150 questions, and every question is compulsory.
Each question carries two marks and there is no negative marking for a wrong answer. No marks are awarded for questions left unanswered or marked for review. Where a question turns out to have more than one correct option, two marks go to anyone who marked any correct option. If a question is dropped or found wrong, two marks go to everyone who attempted it. Because nothing is deducted, leaving a question blank has no advantage over guessing.
Qualification is competitive, not absolute. NTA states that the number of candidates qualifying for Assistant Professor eligibility equals 6 percent of the candidates who appeared in both papers. To be considered at all, a candidate must have appeared in both papers and secured at least 40 percent aggregate marks across the two papers taken together, relaxed to 35 percent for SC, ST, OBC non-creamy layer, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates. Subject-wise and category-wise cut-offs are then derived from slot allocation, so the actual qualifying percentage varies by subject.
Results are declared in three categories. Category 1 gives JRF plus Assistant Professor eligibility plus PhD admission. Category 2 gives Assistant Professor eligibility plus PhD admission. Category 3 gives PhD admission only. UGC pays JRF holders INR 37,000 per month for two years and INR 42,000 per month as Senior Research Fellow for the remaining period, with tenure of five years or submission of the thesis, whichever comes first. For candidates in categories 2 and 3 using NET for PhD admission, NET marks carry 70 percent weightage and the university interview or viva voce carries 30 percent, and those marks stay valid for one year from the date the result is declared.
Eligibility requires a Master's degree with at least 55 percent marks without rounding off, relaxed to 50 percent for reserved categories. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or for PhD admission. The JRF age limit is 30 years as on the first day of the month in which the examination concludes, with relaxations of up to five years for several categories.
Why Get UGC NET Certified?
Clearing NET with JRF pays INR 37,000 per month for two years and INR 42,000 per month thereafter as Senior Research Fellow, for a tenure of up to five years or until thesis submission.
The UGC JRF scheme lists 11,750 slots, and JRF holders in humanities and social sciences also draw a contingency grant of INR 10,000 a year, rising to INR 20,500 as SRF. Science scholars draw INR 12,000 and INR 25,000 respectively.
One INR 1,150 examination replaces separate PhD entrance tests. NET results in categories 2 and 3 can be used for PhD admission in place of a university's own entrance test, with NET marks carrying 70 percent weightage.
There is no negative marking, so every one of the 150 questions can be attempted without any downside risk to your score.
Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission carry no upper age limit at all. Only the JRF route has one, capped at 30 years on the first day of the month in which the examination concludes.
NTA offers the test in 87 subjects with published UGC syllabi, so a candidate can sit the paper that matches their postgraduate specialisation rather than a generic aptitude test.
UGC and NTA can share NET candidate data with higher education institutions for PhD admission and with public sector undertakings and other organisations for recruitment, so the score has uses beyond the three named categories.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
180 minutes (3 hours) in a single sitting, with no break between Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Questions
150 questions in total: 50 in Paper 1 worth 100 marks, and 100 in Paper 2 worth 200 marks. All questions are compulsory.
Passing Score
There is no fixed passing mark. A candidate must appear in both papers and secure at least 40 percent aggregate marks across the two papers taken together, relaxed to 35 percent for SC, ST, OBC non-creamy layer, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates, merely to be considered. NTA then qualifies a number equal to 6 percent of candidates who appeared, allocated across categories and subjects, so the actual cut-off is subject-specific and varies every cycle.
Question Types
- Objective multiple-choice questions in both papers
- Comprehension passage with questions drawn from the passage in Paper 1 Unit III
- Graphical and pictorial data interpretation questions, replaced by a passage with an equal number of questions and equal weightage for visually impaired candidates
- Mathematical reasoning and aptitude items covering fractions, ratio, percentage, profit and loss and averages
- Logical reasoning items on argument structure, categorical propositions, Venn diagrams and the Indian pramanas
Delivery Method
Computer Based Test mode only, at NTA-designated centres in cities across India. Candidates report two hours before the examination begins, and the registration desk closes 30 minutes before the start time. All calculation and rough work is done on the rough sheets provided at the centre, which must be handed back on completion.
