UGC NET JRF 2023 Complete Information

UGC NET, i.e., National Eligibility Test, is conducted every year by National Testing Agency (NTA), to determine the potential candidates for the esteemed Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and the post of Assistant Professors in central universities and colleges. 

The exam though is complex and category oriented, yet it is aspired by more than a million candidates every year. 

And, having gone through the aspirant phase and tasted success in this exam, I know what UGC NET demands and what it will take for an aspirant to prepare for the exam efficiently. 

However, there is no brief way to explain the entire process of the exam, moreover, introducing you to the whole spectrum of UGC NET at once will be detrimental to your progress. Hence, I will bring forward every aspect of the exam in a step-by-step manner. 

So, if you are one of the aspirants, or are unsure and seeking details about the examination, then you are at the right place 

Heads Up! The following information is crucial for you to inculcate. Get ready for a pleasant drive, known as the UGC NET. 

The official notification for UGC NET December 2023 is expected to be released in the month of September 2023.  

Previously, the notification for UGC NET JRF June 2023 has been released on 10th May 2023 and the online application process for UGC NET 2023 had begun on the same day itself, i.e., 10th May 2023 and continued till 31st May 2023 on the official website.  

The UGC NET June 2023 Phase 1 Examination was conducted from 13 June 2023 to 17th June 2023. Whereas the exam for Phase II was scheduled between 19th June 2023 to 22nd June 2023.   

Now, if the concept of exam dates is clear, then it’s time to move to other aspects of UGC NET December 2023. For your reference, I’ve compiled the basic information about the exam, below. 

Read carefully and get hold of the overall examination process of UGC NET.

UGC NET Full Form

The full form of NTA is National Testing Agency which conducts nationwide examination on behalf of the UGC which refers to the University Grants Commission. 

The NET exam which is known as National Eligibility Test is held for the recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor or award JRF which means Junior Research Fellowship to selected candidates.

NTA UGC NET 2023 Exam Overview

The UGC (University Grants Commission) was established in 1956 as a statutory body by the Indian Government.  

On behalf of the UGC, the National Testing Agency (NTA) holds an examination on a national level which is known as the National Eligibility Test (NET) or commonly referred to as the UGC NET. Began in the year of 1989 – 1990, it is conducted for 81 different subjects. 

For Paper 2, the candidate must choose the subject of his/her post- graduation and the subject list for UGC NET Paper 2 now includes 83 subjects.  

It is usually held twice in a year (June & December Cycles) and more than 5 lakh students appear for the exam each cycle. 

The purpose of this examination is to recruit eligible candidates for the post of Assistant Professor (AP) &/or award the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).  

Talking about the JRF, it is a letter awarded to those candidates who have secured marks greater/equal to the JRF cut-offs in their NTA NET in their respective subjects. 

The JRF letter is a bearer document through which you’ll be able to avail yourself of a scholarship while pursuing M.Phil./Ph.D.  

With the introduction over, let’s know further details regarding UGC NET 2023.

UGC NET June 2023 Exam Updates

In this section I will highlight the overall summary of UGC NET June 2023.

• 25th July 2023 – The result for UGC NET June 2023 has been announced along with the cutoff. The final answer key for UGC NET June 2023 has also been released.
• 16th June 2023 – The admit card for UGC NET June 2023 Phase II has been released.  
• 10th June 2023 – The admit card for UGC NET June 2023 Phase I has been released.  
• 8th June 2023 – The official exam dates for UGC NET June 2023 Phase II have been declared from 19th to 22nd June 2023.  
• 8th June 2023 – The UGC NET has officially released the subject wise exam dates for Phase I examination which are scheduled from 13th June to 17th June 2023. As per the schedule, the Commerce Paper will be conducted on 13th June 2023, while the Paper for Management subject will take place on 16th June 2023.
• 10th May 2023 – The official notification regarding UGC NET JRF June 2023 has been released. The online application for UGC NET June 2023 started on the same date as the release of notification, i.e., 10th May 2023 and is available till 31st May 2023 (05:00 PM). The UGC NET June 2023 exam is scheduled to take place from 13th June 2023 to 22nd June 2023.  
• 05th January 2023 – Notice regarding the release of the Dates of Examination of UGC NET June 2023 Cycle (13 June 2023 to 22 June 2023)

NTA UGC NET 2023 Notification

Talking about the 2023 exam cycle, the official notification for UGC NET December 2023 is expected to be declared in the month of September 2023.  

