University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test / Junior Research Fellowship · National Testing Agency (UGC)
Package
JRF: ₹37,000/month fellowship. Assistant Professor: ₹57,700/month (7th CPC AGP)
Difficulty
Hard
Date
Twice a year (June & December) — check ugcnet.nta.ac.in
Company
National Testing Agency (UGC)
UGC NET/JRF is the gateway to Assistant Professor positions in Indian universities and colleges, and JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) for PhD funding. Qualifying NET (without JRF) makes you eligible to teach at degree colleges nationwide. 10–12 lakh candidates per cycle across 83 subjects.
Eligibility Criteria:
Post-graduation (55% general, 50% SC/ST/OBC/PwD) in relevant subject. No age limit for Assistant Professor; JRF: under 31 years.
| Section | Questions | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I — Teaching & Research Aptitude | 50 | 60 min | 100 |
| Paper II — Subject Specific | 100 | 120 min | 200 |
Cutoff Score: JRF: top ~6% scorers per subject. Assistant Professor: top ~15% (varies by subject).
Package on selection: JRF: ₹37,000/month fellowship. Assistant Professor: ₹57,700/month (7th CPC AGP)
Paper I is same for all subjects — a well-prepared Paper I can compensate for Paper II.
JRF is highly competitive — top 6% only. Aim for 160+/300 to be safe.
NTA's official question paper repository is the best resource — solve all past years.
Subject paper II: make topic-wise notes from PG textbooks + standard reference books.
Paper I Logic and Reasoning section: solve 200+ MCQs for pattern recognition.
June and December exams both count — attempt both if preparing seriously.
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