Exam Domains & Topics
One hundred questions worth 200 marks assessing domain knowledge in the subject the candidate selects when applying. UGC publishes a separate syllabus for each NET subject on ugcnetonline.in, and NTA does not send syllabi to individual candidates. Candidates are advised to sit the subject of their post-graduation, or a related subject if theirs has no NET paper.
Key Topics to Master:
- The full UGC-published syllabus for the chosen subject code
- Foundational theory and classical texts of the discipline
- Contemporary debates and recent scholarship in the field
- Research methods specific to the discipline
- Named thinkers, schools and their principal contributions
- Applied and interdisciplinary areas listed in the subject syllabus
- Terminology and definitions used in the subject's standard reference works
- Matching, assertion-reason and sequence-ordering formats common in Paper 2
Paper 1 Unit I, five questions worth 10 marks. It covers the concept, objectives and levels of teaching, learner characteristics, the factors that affect teaching, and the evaluation systems used in higher education. The unit explicitly names online methods including Swayam, Swayamprabha and MOOCs alongside traditional teaching support systems.
Key Topics to Master:
- Concept, objectives and basic requirements of teaching
- Levels of teaching: memory, understanding and reflective
- Academic, social, emotional and cognitive characteristics of adolescent and adult learners
- Factors affecting teaching related to teacher, learner, support material, instructional facilities, learning environment and institution
- Teacher-centred versus learner-centred methods
- Offline versus online methods including Swayam, Swayamprabha and MOOCs
- Traditional, modern and ICT-based teaching support systems
- Evaluation in the Choice Based Credit System and computer-based testing
Paper 1 Unit II, five questions worth 10 marks. It covers the meaning, types and characteristics of research, the positivist and post-positivist approaches, the main research methods, the steps of research, thesis and article writing with referencing styles, the application of ICT in research, and research ethics.
Key Topics to Master:
- Meaning, types and characteristics of research
- Positivism and the post-positivistic approach
- Experimental, descriptive and historical methods
- Qualitative and quantitative methods
- Steps of research in sequence
- Thesis and article writing, formats and styles of referencing
- Application of ICT in research
- Research ethics including plagiarism and authorship
Paper 1 Units III and IV together, ten questions worth 20 marks. Unit III presents a passage of text with questions to be answered from it. Unit IV covers the meaning, types and characteristics of communication, effective verbal and non-verbal communication, intercultural and group communication, classroom communication, barriers to effective communication, and mass media and society.
Key Topics to Master:
- Reading a passage and answering inference and detail questions from it
- Meaning, types and characteristics of communication
- Verbal and non-verbal effective communication
- Intercultural and group communication
- Classroom communication
- Barriers to effective communication
- Mass media and society
Paper 1 Unit V, five questions worth 10 marks. It covers types of reasoning, number series, letter series, codes and relationships, and mathematical aptitude spanning fractions, time and distance, ratio, proportion and percentage, profit and loss, interest and discounting, and averages. No calculator is permitted, so all working is done on the rough sheet.
Key Topics to Master:
- Types of reasoning
- Number series and letter series
- Codes and relationships
- Fractions and their conversion
- Time and distance problems
- Ratio, proportion and percentage
- Profit and loss
- Interest and discounting
- Averages
Paper 1 Unit VI, five questions worth 10 marks. It combines Western formal logic with Indian logic. Candidates need argument forms, categorical propositions, mood and figure, formal and informal fallacies, the classical square of opposition and Venn diagram validity testing, plus the Indian pramanas and the structure of anumana.