Previously, the UGC NET JRF June 2023 Notification had been announced on 10th May 2023.

The online application form for the same has started on the date of the release of the notification, i.e., 10th May 2023 and will remain active till 31st May 2023 (05:00 PM) 

While the examination for UGC NET June 2023 is scheduled to take place from 13 June 2023 to 22 June 2023

To give you an understanding of the notification and how things proceed after its release, I’ve mentioned the timeline of the previous year’s UGC NET edition.  

You can take a careful look at the Detailed Notification of UGC NET 2023, to learn information regarding the other important aspects of the examination.  

Since the notifications like the one whose link has been attached, are extremely detailed consisting of 70- 80 pages, I have attempted to simplify details regarding the notification in clear and concise manner.  

NTA UGC NET 2023 Exam Dates

Now, to give you an overview of the UGC NET June 2023 exam dates, I have provided a table for you below. 

*TBA – To Be Announced 

The timings of the examination are: 

• First Shift: 09:00 am – 12:00 pm 
• Second Shift: 03:00 pm – 06:00 pm 

Note: Reach the examination hall at least 30 minutes before the start of the exam. 

Now, that I have provided you with detailed information regarding UGC NET exam dates, let us now look at the UGC NET job profile.

UGC NET Job Profile

Now coming to the topic you’ve all been secretly waiting for. 

When you choose an exam as difficult as the NTA UGC NET (even more when you’re targeting JRF), it’s obvious to say that you had a picture of your job in your head before applying for the exam.

So, let me start by saying that if you manage to qualify for the NTA NET exam, your scope will lie mostly in jobs that are considered mostly academic and/or research-oriented in nature.

After clearing the UGC NET exam, the selected candidates can choose any one out of the following career options: 

• Assistant Professor – You can teach as an assistant professor in any private or government university.  
• Researcher – You can pursue research in your field or subject of interest. 

Having said that, I’d also like to inform you that after qualifying for the NTA NET, you can also apply for jobs at several Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that accept the NET qualification score in their selection process. 

You can read more details of the UGC NET Job Profile and Salary here.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2023

Talking about the eligibility criteria for UGC NET December 2023, the notification for the same is likely to be released in the month of September 2023 which will inform about the latest update in the eligibility requirements for UGC NET exam.   

Therefore, to prepare for this exam, you can take a look at the eligibility criteria provided for the previous exam cycle of UGC NET June 2023.   

As the notification regarding UGC NET June 2023 exam had been released in May 2023, I have provided the details about the eligibility criteria 2023 as per the notification in the section below.  

Before we begin you should note that the UGC NET exam can only be taken by Indian nationals. 

1) Age Eligibility 

For JRF, your age should not be more than 30 years as on 01st June 2023. 

Your age should be less than 31 years on the first date of the month in which the UGC NET JRF Exam registration process would be concluded i.e., 01.06.2023 (This is applicable for the current examination only). 

However, there is no Age Limit for Assistant Professorship (AP).

2) Educational Qualification for UGC NET (General) 

The educational requirements for UGC NET exam 2023 are as follows: 

• The candidates must secure a minimum of 55% marks in their Master’s Degree OR equivalent examination from universities/ institutions recognized by UGC in Humanities (including languages) and Social Science, Computer Science & Applications, Electronic Science, etc.   
• If you are a candidate from SC/ST/OBC/PWD/transgender category, then the minimum score to be obtained is 50% marks.  

To know about the updated Eligibility Criteria in detail, read here the complete UGC NET 2023 Eligibility Criteria.

UGC NET Application Form 2023

The application process for the UGC NET December 2023 will begin with the release of the notification which is supposed to be out in the month of September 2023.   

As the official notification for UGC NET June 2023 exam was out on 10th May 2023, the online process for UGC NET June 2023 application began from the same day itself, i.e.,10th May 2023 and continued till 31st May 2023 (05:00 PM)

Though the process to apply online for the UGC NET examination is made quite easy, it is important to be careful while filling the application form to avoid confusion.

I have made a separate blog as to how to apply online for the UGC NET JRF exam without making any mistakes (our generation is a little messier too).

