UGC NET Exam Guide 2026

Any candidate who has acquired or is currently pursuing their master's degree in a recognized University is eligible for UGC NET. Candidates belonging to the general and EWS category shall have to secure a minimum of 55% aggregate marks, whereas the minimum required marks for the candidates belonging to OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, and Third Gender category is 50%. Any eligible candidate holding a bachelor's degree of 4 years' duration will be eligible for JRF/PhD Admissions in accordance with the latest UGC guidelines.

Yes, you can pursue a PhD without UGC NET, but qualifying it helps in admission and fellowships. Candidates meeting UGC NET eligibility 4 years course can also apply for PhD through NET scores.

UGC NET is conducted twice a year (June and December). There is no limit on attempts for Assistant Professor, but for JRF, it depends on the Ugc net eligibility age and applicable relaxations, including UGC NET eligibility for Female candidates.

The best subject depends on your academic background. As per UGC NET eligibility criteria subject wise, candidates should choose their postgraduate subject or a related field to meet the Ugc net eligibility percentage and improve their chances of qualifying.

The age limit for the Junior Research Fellowship is 30 years according to NTA guidelines. The candidates falling under categories such as SC, ST, OBC-NCL, PwD, Third Gender, Female, and others are eligible for age relaxation as per the guidelines of the Government of India. There is no upper age limit for the position of Assistant Professor/Ph.D.

Yes. Students studying in their last year or semester in their Post Graduate program are eligible to apply for UGC NET on provisional basis but they must clear their qualifying degree within the stipulated time period with minimum prescribed percentage, else they won’t be eligible for UGC NET.

Yes. According to the new norms of eligibility, candidates holding a recognized four-year bachelors' degree with the prescribed minimum marks are eligible to apply for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and PhD admission. But candidates will be ineligible to apply for Assistant Professor position if they lack the postgraduate degree.

No. There is no restriction on the number of attempts that candidates can make for UGC NET Exam. They can give as many attempts as they wish provided they fulfill the prescribed eligibility and age criterion for JRF. Candidates applying for Assistant Professor position do not have any upper age criterion.

The candidates should ideally choose the subject same as that of their postgraduate degree. In case the specific subject is not found among the 87 subjects of UGC NET, then the candidate can opt for the subject most closely allied to the syllabus and eligibility criteria.