The University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC–NET) is a
standardised test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermine ...
in India conducted by the
National Testing Agency
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is an autonomous body of Department of Higher Education (India), Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (India), Ministry of Education of India. It was established in November 2017 to conduct ...
(NTA) on behalf of the
University Grants Commission. It is designed to determine the eligibility of candidates for: awarding of the
Junior Research Fellowship
After completing a postgraduate degree, one of the options is to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) program. These Ph.D programs cost money and time. To help a scholar there are many Research Fellowship Schemes in India funded by either a gov ...
(JRF), appointment as
assistant professor
Assistant professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.
Overview
This position is generally taken after earning a doct ...
, and admission to
PhD
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
in Indian universities and colleges. The exam can be taken in any one of the 85 subjects. The UGC–NET
National Eligibility Test
The National Eligibility Test (NET) is a standardised test conducted at the national level by various agencies of the Government of India. It assesses candidates' eligibility for research fellowships, specifically the Junior Research Fellowship ( ...
is one of the toughest exams in India.
Until July 2018, the
Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
(CBSE) conducted the exam, which was taken over by the NTA since December 2018. Currently, the exam is being conducted twice a year in the months of June and December in CBT-mode.
From December 2018 onward, NTA started releasing the UGC-NET e-certificate and JRF award letter online on its official website for the qualified candidates.
Qualifying criteria
A student has to obtain the minimum qualifying marks in UGC–NET, with aggregate 55% and 50% in their postgraduate's or master's degree, for General and Others respectively. The paper is divided into two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 is a general exam containing 50 questions of two marks each, for a total of 100 marks. Paper 2 is a subject-specific exam containing 100 questions of two marks each, for a total of 200 marks. The candidates have to score a total of (both in papers 1 and 2) 150 questions in three hours. There is no separate cutoff for any of the papers and, the cutoff is decided on the aggregate marks. Amongst those candidates who have obtained minimum qualifying marks, a merit list is prepared subject-wise and category-wise using the aggregate marks of two papers secured by such candidates.
SET/SLETs
A state-level equivalent exam of NET exam is conducted by the Indian states/UTs in their jurisdiction called State Eligibility Test/State Level Eligibility Test, determining eligibility for lectureship/assistant professorship at universities and colleges in that particular state/UT only.
UGC NET Mandatory for PhD admission
The new guidelines of UGC, suggested the use of UGC NET scores for PhD admissions. For this purpose; a new qualification category "PhD only" was added from UGC NET June 2024 onwards. Some have welcomed this change.
See also
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List of Public service commissions in India
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List of Public Sector Undertakings in India
References
External links
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{{Standardized tests in India
Standardised tests in India
1989 establishments in India