The blog linked above will also help you with other details like application fees, the number of applicants registered and appeared, and steps to utilise the correction window.

UGC NET Syllabus 2023

If you are preparing for the UGC NET December 2023 exam, then going through the syllabus is a must. I have explained in detail the latest syllabus for UGC NET 2023 given along with the notification. Therefore, you can access the syllabus right away and start with your NTA NET exam preparation.  

The syllabus for UGC NET comprises of two papers: 

• Paper 1  
• Paper 2 

The Paper 1 is a general paper and will be common for all candidates and will contain questions from general topics such as Research Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, Communication, People and Environment, Higher Education, Arithmetic Reasoning, Data Interpretation, Teaching Aptitude, ICT, and Indian Logic.  

While Paper 2 is unique for every subject, meaning that paper 2 for each subject would differ from one another. As for Paper 2, it shall have questions specific to the subject chosen by the candidate.  

UGC NET 2023 Syllabus for Paper 1 & 2 can be accessed through the link. 

UGC NET 2023 Exam Pattern

Knowing the exam pattern well is important if you are targeting to crack the UGC NET December 2023. The details regarding the UGC exam pattern have been discussed below.  

As previously mentioned above, The UGC NET exam comprises two papers. The first is a common/general paper, and the second is a subject-specific paper. 

The time duration allotted to complete both the papers is 3 hours, meaning that there is no break between the two papers. Therefore, it is up to the candidate to manage his time between the two papers accordingly.  

The candidates are generally advised to devote more time for Paper 2 compared to Paper 1, since the Paper 2 contains more questions.  

As the marking scheme goes, there is no provision of negative marking in both the papers.  

Therefore, both the papers differ in their respective exam patterns: 

• Paper 1 – It is same for all candidates and contains a total of 50 questions.  
• Paper 2 – It is subject specific with a total of 100 questions.

Both the papers are objective in character. I am sure the images above have given you a brief idea, know more about the UGC NET Paper 1 and Paper 2 Exam Pattern here.

UGC NET 2023 Preparation Tips

As the examination for the UGC NET December 2023 will take place soon, you can take a look at the preparation tips in order to study effectively.  

Since the overall level of the UGC NET exam is slightly tougher when compared with other teaching examinations, having a proper study program in place whilst preparing will help you assess your readiness for the exam. 

Also, with NTA having entered the scene, the nature of the examination is made even more conceptual. Therefore, you can boost your preparation with our UGC NET Online Coaching. 

Having an efficient overall strategy and a sectional strategy for this exam will eventually help you to score better.

The image below provides a basic outlook for preparation, you can read more about the best preparation strategy and tips for the UGC NET exam here.

UGC NET 2023 Mock Test & Books

To effectively prepare for UGC NET December 2023, it is important for aspirants to solve mock tests and have a reliable booklist to prepare effectively for examination.  

Okay, so from the very start, let me inform you that reading from the right books would be essential for your preparation, also, along with reading from the right books you’d need to solve the various mock tests that are available for the NTA NET exam. 

Now, when I say right books, there are several books in the market that shall help you prepare for the UGC NET in the most consolidated and efficient manner. Some of the books recommended for UGC NET 2023 are as follows: 

• UGC NET/SET General Paper 1 – 2020 Edition by Trueman  
• UGC NET/JRF/SET General Paper 1 – Teaching & Research Aptitude by Arihant Publication  
• NTA UGC NET/SET/JRF Paper 1 – Teaching and Research Aptitude by KVS Madaan (Pearson Education) 

 To access the complete booklist, I have suggested a list of the most relevant books here. 

Talking about Mock tests, you should know that your preparation strategy would not be effective without practicing mock tests. 

Solving mocks would help you to test yourself from time to time and reveal your weaknesses to you. That way you’d be able to work upon the weak areas and eliminate them. 

Now, to combine both the elements of this section, I’d say that the best preparation strategy for the UGC NET would be one where, preparing from the right books and solving mocks, go hand in hand. 

Go ahead, try my personally designed free Mock Tests here.

UGC NET Free Study Material

To prepare well for the UGC NET December 2023 exam, you must check the free study material for both UGC NET Paper 1 & Paper 2 which has been provided below.  

The intention is to help you in your preparation, to give you a good idea about the exam, and also to allow you the opportunity to judge my course content.

