National Testing Agency (NTA) · Eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor and PhD admission
UGC NET: Paper 1 & 2 Pattern, Eligibility, Age Limit, Fee & Mock Tests
UGC-NET is the test NTA holds for the University Grants Commission to decide who is eligible for Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment as Assistant Professor and for PhD admission. It is not a recruitment exam. Everything about the test on one page, from NTA’s June 2026 bulletin.
UGC NET latest updates
New UGC NET notifications, admit cards, answer keys and results appear here as soon as they are posted. Browse Govt Jobs →
Important dates
Dates for the next UGC NET cycle (notification, last date, admit card, exam and result) appear here when they are announced. See the exam calendar →
Check your eligibility
- ✓Junior Research Fellowship (with Assistant Professor and PhD)Age up to 30 +5
- ✓Assistant Professor and PhD admissionAge no limit
- ✓PhD admission onlyAge no limit
UGC NET vacancies
Total, category-wise and post-wise vacancies appear here when the UGC NET notification is released.
Eligibility and age limit
| Posts | Qualification | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Research Fellowship (with Assistant Professor and PhD) | Master’s degree with 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender); or a 4-year bachelor’s degree with 75% (5% relaxation for reserved categories) | Up to 30 |
| Assistant Professor and PhD admission | Master’s degree with 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender). A 4-year bachelor’s degree does not qualify for Assistant Professor | No age limit |
| PhD admission only | Master’s degree with 55% (50% for reserved categories) or a 4-year bachelor’s degree with 75% | No age limit |
| Category | Age relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL / SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / third gender / women (JRF only) | Up to 5 years |
| Research experience in the relevant subject (JRF only) | Period of research, up to 5 years |
| LL.M. degree holders (JRF only) | 3 years |
| Armed forces service (JRF only) | Length of service, up to 5 years |
| Assistant Professor and PhD admission | No upper age limit |
Age is counted as on 1st day of the month in which the exam concludes (1 June 2026 for June 2026).
The bulletin gives no minimum age, and no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or PhD. 0 and 99 are placeholders for the checker, not limits.
Final-year master’s students can apply, but must pass with the required marks within two years of the result (one year for PhD-only).
JRF relaxations (research experience, LL.M., armed forces) are capped at five years in total.
Application fee
Selection process
- 1Computer-based testPaper 1 and Paper 2 in one 3-hour sitting
- 2Result by categoryJRF + Assistant Professor · Assistant Professor + PhD · PhD only
- 3Next stepJRF placement, a university’s recruitment, or PhD interview (NET 70% + interview 30%)
UGC NET exam pattern
UGC-NET (one sitting) 3 hours without a break · 150 questions · 300 marks · 2 marks each · no negative marking
| Paper | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Teaching and research aptitude | 50 | 100 |
| Paper 2: Subject chosen by the candidate | 100 | 200 |
| Total | 150 | 300 |
All questions are compulsory objective MCQs. The question paper is in English and Hindi, except language papers. To be considered for qualifying, you need at least 40% aggregate in both papers together (35% for reserved categories); the number declared qualified for Assistant Professor is 6% of candidates who appeared, shared by category.
UGC NET syllabus
Subject by subject. The number on a topic is how many practice questions we have for it.
Paper 1: Teaching and Research Aptitude
50 questions · 100 marksPaper 2: Your subject
100 questions · 200 marksUGC NET cut-offs
Year-wise official cut-offs for every category appear here once they are published.
UGC NET salary by post
| Level / group | Posts | Pay scale |
|---|---|---|
| None | UGC-NET is an eligibility test. It does not fill any post. | No pay of its own. Assistant Professor pay depends on the university or college that recruits you; JRF is paid under UGC schemes once you find a placement. |
UGC-NET has no salary. The June 2026 bulletin does not state the JRF fellowship amount, so we do not show one.
UGC NET mock tests and previous year papers
Exams with a similar syllabus
Your NET preparation already covers most of these exams.
UGC NET articles
Preparation strategy, syllabus breakdowns and cut-off analysis for UGC NET are on the way. Read the blog →
UGC NET frequently asked questions
Is UGC NET a job exam?
No. It decides eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment as Assistant Professor and for PhD admission. Recruitment as Assistant Professor is done by the university, college or state concerned under its own rules.
What is the age limit for UGC NET?
For JRF, not more than 30 years on the first day of the month the exam ends (1 June 2026 for June 2026), with up to 5 years’ relaxation for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender and women. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or PhD admission.
What marks do I need in my master’s degree?
55% for General, General-EWS; 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender, without rounding off.
Can a 4-year bachelor’s graduate take UGC NET?
Yes, with 75% marks (5% relaxation for reserved categories), for JRF and PhD admission. Such candidates are not eligible for Assistant Professor.
Is there negative marking in UGC NET?
No. Each question carries 2 marks and there is no negative marking.
How long is the NET score valid for PhD admission?
For candidates qualified for "Assistant Professor and PhD" or "PhD only", the NET marks are valid for PhD admission for one year from the result. A JRF award offer is valid for three years from the award letter.
What happened in UGC NET June 2026?
NTA held it on 22–25, 29 and 30 June and 5 July 2026 in 87 subjects. Results for 84 subjects came on 28 August 2026: 4,241 qualified for JRF and Assistant Professor, 45,904 for Assistant Professor and PhD, and 97,434 for PhD only, out of 6,07,151 who appeared. English, Commerce and Sociology were re-conducted on 9 and 10 September 2026 because of errors in those papers.
Sources: UGC-NET June 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA) · NTA notice on re-conduct of English, Commerce and Sociology (16-08-2026) · NTA press release on UGC-NET June 2026 results (28-08-2026) (checked 14 Sept 2026). Always confirm in the official notice before applying.