UGC NET EXAM

The official notification for the UGC NET Exam session has been released on the official website. Along with the official notification, the application form has also been released. The registration and the application form submission should be done by the 7th of November 2025. The UGC NET examination will be conducted from December 31, 2025, to January 7, 2026. Let’s have an overview of the exam, the eligibility criteria, how to apply, the exam pattern and the recruitment process.

1. UGC NET Exam Overview

The UGC NET (Union Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test) is one of the toughest exams conducted in India. The exam is conducted to determine the eligibility for awarding the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to PhD in respective Indian Universities and Colleges. It is organised by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Union Grants Commission (UGC).

The UGC NET Exam was earlier conducted by CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) until 2018. The NTA (National Test Agency) gained the authority to conduct the exam around December 2018.

This national-level exam is listed in the top 10 toughest exams in India. There are a total of 85 subjects, and students can choose any one of the 85 subjects to qualify for the exam. It is conducted twice a year, around June and December.

The UGC NET Exam is a computer-based test (CBT), and the time duration given to attempt the exam is 180 minutes.

Eligibility Criteria: 

The first step to attempt any major exam is to check whether you are eligible or not to attempt the exam. The eligibility criteria for the UGC NET exam have been classified into three categories:-

I) Nationality – The candidate appearing for this exam should have Indian Citizenship. Only Indian citizens can attempt this exam. But if you are an Indian individual residing in another country, you can attempt the exam with proper identity and residential documents.

II) Educational Qualifications - The candidate should have completed their post-graduation with an aggregate 55% from a UGC recognized university or college. The candidates from reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD) can apply with an aggregate of 50% as well.

III) Age Limit – Candidates appearing for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) should be below or up to 30 years of age, as of 1st June 2025. The age limit is 30 years of age. Whereas the candidate appearing for the professorship exam can attempt the exam at any age. There is no upper age limit. There is 5 5-year age relaxation for candidates from reserved categories.