UGC NET Exam 2024: Exam Dates, Application Form, Eligibility, Cutoff, and Exam Pattern

UGC NET Exam 2024: The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the UGC NET exam to determine the eligibility of students who are interested in applying for the post of "Assistant Professor" or "Junior Research Fellowship'. Candidates who are interested in applying have to fulfill certain eligibility criteria for the same. Read here: UGC NET Eligibility 2024

UGC Chairman, M. Jagadesh Kumar has recently announced the UGC NET 2024 exam date on his X (formerly twitter) handle. According to this information, the UGC NET exam 2024 will be held on June 18, 2024. Earlier, the exam was scheduled on June 16, 2024 but in a NTA notice dated April 29, 2024, the UGC NET exam date has been changed to June 18, 2024.

Latest Updates:

• UGC NET application process 2024 started from April 20. The last date to register is May 10, 2024. 
• As per the latest notice released by UGC, the NET exam score can now be used for admission to Ph.D. programmes instead of entrance tests. 

To apply for the exam, candidates have to fill in the UGC NET application form. Only those candidates who will successfully fill the application form will be eligible to get their UGC NET admit card. 

NTA released the result of UGC NET exam on January 19, 2024. Candidates can download their scorecard from the official website, ugcnet.nta.nic.in. Along with the result, NTA has also released the UGC NET Cut off for all 83 subjects. The result is released in the form of a scorecard containing the details like candidate's name, date and time of exam, roll number, marks scored by the candidate, and the pass/fail status.

UGC NET Overview 

The main aim of the UGC NET exam is to identify the qualifications of applicants for the positions of Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at various Indian institutions and colleges. According to the latest decision by the UGC, the NET exam can now be used to get admission into Ph.D programs as well. This was decided in the 578th UGC meeting held on March 13, 2024.

UGC NET Application Form 2024

Candidates interested in applying for UGC NET exam 2024 have to fill in the official application form. The application process for the next UGC NET exam will begin in 2024. The process consists of several steps including filling out the form, uploading necessary documents and paying the application fees. Further, candidates must know that the application fees differ for candidates who belong to different categories. Once the candidate successfully submits the application form, then he or she will be eligible to get the UGC NET admit card. 

Candidates can fill the application form by following the given simple steps: 

Step 1: Candidates need to go to the official website of UGC NET 

Step 2: On the homepage, the candidates will find the link that reads 'application form' -- click on that 

Step 3: Now, candidates need to click on the registration link 

Step 4: Complete the registration by providing the necessary information

Step 5: Candidates need to completely fill out the application form

Step 6: Candidates need to submit scanned copies of their signature and passport-size photo. JPEG format should be used for both photos

Step 7: Candidates have to pay the UGC NET application fee, which is rs 275 for transgender applicants and rs 1,100 for candidates belonging to general

Step 8: Submit and save the form

Step 9: Download the form and keep the hard copy for future use. 

UGC NET Application Form Fees 

Candidates should know that the UGC NET application form fees differ for candidates belonging to different categories. Aspirants can pay the application fees through Paytm payment gateway (debit card/credit card/net banking/UPI and BI/HDFC/Syndicate/ICICI card. 

UGC NET Answer Key 2024

The UGC NET final answer key for December 2023 exam is out on the official website. Candidates can look for the answer key on ugcnet.nta.nic.in. The window to raise objections against the answer key is open till January 5, 2024. Here are the easy steps to download the answer key from the official NTA website:

Step 1: Log on to ugcnet.nta.nic.in

Step 2: Click on the answer key notification displayed on the page

Step 3: Enter your login credentials

Step 4: Click on the answer key link for the exam you appeared for

Step 5: Download the answer key

UGC NET Result 2024

The UGC NET result for December 2023 exam was released on January 19, 2024. Earlier, UGC NET Result 2023 was expected to be released on January 17. However, the result was delayed due to technical issues. Candidates can download the result from the official website. The passing score for candidates is as follows:

• 40% aggregate score in both the papers for candidate belonging from General categore
• 35% aggregate score in both the papers for candidate belonging from SC/ST/OBC reserved categories

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024

One of the most important factors that play an essential role for candidates in appearing for the UGC NET is the UGC NET eligibility criteria. In order to apply for the UGC NET exam, candidates should have an idea about the eligibility criteria for the teaching exam. 

The eligibility criteria for the Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship of the UGC NET exam are standardised by the University Grant Commission. If the candidate fulfils the eligibility criteria, then he or she is eligible to apply for the examination.

The NTA also releases the eligibility criteria, which are based on the following factors:

• Age Limit and Relaxation
• Education Qualification 
• Reservation 

UGC NET Age Limit & Relaxation

Candidates who are interested in appearing for the UGC NET JRF should meet the age limit in order to appear for the exam. A candidate's age should not be more than 30 years on the first day of the month in which the UGC NET 2024 exam comes to an end. However, it should be noted that the maximum age limit for the UGC NET 2024 changes every year, and the new guidelines are always updated on the official page of the education board. 

On the other hand, the age limit for the candidates who are interested in appearing for the UGC NET Assistant Professor exam should know that there is no age limit to apply for the post. 

The NTA provides a specific age relaxation to students who belong to certain categories, as per the rules issued by the Government of India. 

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: Educational Qualifications

Education qualification comes as the second factor in the eligibility criteria. Given below is the table that will help the candidate have a better understanding of the UGC NET educational qualifications as the requirement to appear for the exam. 

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: Reservation Policy

The Government of India issues the rule of reservation policy applicable to the UGC NET exam. Further, the seats in the central universities and institutes which are deemed to be universities are reserved accordingly. 

UGC NET Syllabus 2024

The UGC NET syllabus 2024 will be released on the official website soon before the 2024 session of exams begins. The syllabus plays an essential role for all the candidates who are appearing for the examination. Meanwhile, candidates can take a look at UGC NET syllabus 2023, which consists of two papers - Paper 1 and Paper 2 and the syllabus for both papers is different. Aspirants can take a look at the following syllabus down below: 

UGC NET Syllabus for Paper 1

UGC NET Syllabus for Paper 2

While paper 1 is required of all students,  paper 2 candidates have to appear for the exam for the subjects which they have chosen. The UGC NET test Paper 2 has 82 subjects in total. 

UGC NET Exam Pattern 

The UGC NET exam is a computer-based exam and consists of paper 1 and paper 2. The total number of questions is 150. While paper 1 consists of 50 questions, paper 2 consists of 100 questions. The questions are in MCQ form, and each question is of 2 marks. Students should note that there is no negative marking in the exam. 

While paper 1 is of one hour, paper 2 is of two hours. The UGC NET paper 1 is 100 marks, whereas paper 2 is 200 marks. 

UGC NET Paper 1 Exam Pattern 

As per the NTA, paper 1 of the UGC NET is generic in nature, intending to assess the teaching/research aptitude of the candidate. Paper 1 aims to assess the teaching/research aptitude of the candidate and consists of topics including reasoning ability, comprehension, divergent thinking, and general awareness. 

UGC NET Paper 2 Exam pattern 

According to the NTA, the UGC NET paper 2 is based on the subject selected by the candidate. All the students must appear on paper 2 of the UGC NET. Candidates are only required to appear in the subject of their Post-Graduation only.