Key Topics to Master:
- Argument forms and the structure of categorical propositions
- Mood and figure of syllogisms
- Formal and informal fallacies
- Connotation and denotation of terms and uses of language
- Classical square of opposition
- Distinguishing deductive from inductive reasoning, and analogies
- Venn diagrams for establishing validity, simple and multiple
- Indian logic pramanas: pratyaksha, anumana, upamana, shabda, arthapatti and anupalabddhi
- Structure and kinds of anumana, vyapti and hetvabhasas
Paper 1 Units VII and VIII together, ten questions worth 20 marks. Unit VII covers the sources, acquisition and classification of data, quantitative and qualitative data, graphical representation and data interpretation, and data and governance. Unit VIII covers ICT abbreviations and terminology, internet and intranet basics, email, audio and video conferencing, digital initiatives in higher education and ICT in governance.
Key Topics to Master:
- Sources, acquisition and classification of data
- Quantitative and qualitative data
- Bar charts, histograms, pie charts, table charts and line charts
- Data interpretation and mapping of data
- Data and governance
- General ICT abbreviations and terminology
- Basics of internet, intranet, email, audio and video conferencing
- Digital initiatives in higher education
- ICT and governance
Paper 1 Units IX and X together, ten questions worth 20 marks. Unit IX covers sustainable development goals, human and environment interaction, pollution types, natural and energy resources, hazards and mitigation, and named international agreements. Unit X covers institutions of higher learning in ancient India, the post-independence evolution of higher education, and policy and governance.
Key Topics to Master:
- Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals
- Anthropogenic activities and their impacts on the environment
- Air, water, soil and noise pollution and waste categories including biomedical, hazardous and electronic
- Climate change and its socio-economic and political dimensions
- Solar, wind, soil, hydro, geothermal, biomass, nuclear and forest resources
- Environmental Protection Act 1986 and the National Action Plan on Climate Change
- Montreal Protocol, Rio Summit, Convention on Biodiversity, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and the International Solar Alliance
- Institutions of higher learning in ancient India and their post-independence evolution
- Oriental, conventional and non-conventional learning programmes, and policies, governance and administration
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the Paper 1 syllabus, subject code 00, and your Paper 2 subject syllabus from https://www.ugcnetonline.in/syllabus-new.php
- 2Read the Information Bulletin section on the marking scheme so you know that no marks are deducted for a wrong answer
- 3Sit one previous year Paper 1 from the NTA question paper archive under a 60-minute clock
- 4Print the ten Paper 1 unit names and mark which two you scored worst on
- 5Practise the NTA mock test interface at https://www.nta.ac.in/Quiz so the navigation is familiar
- 1Learn the three levels of teaching, memory, understanding and reflective, with an example of each
- 2Build a comparison table of experimental, descriptive, historical, qualitative and quantitative research methods
- 3Memorise the standard referencing styles named in the syllabus and the difference between a thesis and an article format
- 4Read UGC material on Swayam, Swayamprabha and MOOCs, all three named explicitly in Unit I
- 5Solve 100 previous year questions from Units I and II and classify errors as definition gaps or application gaps
- 1Drill number series, letter series and coding relationships until each takes under 45 seconds
- 2Work through the classical square of opposition and construct mood and figure for all valid syllogism forms
- 3Learn the six pramanas of Indian logic and one distinguishing example of each
- 4Practise Venn diagram validity testing for three-term and four-term arguments
- 5Cover fractions, ratio, percentage, profit and loss, interest and averages, all named in Unit V, without a calculator
- 1Divide the UGC subject syllabus into ten equal units and schedule two per week for the next five weeks
- 2Read the first two units from a standard postgraduate textbook in your discipline
- 3Build a name-and-contribution index for every thinker or school your syllabus names
- 4Solve every previous year Paper 2 question available for those two units
- 5Note which questions are pure recall and which need application, because Paper 2 leans on recall
- 1Complete units three and four of your subject syllabus with the same index method
- 2Practise 15 comprehension passages under a 6-minute cap for the passage plus its five questions
