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Updated By Puja Gupta on 19 Jan, 2026 14:55
Registration Starts On April 17, 2026
The UGC NET 2025 selection process involves appearing for the examination, securing the prescribed category-wise and subject-wise cut-off marks, and obtaining the UGC NET e-certificate. The UGC NET December 2025 exam has already been conducted, and the result is expected to be released soon by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
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The UGC NET Selection Process 2025 consists of two papers conducted in a single session. Paper 1 assesses a candidate’s teaching and research aptitude, while Paper 2 evaluates subject-specific knowledge. Candidates must appear for both papers, and their combined performance is considered for qualification.
After the examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) releases category-wise and subject-wise cut-off marks. Based on these cut-offs and merit ranking, candidates are declared qualified for Assistant Professor, Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), or both, depending on their scores and preferences.
Candidates securing the minimum qualifying marks- 40% for General category and 35% for reserved categories (OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD), are declared “UGC NET Pass.” However, meeting the minimum qualifying marks alone does not guarantee eligibility for an E-Certificate or JRF. Only candidates who meet or exceed the final cut-off marks set by NTA are awarded the UGC NET qualification and E-Certificate.
The UGC NET selection process involves several steps to identify and select candidates for lectureship positions and for awarding Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges. Here is the step-by-step UGC NET 2025 selection process:
Only 6% of those who applied will pass the test and be qualified to be assistant professors. For this 6% of qualified applicants, there will be a category-based reservation scheme in effect.
The following formula will be used to determine the UGC NET qualifying requirements for Lectureships by category and the subject-specific merit list:
|
Number. of Qualified Candidates (General Category) for Lectureship in English Subject | The number of candidates (General category) that receive at least a 40% overall score on the English papers 1 and 2 (x) Total number of General category slots available (÷) Total number of candidates (General category) overall subjects who secure at least 40% aggregate marks in both papers combined. |
|---|
Only 1% of the individuals who applied for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) will be eligible for the certificate. The following is a list of the criteria used to choose the JRF-eligible candidates:
| Number. of Qualified Candidates (General Category) for Lectureship in English Subject | The number of candidates from the General category who chose JRF and met the requirements to become assistant professors of English (x) Total number of JRF (General category) slots available (÷) Total number of candidates (General category) over all subjects who opted for JRF and qualified for Assistant Professor. |
|---|
The UGC NET selection process 2025 mode or requirements to obtain the E-Certificate are as follows -
The E certificate will be issued to the candidates who successfully get the minimum passing marks in the UGC NET. You can follow the simple procedure given below to download the UGC NET 2025 December e-certificate:
Candidates will be considered for the UGC NET selection process only if they can attain passing marks for the UGC NET exam. However, scoring the qualifying marks and passing is not enough to be eligible for the next stage of selection. The candidates also have to achieve the cutoff requirements specified by the NTA. The UGC NET passing marks are mentioned in the table below:
| Category | Paper I (Out of 100 marks) | Paper II (Out of 100 marks) |
|---|---|---|
| General/Open | 40 (40%) | 40 (40%) |
| Reserved (OBC Non-creamy layer, PWD/SC/ST | 35 (35%) | 35 (35%) |
Candidates meeting the UGC NET reservation criteria can gain an advantage in the selection process. Below, we have provided the percentage of seats reserved for different categories to help you understand the UGC NET reservation policy.
Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
Other Backward Castes (OBC) | 27% |
Schedule Caste (SC) | 15% |
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
Schedule Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
Person with Disability (PwD) | 4% |
Want to know more about UGC NET
The UGC NET selection process involves various steps. First, a candidate needs to appear and qualify for the exam. Based on the result, NTA will issue the e-certificate for qualified candidates. Finally, eligible individuals can apply for the post of Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellowship in India universities/ colleges.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of the University Grants Commission, conducts the selection process for UGC NET. The NTA is responsible for organizing and administering the examination, including the application process, conducting the test, declaring the results, and issuing the e-certificate.
The minimum qualifying mark in UGC NET for the General category is determined by considering the aggregate score and the subject-wise score. As per the official guidelines, candidates need to secure both an aggregate score of 40% and score above the subject-wise cutoff to qualify for UGC NET.
The number of slots available for Assistant Professor in UGC NET is not fixed or predetermined. The number of candidates qualifying for Assistant Professorship varies based on the performance and merit of the applicants in the exam. However, for the previous year, the slot was 6%.
The UGC NET certificate has lifetime validity for applying for the post of Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges. However, for candidates aspiring to avail of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the certificate is valid for three years from the date of issue.
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