National Eligibility Test (NET) is a national level examination conducted by NTA for aspirants applying for Lecturers and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) positions. The exam is one of the most competitive and prestigious exams in the country. The exam aims to provide fellowships and jobs as lecturers at prominent institutions/universities in the country. The article gives deep insights on the timeline, UGC recruitment 2024, and discusses many tips to crack NET 2024.

Important dates to remember 

The UGC NET exam is conducted semiannually. The detailed timeline for both the sessions are given below:

Events	June session	December Session
Application form arrives	March 2024	TBA
Last day for submission	April 2024	TBA
Last date for fee submission	May 2024	TBA
Admit card release	May 2024	TBA
Exam date	June 2024	TBA
Result declaration	July 2024	TBA

Schedule of UGC Recruitment of 2023

Schedule 2023 link

Eligibility Criteria for UGC Recruitment 2024

The eligibility criteria for UGC recruitment are prescribed on the exam’s official website and is to be met fully for appearing for the exam. The eligibility criteria include:

• Age Limit: The candidate should be less than 30 years of age as of December. There is a five year age relaxation for the candidates belonging to reserved categories like OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PWD.
• Candidates appearing for the NET exam must have a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised institution/university.
• Candidates applying for the UGC NET must score at least 55% marks in aggregate for the qualifying degree. There is a 5% relaxation for the candidates belonging to the reserved categories.
• Candidates in their final year of the qualifying degree can also apply for the exam.
• Candidates having a PhD degree are eligible for a 5% relaxation in the required aggregate marks if the Master’s degree were received on or before September 1991.

Criteria for exemption from attempting the NET exam:

• Candidates who have cleared the UGC/JRF exams before 1989 are exempted from appearing for the exam. The exams were different for JRF and Lecturer jobs till 1989.
• Applicants who have cleared the State Eligibility Test accredited by the UGC for job postings of Assistant Professor before June 2002 are exempted from appearing for the NET exam and can apply for the Assistant professor job across institutions in India.
• Applicants who have cleared the State Eligibility Test accredited by the UGC for job postings of Assistant Professor after June 2002 are exempted from appearing for the NET exam and can apply for Assistant Professor job in the state where the SET was cleared.

Application Fee:

The candidates can proceed to the fee payment process after the submission of the details. The payment can be done via online modes, including debit/credit card, net banking or e-Challan. The fee  structure for specific categories are as follows:

• For candidates belonging to General Category, the application fee is Rs. 800/-.
• For candidates belonging to OBC-NCL Category, the application fee is Rs. 400/-.
• For candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD/Transgender categories,  the application fee is Rs. 200/-.

Exam Pattern of UGC Recruitment 2024

The UGC NET exam will be conducted online via a computer based test. The total marks that the candidates can store amount to 300. The duration for the UGC NET exam is 3 hours or 180 minutes. Each correct answer is rewarded with two marks, and there are no negative markings in case of incorrectly answered/ not answered questions. The question distribution for the UGC NET 2024 is as follows:

• Paper 1 is common and is compulsory for all NET applicants to attend. The paper will contain 50 questions from 10 units based on teaching/research—reasoning, general awareness, etc.

Syllabus for UGC Recruitment 2024

Paper 1 for the UGC NET 2024 exam is common for all applicants and is compulsory. Candidates will be facing 50 questions adding upto a total score of 100 marks. The detailed syllabus breakdown of Paper 1 is given below:

●     Teaching Aptitude 

• Teaching
  • Learner’s characteristics
  • Factors affecting teaching
  • Methods of teaching in Institutions of higher learning:
  • Evaluation Systems

●     Research Aptitude

• Research
  • Methods of Research
  • Thesis and Article writing

●     Comprehension

●     Communication

●     Mathematical Reasoning and Aptitude

• Types of reasoning
  • Mathematical Aptitude

●     Logical Reasoning

• Understanding the structure of arguments
  • Venn diagram
  • Indian Logic

●     Data Interpretation

• Sources, acquisition and classification of Data.
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Data.
  • Graphical representation
  • Mapping of Data
  •  Data Interpretation

●     Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

●     People, Development and Environment ·

• Development and Environment
  • Human and environment interaction
  • Environmental issues
  • Natural and energy resources
  • Natural hazards and disasters

●     Higher Education System

Paper 2 for the UGC NET exam is based on the preferred choice of the candidate. The selected subject will have 100 questions.

Admit Card

The admit card is an important document, and the admit card for UGCC NET 2024 is to be published on the official website of the exam a few days before the exam. Candidates have to take a physical copy of the admit card, and it is mandatory to bring the admit card to the exam centre on the day of the exam. The admit card of UGC NET contains important information regarding the applicant and also the details about the exam and exam centre. Candidates should also carry valid identification proof for verification and validation of the admit card.

Candidates can visit the official website and login with your account using the id and password set at the time of registration. Once the admit card for UGC NET is released, candidates will get an option to view, download and print their admit card.

Answer Key

The NTA will release the answer key of the UGC NET exams after a few days of the exam before announcing results. The answer key can be used to calculate the rough score a candidate may receive. Candidates can also challenge the answers if they find any discrepancies. This can be done by paying Rs. 1000/- upfront.

Result

The results of the UGC NET 2024 will be declared on the official website. Candidates have to score above the prescribed cut-off to apply for fellowships/assistant professor jobs. There are no options for re-evaluation of the scores.