- 3Learn the barriers to effective communication and the distinction between intercultural and group communication
- 4Revise the two Paper 1 units already covered using only your own notes
- 5Attempt one 50-question Paper 1 sectional test
- 1Complete units five and six of your subject syllabus
- 2Practise bar chart, histogram, pie chart, table chart and line chart interpretation, all five named in Unit VII
- 3Learn general ICT abbreviations and terminology, and the digital higher education initiatives UGC runs
- 4Attempt 80 Unit VII and Unit VIII previous year questions
- 5Rewrite your weakest Paper 2 unit notes into one page of triggers
- 1Complete units seven and eight of your subject syllabus
- 2Memorise the named international agreements in Unit IX: Montreal Protocol, Rio Summit, Convention on Biodiversity, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and International Solar Alliance, with the year and the pollutant or goal each addresses
- 3Read the Environmental Protection Act 1986 provisions and the National Action Plan on Climate Change missions
- 4Cover ancient Indian institutions of higher learning and the post-independence evolution of universities in Unit X
- 5Attempt one full Paper 1 of 50 questions in 60 minutes
- 1Complete the last two units of your subject syllabus
- 2Take one full 180-minute simulation covering both papers with no break, matching the real format
- 3Calculate your aggregate percentage across both papers and compare it against the 40 percent and 35 percent thresholds
- 4Identify the three Paper 2 units producing the most wrong answers and mark them for revision
- 5Since there is no negative marking, check that you left zero questions unanswered
- 1Solve five years of previous Paper 1 papers from the NTA and UGC question paper archives
- 2Solve every available previous Paper 2 paper in your subject and tabulate which syllabus units repeat most often
- 3Rework each wrong answer by locating the exact syllabus line it tests
- 4Build a 20-page condensed revision note covering only your recurring error areas
- 5Read the answer key challenge procedure so you know a challenge costs INR 200 per question and is non-refundable
- 1Take two more full 180-minute simulations at the shift time printed on your admit card
- 2Cap Paper 1 at 55 minutes so that 125 minutes remain for the 100 Paper 2 questions
- 3Practise flagging and returning inside the CBT interface rather than stalling on a hard item
- 4Revise the six pramanas, the square of opposition and the SDG list, which are high-frequency recall targets
- 5Confirm the aggregate percentage you are projecting and compare it with published subject cut-offs
- 1Revisit only the units your error log flags, in both papers, and re-solve their previous year questions
- 2Re-read the full Paper 1 syllabus PDF line by line and tick off every bullet you can explain unaided
- 3Practise 10 more comprehension passages, since Unit III is five guaranteed marks with no memorisation
- 4Rebuild your thinker-and-contribution index for Paper 2 from memory, then check it against your notes
- 5Download your admit card from https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/ as soon as it is released
- 1Take one last full simulation, then stop and revise only your own notes
- 2Check that the name on your photo identification matches the admit card exactly, and carry a marriage certificate or legal name change document if it does not
- 3Plan travel so you arrive two hours before the start time, since the registration desk closes 30 minutes before the examination
- 4Print several copies of the admit card, because a candidate without a valid admit card is not permitted to sit under any circumstances
- 5Confirm your seat, shift and subject code on the admit card, and check the on-screen paper matches your opted subject on the day
Ready to pass UGC NET?
Get 500+ practice questions, video walkthroughs, and a pass guarantee.
Best Study Resources
UGC NET official syllabus page
Official syllabusHosts the Paper 1 syllabus under subject code 00 and a separate downloadable syllabus for every NET subject in English and Hindi. NTA states it will not send the syllabus to individual candidates, so this page is the only authoritative source.
Free
NTA UGC NET portal
Official portalThe registration, admit card, provisional answer key, key challenge and result portal. Results are hosted here and candidates are not individually intimated.
Free
UGC NET Information Bulletin
Official notificationThe cycle-specific document setting out fees by category, the 180-minute two-paper format, the marking scheme, eligibility percentages, age limits and the result declaration methodology including the 6 percent qualifying rule.
