National Eligibility Test


The National Eligibility Test is a standardised test conducted at the national level by various agencies of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It assesses candidates' eligibility for research fellowships, specifically the Junior Research Fellowship, Lectureship and, in some cases, the Senior Research Fellowship. Being one of the hardest and competitive tests, the Junior Research Fellowship is widely considered a prestigious and coveted fellowship in India, with an almost 0.7% success rate, and a 6-7% success rate for the Assistant Professor category. The UGC–NET National Eligibility Test is in the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. The UGC NET has two papers: Paper 1, which is common for all candidates, and Paper 2, which is subject-specific. Paper 1 assesses teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, communication, and general awareness. Paper 2 evaluates knowledge in the candidate's chosen subject from a list of 83 subjects.
Paper 1 :
  • Teaching Aptitude
  • Research Aptitude
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Communication
  • Reasoning
  • Logical Reasoning
  • Data Interpretation
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • People and Environment
  • Higher Education System
Paper 2 :
There are 83 subjects to choose from, including:
A complete list of subjects and their codes can be found on the UGC NET website. When choosing your subject for Paper 2, it is recommended to select the subject you specialized in during your postgraduate studies.The test enables successful candidates to pursue doctoral programmes and contribute to research endeavors within public research institutes and universities across the country.
Additionally, many colleges and universities use the NET as a criterion for appointing assistant professors, with a lower cut-off mark specified than that required for the JRF.

List of NET exams

The NET exams include but not limited to: