UGC NET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 2025: The National Testing Agency administers the National Eligibility Test (NET). The UGC NET exam evaluates a candidate’s eligibility for the posts of “Assistant Professor” or “Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor” at various institutes and colleges across India. Candidates must meet the qualifying requirements before applying for the UGC NET exam. The eligibility criteria are available on the National Testing Agency’s official website @ugcnet.nta.ac.in
UGC NET ELIGIBILITY 2025 criteria comprise age limit, age relaxation, nationality, educational qualification, and other necessary details. Candidates must carefully consider each requirement before submitting an application. After completing the application process and paying the necessary fees, successful applicants will be issued their UGC NET Admit Card 2025.
The candidates must check the eligibility criteria before applying for the UGC NET 2025 EXAM.
UGC NET Eligibility 2025
Applicants must meet the University Grants Commission (UGC) eligibility criteria for the UGC NET 2025 examination. Because of the exam’s high reputation and competitive nature, a great number of candidates apply for the available vacancies. Before starting the application procedure, applicants should familiarize themselves with the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025.
The specific educational and age criteria are shown below.
UGC NET Eligibility 2025 Highlight
The UGC NET eligibility criteria for 2025 are summarized in the table below.
| Exam Particulars | Exam Details |
| Exam Name | UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Twice a year |
| UGC NET ELIGIBILITY | Must Posses Post Graduation Degree or Appearing for the Final Year in the Post Graduation |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (OMR based exam) |
| No. of Applicants | 9.45 Lakh (Dec 2023) |
| No. of Test-takers | 6.55 Lakh (Dec 2023) |
| Exam Fees | INR 1,150 for the General categoryINR 650 for OBCINR 325 for SC/ ST/ PwD |
| Exam Duration | 180 minutes |
| Exam Time | Shift 1 – 09:00 am to 12:00 noon Shift 2 – 03:00 pm to 06:00 pm |
| No. of Papers and Total Marks | Paper-1: 100 marksPaper 2: 200 marks |
| Total Questions | 50 MCQs in Paper 1 and 100 MCQs in Paper 2 |
| Marking Scheme | +2 for each correct answerNo negative marking for incorrect answer |
| Language/Medium of Exam | English and Hindi |
| Exam Purpose | Determine the eligibility of candidates for posts of only Assistant Professor or both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges |
| No. of Test Cities | 181 |
| Official Website & Helpline No. | @ugcnet.nta.nic.in 0120-6895200 |
UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025
Candidates who want to take the exam should carefully check the eligibility requirements on the NTA’s official website. In addition to giving information on exam dates, the educational authority releases eligibility criteria depending on the following:
- Age Limit and Relaxation
- Educational Qualifications
| UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Educational Qualifications | Master’s Degree |
| Age Limit | 30 years for Junior Research FellowshipNo age limit for Assistant Professorship |
| Number of Attempts | No limit on attempts |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Subject Eligibility | The subject of Post-Graduation as chosen by the candidate |
UGC NET 2025 Education Qualification
To apply for the UGC NET exam 2025, candidates must meet certain educational qualifications, which include:
| UGC NET 2025 Educational Qualification | |
| Category | Eligibility Criteria |
| General/Unreserved/General EWS candidates | Candidates in this category must secure a minimum of 55% marks in their Master’s Degree or an equivalent examination from universities/institutions recognized by UGC. Subjects such as Computer Science and Applications, Electronic Science, etc., are eligible for the UGC NET Test. |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | OBC candidates, falling under the Non-Creamy Layer, along with SC, ST, PwD, and Third Gender category, require a minimum of 50% marks in their Master’s degree or an equivalent examination to qualify for the UGC NET Test. |
| Master’s Degree | Aspiring candidates currently pursuing a Master’s degree or those who have appeared for their qualifying Master’s degree exams are eligible to apply for the UGC NET Test. However, admission is provisional, and confirmation of eligibility for JRF/Assistant Professor roles is contingent upon completing the Master’s Degree. |
| Third Gender Category | Candidates from the Third Gender category benefit from the same fee, age, and eligibility criteria relaxations as candidates in the SC/ST/PwD categories for the UGC NET Test. |
| Ph.D. degree holders | Ph.D. degree holders, completing their Master’s level examination by 19th September 1991 (regardless of result declaration date), are eligible for a 5% reduction in aggregate marks for the UGC NET Test. |
| Post-Graduate diploma/certificate from Indian/Foreign University | Candidates holding a post-graduate diploma/certificate from an Indian University or a Foreign University must ensure its equivalence to a Master’s degree from a recognized Indian university through the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, before applying for the UGC NET Test. |
UGC NET 2025 Age Limit
The age criteria set by the UGC NET, which candidates must meet to be eligible for the exam, are as follows:
- The maximum age to apply for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) is 30 years.
- There is no maximum age limit for applying to the position of Assistant Professor.