Free
NTA previous year question papers archive
Past papersPast Paper 1 and Paper 2 question papers by subject. Paper 2 in particular repeats syllabus areas across cycles, so mapping past questions onto syllabus units shows where the examiners actually concentrate.
Free
NTA mock test and CBT practice interface
Practice platformThe official practice environment for the Computer Based Test interface. The bulletin directs candidates here to rehearse navigation, flagging and review before the examination day.
Free
UGC fellowship scheme page
Official referenceSets out the JRF financial assistance in writing: INR 37,000 per month for two years, INR 42,000 per month as SRF for the remaining period, tenure of five years or thesis submission, and the annual contingency grants for humanities and science scholars.
Free
Trueman's UGC NET General Paper 1
BookA widely used unit-by-unit companion to the ten Paper 1 modules, with practice sets aligned to the current UGC syllabus structure.
Around INR 400-600
UGC NET/JRF/SET Teaching and Research Aptitude by KVS Madaan
BookCovers all ten Paper 1 units with worked examples on logical reasoning, Indian logic and data interpretation, the three units candidates from non-quantitative backgrounds most often lose marks on.
Around INR 700-900
UGC website minimum standards regulations for PhD
Primary sourceThe UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022, referenced directly in the NET bulletin for four-year bachelor's degree eligibility and for JRF admission into PhD programmes.
Free
NET Bureau helpline
Official supportThe UGC NET Bureau contact for syllabus and eligibility clarification, reachable at [email protected]. NTA runs a separate helpline for admit card and technical issues at [email protected].
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Leaving questions unanswered to avoid losing marks.
UGC NET has no negative marking. NTA states that no marks are given for unanswered or review-marked questions and none are deducted for wrong ones, so an unattempted question is a guaranteed zero while a guess is a free one-in-four chance. Attempt all 150.
Assuming that scoring 40 percent aggregate means you have qualified.
The 40 percent aggregate, or 35 percent for reserved categories, is only the threshold to be considered. NTA qualifies a number equal to 6 percent of candidates who appeared, then derives subject-wise and category-wise cut-offs from slot allocation. Aim for the published cut-off in your subject, not the floor.
Treating Paper 1 as the easy half and giving it most of your revision.
Paper 1 carries 100 marks against 200 for Paper 2. Two-thirds of your total comes from the subject paper. Cap Paper 1 preparation once you can clear its ten units reliably and move the time to Paper 2, where the marks actually sit.
Planning a break between Paper 1 and Paper 2.
NTA states there is no break between the papers. The 180 minutes run continuously across all 150 questions, so rehearse full three-hour sittings rather than two separate practice blocks.
Skipping the Indian logic portion of Unit VI because it looks unfamiliar.
The syllabus names the six pramanas, pratyaksha, anumana, upamana, shabda, arthapatti and anupalabddhi, plus the structure and kinds of anumana, vyapti and hetvabhasas. These are finite, definition-based marks that repeat across cycles and take a few hours to secure.
Preparing a subject you did not study at postgraduate level.
NTA advises candidates to appear in the subject of their post-graduation, and only to pick a related subject if theirs has no NET paper. Paper 2 assumes postgraduate-level command of the UGC syllabus, and there is no compensating easy section.
Applying for JRF without checking the age limit.
The JRF age limit is 30 years as on the first day of the month in which the examination concludes. Relaxation of up to five years applies to OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, PwBD, Third gender and women applicants, up to five years for documented research experience, and three years for an LLM degree, but total relaxation cannot exceed five years.
Waiting for individual result intimation.
NTA states that candidates will not be individually intimated about their result. Results are hosted on https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/ and are declared in percentile alongside marks or normalised marks. Check the portal yourself.
Challenging the provisional answer key without evidence.
NTA charges INR 200 per question challenged, non-refundable, and states that challenges without justification or evidence, filed after the deadline, or submitted through any medium other than the prescribed link will not be considered. Attach a citation from a standard source or do not pay.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Report at the examination centre two hours before the examination begins. The registration desk closes 30 minutes before the start time, and NTA does not accept traffic or train delay as a reason.
