What UGC NET is
The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test, conducted by the National Testing Agency, determines eligibility for the post of Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges, and separately for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for candidates who also wish to pursue a PhD with fellowship support. It is not a recruitment exam in the way most exams on this site are: clearing it makes a candidate eligible to apply for these roles and fellowships, it does not itself place a candidate into a specific job or seat.
A candidate can qualify for Assistant Professor eligibility only, or for both Assistant Professor eligibility and JRF, depending on their score relative to the two separate cutoffs UGC NET publishes each cycle.
Who can apply
A Master’s degree in the chosen subject with at least 55 percent marks (relaxed for reserved categories) from a recognised university is required, as specified in the notification. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility; the Junior Research Fellowship route carries an age limit as specified in the notification, with standard relaxations for reserved categories and persons with disability.
How the exam runs
Paper I is a common paper for all candidates, testing Teaching and Research Aptitude, Reasoning, Comprehension, and General Awareness. Paper II is specific to the subject the candidate has chosen, testing depth of subject knowledge at a postgraduate level.
Both papers are objective and computer based, held on the same day. There is no interview or further stage: eligibility is determined directly from the combined score across both papers against the cutoffs NTA publishes for each subject and category.
Preparing the application
NTA specifies exact photograph and signature requirements in each notification rather than a fixed year to year standard, so check the current notification’s dimensions and file size before uploading. The tools on this site can resize your photograph to whatever specific target the notification states.
On exam day
Arrive at least an hour before the reporting time on your admit card, with the printed admit card and a government photo identification matching the name and photo on the admit card. No electronic devices are permitted inside the exam centre.
The official UGC NET and NTA websites, linked above, carry the current subject list, syllabus, and schedule for the cycle you are applying to.