- Candidates from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and women candidates are eligible for a five-year age limit relaxation.
- Candidates having research experience will be granted an age relaxation proportional to the time spent conducting research on the relevant topic of their Post-Graduation degree.
- Individuals with an LLM degree are eligible for a three-year waiver of the age requirements.
| UGC NET 2025 Age Limit | |
| Category | Upper Age Limit |
| JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) | Not more than 30 years as of the 1st day of the month in which the examination is concluded. |
| Assistant Professor | No upper age limit for applying to UGC NET 2025 for the role of Assistant Professor. |
UGC NET JRF Age Limit Relaxation 2025
The UGC NET 2025 offers age relaxations exclusively for candidates applying for the JRF category, as shown in the table below:
| UGC NET 2025 Age Relaxation | |
| Category | Age Relaxations |
| Candidates pursuing LLM degree | 3 years |
| Ex-Army personnel (Service length up to the first day of the month of the UGC-NET) | 5 years |
| SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Female/Transgender | 5 years |
| Research candidates (with a valid certificate from the appropriate authority) | 5 years |
UGC NET Eligibility 2025 Exemptions For Assistant Professor
| UGC NET Eligibility 2025 Exemptions For Assistant Professor | |
| Educational Qualifications | UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 |
| Assistant Professors | The minimum educational requirement for the appointment of Assistant Professors at Universities/Colleges/Institutions is the successful completion of the NET/SET/SLET. Exemptions from NET/SET/SLET are subject to UGC norms. |
| UGC/CSIR/JRF Examination | Candidates who successfully cleared the UGC/CSIR/JRF examination before 1989 are exempted from the requirement to take the NET. |
| For SET Candidates | a. Individuals who passed the States Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC NET 2025 for Assistant Professor before June 1, 2002, are exempt from taking the NET and are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor positions across India.b. For SETs conducted after June 1, 2002, qualified candidates are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor positions exclusively at universities/colleges in the state where they successfully passed their SET. |
UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Reservation Policy
The Reservation Policy of the Government Of India is also applicable for UGC NET 2025. Reservations will be allocated according to the following guidelines:
| UGC NET 2025 Reservations | |
| Category | Reservations Allotted |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) | 27% |
| General-Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) with 40% or more disability | 05% |
UGC NET 2025 Eligibility Requirements for Lectureship
The Eligibility requirements for the Lectureship in UGC NET 2025 suggest that only 6% of applicants who take the examination will be considered successful. These successful candidates will be eligible for the position of Assistant Professor, and the selection procedure will be conducted in accordance with the category-based reservation policy.
The following formula is used to calculate the subject-wise merit list and UGC NET qualifying criterion for a lectureship based on the candidates’ backgrounds:
| UGC NET 2025 Eligibility Requirements for Lectureship |
| Particulars | Details |
| Calculation for Qualified Candidates (General Category) for Lectureship in English Subject | Number of Qualified Candidates (General Category) = (Number of General Category Candidates scoring 40% or more in both English papers) * (Total slots available for General Category) / (Total General Category Candidates scoring 40% or more in both papers across all subjects) |
The eligibility of a candidate for the positions of ‘Assistant Professor’ or ‘Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor’ depends on their performance in both UGC NET 2025 examinations.
| Particulars | Details |
| Number of Qualified Candidates (General Category) for Lectureship in English Subject | The calculation involves taking the number of candidates (General category) who selected JRF and successfully qualified for Assistant Professor in the English subject, multiplying it by the total number of available slots for JRF (General category), and then dividing this product by the total number of candidates (General category) across all subjects who opted for JRF and qualified for Assistant Professor. |
UGC NET Eligibility 2025: Certificates Required The UGC NET 2025 application requires the following certificates:
- Candidates with OBC, SC, ST, or PWD status must provide a category certificate.
- Equivalence certificate for postgraduate degrees or certificates obtained from Indian or foreign institutions.
- Qualifying Degree Certificate or last semester marks sheet, Class 10th mark sheet, Category Certificate (if applicable), Economically Weak Section (EWS) Certificate (if applicable), and Person with Disability (PwD) Certificate (if applicable).
- Alternative government identity numbers include passports, ration cards, election cards (EPIC numbers), bank account numbers, and others. Aadhaar numbers aren’t necessary.
FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS
Que 1. Is the UGC NET syllabus change in June 2025?
Ans 1. There is no change in the UGC NET syllabus for the next NTA NET June 2025 session.
Que 2. Can I do PhD without NET?
Ans 2. The process of PhD admission in India differs depending on the universities. However, To gain admission to a PhD program, it is typically required to pass entrance tests such as the NET exam.
Que 3. Is negative marking in UGC NET?
Ans 3. No, there is no negative marking for any incorrect answer.
Que 4. How many times a year is UGC NET?
Ans 4. The UGC NET EXAM is conducted twice in June and December.
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