- 2
Carry the printed admit card. NTA states that a candidate who does not possess a valid admit card will not be permitted to sit the examination under any circumstances.
- 3
Bring a photo identification whose name matches the admit card exactly. If your name changed through marriage or a legal process, carry the marriage certificate, divorce decree or legal name change document to the centre.
- 4
Aadhaar is not mandatory as the identification type. NTA accepts a passport number, PAN card, driving licence or any other valid government identity number.
- 5
Sit only on the seat allotted against your roll number. Changing room, hall or seat on your own leads to cancellation of candidature with no plea accepted.
- 6
Check on screen that the question paper subject matches the subject code printed on your admit card. If it does not, raise it with the invigilator immediately rather than starting the paper.
- 7
Do all calculation and rough work on the rough sheets provided at the centre, and hand them back to the invigilator at the end of the test.
- 8
Plan the 180 minutes before you sit down. A common split is around 55 minutes for the 50 Paper 1 questions and the remaining 125 minutes for the 100 Paper 2 questions, since there is no break to reset in between.
- 9
Attempt every question before time expires. With no negative marking, a blind guess on the last few items costs nothing and can only add marks.
- 10
If you have a benchmark disability and are eligible for a scribe, compensatory time of at least 20 minutes per hour applies whether or not you actually use the scribe. Own-scribe details must be submitted in advance and the scribe's qualification must be one step below yours.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Junior Research Fellow, then Senior Research Fellow
Awarded to Category 1 qualifiers only. Tenure runs five years or until thesis submission, whichever comes first. The fellowship is contingent on finding placement at a university, IIT or recognised institution, and registration for the PhD must happen within two years of the result or the award letter.
INR 37,000 per month as JRF for two years, then INR 42,000 per month as SRF for the remaining period, per the UGC fellowship scheme, plus a yearly contingency of INR 10,000 for humanities and social science scholars or INR 12,000 for science scholars, rising to INR 20,500 and INR 25,000 as SRF
Assistant Professor at a university or college
Category 1 and Category 2 qualifiers hold eligibility for appointment, which is a licence to apply rather than a guaranteed post. Actual recruitment runs through individual institutions and states, with their own advertisements, interviews and academic performance criteria. Candidates who qualified NET on the basis of a four-year undergraduate degree are eligible for JRF and PhD admission but are not eligible for Assistant Professor appointment.
UGC does not set the pay in the NET bulletin; candidates who qualify are governed by the recruitment rules and pay of the concerned university, college or state government
PhD research scholar
All three NET categories give PhD admission eligibility. For Category 2 and Category 3 candidates, NET marks carry 70 percent weightage and the institution's interview or viva voce carries 30 percent, and NET marks stay valid for PhD admission for one year from the date the result is declared. This replaces the university's own entrance test.
Depends on whether the scholar holds a UGC fellowship, an institutional fellowship or none
Public sector undertaking recruit
The Information Bulletin states that UGC and NTA can share NET candidate data with public sector undertakings and other organisations for their recruitment processes. Several PSUs use qualifying scores from national tests as a screening filter, so a NET result has a use outside academia.
Set by the recruiting organisation, not by UGC or NTA
National Fellowship recipient under a Ministry of Social Justice scheme
The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students, the National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes and the National Fellowship for Persons with Disabilities are selected through the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment using NET results. These run alongside the UGC JRF rather than replacing it.
Determined by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment scheme, not by the NET bulletin
Academic administrator or curriculum specialist
The Paper 1 syllabus covers evaluation systems, the Choice Based Credit System, digital initiatives in higher education, and policies, governance and administration. Candidates who move into academic administration, accreditation work or curriculum design reuse that material directly rather than as background knowledge.