If you like the content provided in the free material (which I am sure you will) you should seriously consider the Online Coaching that I provide for UGC NET to guide you in your preparation.

You can access the Free Study Material through the links provided below:

UGC NET Paper 1 Free Material

UGC NET Paper 2 Free Material

UGC NET 2023 Admit Card

As the examination for UGC NET for December 2023 will be conducted as per the schedule, the admit card is expected to release 3- 4 days prior the exam.

The NTA UGC NET admit card June 2023 for Phase I has been released on 10th June 2023 for the exams scheduled on 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th June 2023. 

As for Phase II admit card has been announced for exams scheduled from 19th June to 22nd June 2023. 

The admit card is an extremely important document that you’d have to carry to your exam hall, without which you wouldn’t be granted entry. That’s because it is taken to be the only document ratifying your eligibility to sit for the exam on the day of the same, by the NTA. 

While the UGC NET Admit Card is supposed to release within the time frame of two weeks from the exam, but lately the release of the call letter has largely been unpredictable. 

That said, the admit card has important details about you such as your name and application number, your subject, date of exam, name and address of the exam centre, important instructions, and time & shift of exam. 

Check all the important details related to the UGC NET Admit Card and the steps to download it. 

UGC NET Previous Year Question Papers

Practicing previous year question papers is essential, if you are planning to prepare for UGC NET December 2023 examination.  

So, to discuss UGC NET previous year question papers is one of the effiecient ways to get familiar with the type of the questions asked in the NTA NET exam.  

Therefore, solving the previous years’ question papers would definitely increase your chances of clearing the exam. 

One of the best ways to practice the previous years’ papers is to randomly solve one, before you begin your preparation. This way, you will be able to spot your weaknesses sooner.  

Then you can start your preparation with an extra emphasis on your weak points. After having done so, you can go on to solve another previous year paper to eliminate your weak areas by analyzing them. 

Carry on with this process until you are confident that there aren’t any more weak spots left in your preparation.

Also, you might find similar questions being asked in the actual exam what you had solved in the previous year papers.

In the blog linked below, we have provided past year papers with a detailed solution. 

You can go through the Past Year Question Papers of NTA UGC NET (2009 – 2022)

UGC NET Cut Off 2023

The official cut off for UGC NET December 2023 has been declared on 25th July 2023.

The UGC NET 2023 Cut off is a subject that becomes relevant after the culmination of the exam. Thus, at this stage when the notification hasn’t been released it is no point in discussing this subject. However, to get a perspective about the NET Cutoff and its dates, you can go through the following information. 

Also, to give an idea of the NTA NET June 2023 cutoff for the papers of Commerce and Management, I have listed the table below:

Know how the UGC NET cut off is determined and check the previous years’ cut off here.

UGC NET Result

The official UGC NET June 2023 Result has been announced on 25th July 2023.

The UGC NET June 2023 (Phase I and Phase II) was conducted between 13th June 2023 to 22nd June 2023. After successful commencement of the exams, the UGC NET June 2023 result will be declared soon on the official website of NTA. 

You may use my blog here to know more about the result and the steps to check it. 

Before NTA announces the UGC NET result, it releases the provisional answer key and also opens a brief window with an option to challenge the answer key. 

This year though certain changes have been made. This year the NTA UGC released the final answer key along with final result.

Know more about the answer key updates and the process to challenge them.

UGC NET Exam Centre

Selection of exam centre must be done carefully by the applicants for UGC NET examination, as it is the exam centre which is mentioned in the admit card that the candidate must appear to sit for the exam.  

To begin with, the NTA provides an opportunity for the candidates to choose their preference for the exam centre. 

Once affirmed in the admit card which is released 3-4 days prior to the exam, there is no provision to change the exam venue.   

To get the detailed list of all the exam centres in the PDF, you can click on the linked page. 

Conclusion

Now, that we have arrived at the end of this long yet informative blog. I hope that all the information provided above would prove beneficial for you in your preparation for UGC NET. Till now we have all discussed all the important topics such as notification, exam dates, application process, eligibility criteria, job profile, syllabus, booklist, exam pattern, result, cutoff and exam centre. It’s time for me to say a goodbye to you and wish you all the best! 

Keep Learning!!