Set by the employing institution
Prerequisites & Requirements
- A Master's degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognised university with at least 55 percent marks without rounding off for General, Unreserved and General-EWS candidates, or at least 50 percent for OBC non-creamy layer, SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates.
- Candidates still pursuing a Master's degree, or awaiting their final year result, may apply and are admitted provisionally. They must complete the degree with the required percentage within two years of the NET result, or within one year if they qualify for admission to PhD only, or they are treated as disqualified.
- Candidates with a four-year or eight-semester bachelor's degree need at least 75 percent aggregate or equivalent grade, with a 5 percent relaxation for SC, ST, OBC non-creamy layer, differently-abled and EWS candidates. Those qualifying on this basis are eligible for JRF and PhD admission but not for Assistant Professor appointment.
- For JRF only, an age limit of not more than 30 years as on the first day of the month in which the examination concludes. Relaxation of up to five years applies to OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, PwBD, Third gender and women candidates, up to five years for documented research experience, and three years for an LLM degree, with total relaxation capped at five years.
- There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or for PhD admission.
- PhD degree holders whose Master's level examination was completed by 19 September 1991 get a relaxation of 5 percent in aggregate marks, from 55 percent to 50 percent.
- No documents are sent to NTA at application stage. Candidature is provisional and NTA does not verify the information provided, so any ineligibility detected later results in cancellation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does UGC NET cost?
For the June 2026 cycle the examination fee is INR 1,150 for General and Unreserved candidates, INR 600 for General-EWS and OBC non-creamy layer candidates, and INR 325 for SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates. Service or processing charges and GST are payable on top, to the bank or payment gateway integrator. NTA states that no request for refund of fee once remitted will be entertained under any circumstances.
Is there negative marking in UGC NET?
No. Each question carries two marks, two marks are awarded for a correct response, and nothing is deducted for an incorrect one. No marks are given for questions left unanswered or marked for review. NTA advises candidates to choose the most appropriate option for every question precisely because there is no penalty.
What is the minimum score needed to qualify?
There is no fixed passing mark. A candidate must appear in both papers and secure at least 40 percent aggregate marks in the two papers taken together, or 35 percent for SC, ST, OBC non-creamy layer, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates, simply to be considered. NTA then qualifies a number equal to 6 percent of candidates who appeared, distributed across categories and subjects, so the real cut-off is derived from slot allocation and differs by subject and cycle.
How often is UGC NET held and what happens if I fail?
NTA conducts UGC NET twice a year, in June and December cycles. There is no retake within a cycle and no re-test for candidates who miss the scheduled date, which NTA states will not be held under any circumstances. A candidate who does not qualify simply reapplies in the next cycle and pays the fee again. There is no cap on the number of attempts for Assistant Professor eligibility, since that category has no upper age limit.
What is the difference between JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD-only qualification?
Category 1 qualifiers receive JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission eligibility. Category 2 qualifiers receive Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission but not JRF. Category 3 qualifiers receive PhD admission only. The JRF cut-off sits above the Assistant Professor cut-off in every subject, and the number qualifying for PhD-only is decided by the results committee.
How long is a UGC NET result valid?
It depends on the category. For PhD admission by Category 2 and Category 3 candidates, the NET marks are valid for one year from the date the result is declared. A JRF award letter carries a validity period of three years from the date of issue for finding placement. Assistant Professor eligibility itself does not carry a stated expiry in the bulletin, but institutional recruitment rules govern how it is used.
What identification do I need at the examination centre?
Bring the downloaded admit card and a photo identification whose name matches the admit card exactly. Aadhaar is only one accepted identification type and is not mandatory; a passport number, PAN card, driving licence or any other valid government identity number is accepted. If your name has changed through marriage or a legal process, carry the marriage certificate, divorce decree or legal name change document. Candidates claiming PwD or PwBD relaxation must also carry the certificate issued by the competent authority.
Can I use a calculator or reference material?
No. The examination is a Computer Based Test and all calculation and writing work must be done on the rough sheets provided at the centre, which are collected at the end of the test. Paper 1 Unit V requires arithmetic on fractions, ratio, percentage, profit and loss, interest and averages, all of which must be worked by hand.
Is UGC NET conducted online at home or at a centre?
It is conducted in Computer Based Test mode at NTA-designated centres in selected cities across India, not at home. There is no remote proctoring option. The city of the examination centre is chosen at application and cannot be changed once the application is submitted, and the exact centre, date and shift appear on the admit card.
What accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities?
Compensatory time of not less than 20 minutes per hour is granted to all candidates with benchmark disabilities eligible for a scribe, whether or not they actually use one, prorated if the examination runs under an hour. Candidates may opt for their own scribe or request one from NTA, and an own scribe's qualification must be one step below the candidate's own, with details submitted on the prescribed proforma. Where graphical or pictorial questions are set for sighted candidates, visually impaired candidates receive a passage with an equal number of questions and equal weightage.
How does the score scale and percentile work?
The result is declared in percentile alongside marks. Where a subject is tested in two or more shifts, marks are normalised using the equi-percentile method and the result is declared in percentile along with normalised marks. NTA gives a worked example: if 40 percent marks correspond to a percentile of 78 in shift one and 79 in shift two, everyone at or above 78 percentile is considered.
How long do results take and how am I informed?
NTA publishes the provisional answer key and the candidate's recorded responses on https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/ for two to three days for challenges, then declares the result on the same website. NTA states explicitly that candidates will not be individually intimated about their result, so you must check the portal. The bulletin lists the result declaration date as to be intimated later rather than as a fixed date.
Can I challenge the answer key?
Yes, during the stipulated window through the key challenge link on the NTA website. The fee is INR 200 per question challenged and is non-refundable. NTA will not consider challenges made without justification or evidence, made after the deadline, or filed through any medium other than the prescribed link. The decision on challenges made by NTA is final.
How much does the JRF pay and for how long?
The UGC fellowship scheme pays INR 37,000 per month as Junior Research Fellow for two years, then INR 42,000 per month as Senior Research Fellow for the remaining period. Tenure is five years or submission of the thesis, whichever comes first. Contingency is INR 10,000 a year for JRF and INR 20,500 a year for SRF in humanities and social sciences, and INR 12,000 and INR 25,000 respectively for science scholars. The scheme lists 11,750 slots.
How many subjects can I choose from?
UGC publishes separate Paper 2 syllabi for 87 subjects, each identified by a subject code, on the ugcnetonline.in syllabus page. Candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their post-graduation. If your post-graduation subject has no matching NET paper, you may appear in a related subject. Candidates entering on a four-year bachelor's degree may pick any subject they intend to pursue a PhD in, regardless of their undergraduate discipline.
How does UGC NET compare with CSIR NET?
UGC NET covers humanities, social sciences, languages, commerce, computer science and applications, electronic science and related fields, while CSIR NET covers the natural sciences under a joint CSIR-UGC test. The UGC fellowship scheme accepts candidates who have qualified either NET-JRF or the UGC-CSIR joint test for the same fellowship rates. The two tests have separate syllabi, separate application processes and separate paper structures, so you prepare for one or the other rather than both.
Do I need to send documents to NTA when applying?
No. NTA states that candidates are not required to send certificates, documents, the printout of the application form or the confirmation page. Candidature is purely provisional, NTA does not verify the information provided at registration, and any ineligibility detected at any stage results in cancellation and possible legal action. Keep at least four printouts of the confirmation page, proof of fee paid and six to eight passport photographs for your own records.
Can I change the medium of the question paper after applying?
No. The medium option is exercised on the application form and NTA states that once exercised it cannot be changed. You must answer in the medium you chose. The question paper is set in English and Hindi only, except for language papers, and where a translation is ambiguous the English version is treated as final.
Pass UGC NET, Guaranteed
94% pass rate on first attempt
One-time • Lifetime access