UGC NET 2025: Important Dates
| Event |
Date |
| Start of Online Application Form Submission |
07th October 2025 |
| Last Date for Online Application Form Submission |
07th November 2025 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Last Date for Submission of Examination Fee |
07th November 2025 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Correction Window for Application Form |
10th November 2025 to 12th November 2025 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Announcement of Examination City |
To be announced later on the website |
| Downloading of Admit Card |
To be announced later on the website |
| Date of Examination |
To be announced later on the website |
| Display of Answer Keys and Recorded Responses |
To be announced later on the website |
| Official Websites |
Click Here |
UGC NET 2025: Vacancy Details
The UGC-NET exam is not for a definite number of available jobs. It is an eligibility test. That is, when the person clears the exam, he or she gets eligible or qualified for a particular position.
For Assistant Professor: A candidate clearing the NET gets eligible to be considered for the position of Assistant Professor in any Indian college or university. The actual posts are notified by the universities themselves.
For Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): One who is eligible for JRF may conduct research in his/her subject at a university or research institution and will be paid a fellowship or monthly stipend by the UGC.
There aren't any 'vacancies' at all in the UGC-NET exam. The exam qualifies you with a certificate that you can use to apply for job opportunities or research scholarships when they are advertised.
UGC NET 2025: Eligibility Criteria
To sit for the UGC-NET December 2025 exam, applicants should fulfill some eligibility requirements based on their education and age.
Educational Qualification
| Category / Criteria |
Eligibility Details |
| General / EWS |
The candidate must have secured at least 55% marks in a Master’s Degree from a recognized university/institution (UGC recognized) in subjects such as Humanities, Social Science, Computer Science, Electronic Science, etc. |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) / SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third Gender |
The candidate must have obtained at least 50% marks in the Master’s Degree or equivalent examination. If the Master’s Degree was completed before 19 September 1991, such candidates will be eligible for a 5% relaxation (from 55% to 50%) for appearing in the NET. |
| Appearing / Awaiting Result Candidates |
Candidates who are in the final year of their Master’s Degree or whose results are awaited are provisionally eligible. After qualifying, they must have 55% marks (General) or 50% marks (Reserved Categories) in their Master’s Degree. The Master’s Degree must be completed within 2 years (for JRF) or 1 year (for Ph.D. admission) from the date of the result declaration. |
| 4-Year / 8-Semester Bachelor’s Degree Holders |
Candidates must have passed a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 75% marks or an equivalent grade. Reserved category candidates are given a 5% relaxation. Such candidates will be eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission, but not for the post of Assistant Professor. |
| Final Year Bachelor’s Degree Students |
Candidates who are in the final semester/year of their Bachelor’s program may also apply. However, their eligibility will be confirmed only after completing the Master’s or Ph.D. qualification within the prescribed period after the NET result declaration. |
The candidates who qualify Net UGC are eligible for the following:
| Qualified for |
Eligible for |
| JRF |
Assistant Professor |
Ph.D. admission |
Category-1: Award of JRF and
appointment as Assistant Professor |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Category-2: Appointment as Assistant
Professor and admission to Ph.D. |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Category-3: Admission to Ph.D. only |
No |
No |
Yes |
.Age Limit
For Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): Maximum age limit is generally 30 years as of the first day of the month of the examination. Age relaxation in the upper age limit is provided for candidates from reserved categories such as OBC, SC, ST, PwD, and women applicants as per government policy.
For Assistant Professor: There is no maximum age limit to apply for Assistant Professor.
UGC NET 2025: Application Fee and Process
The candidates have to pay an application fee to submit their application. The fee varies according to the categories. The payment can be done online through a Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI.
Application Fee
| Category |
Application Fee |
| General / Unreserved |
₹ 1150/- |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL |
₹ 600/- |
| SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender |
₹ 325/- |
UGC NET 2025: Application Process
The application form for UGC-NET December 2025 must be submitted online only. No application through any other mode will be accepted. Follow these steps to apply:
- Go to the official website of UGC-NET: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
- Click on the link for online application for UGC-NET December 2025. Provide your basic details such as name, email address, and mobile number to register. A system-generated application number will be generated.
- Enter your application number and password to log in. Enter all the details asked in the online application form, including educational details, personal details, and preference of exam cities.
- Upload scanned photographs and signatures in the specified format and size.
- Pay the application fee through the available online payment methods.
- Once the payment is successfully made, submit the form. A confirmation page will be displayed. Download and take a printout of the confirmation page for your future reference.
UGC NET 2025: Salary
The UGC-NET examination itself does not provide you with a salary. It makes you eligible for posts having a salary. The salary varies based on the job you secure by qualifying for the examination.
Salary of an Assistant Professor: If a candidate secures employment as an Assistant Professor in a college or a university after clearing NET, their salary will be according to the UGC and Government of India pay scale. According to the 7th Pay Commission, the initial basic pay of an Assistant Professor is typically high, and with additional allowances such as Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), etc., it emerges as a satisfactory salary. The actual figure may differ based on the organization (government or private) and the place.
Fellowship for JRF: If a candidate is selected for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), they get a monthly fellowship during their research time (Ph.D.). It is not a salary but a stipend to finance their research. The fellowship amount is determined by the UGC and is modified periodically. Now, the JRF is paid a considerable sum per month for two years and the amount is raised when they are upgraded to the post of Senior Research Fellow (SRF).
Selection Process
It is simple to get selected for UGC-NET. There is only one stage involved in the selection process, which is the Computer Based Test (CBT).
All the enrolled candidates need to turn up for the CBT on the date and time indicated on their admit card. The examination has two papers (Paper I and Paper II), and it is held in a single three-hour session.
Minimum Qualifying Marks: Candidates must achieve a minimum percentage of marks to be eligible. The minimum qualifying mark for the General category is 40% (average of both papers), and for reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD, etc.) it is 35% (average of both papers).
Merit List: Scoring just the minimum qualifying marks is not sufficient to make a candidate eligible. The NTA draws up a merit list depending on the marks scored by the candidates. A percentage of top ranking candidates from the merit list are found eligible for Assistant Professor and JRF. The cut-off marks vary for every subject and every category.
Vital Note on PET/PST: UGC-NET is an academic eligibility test for research and lectureship. It never includes any Physical Efficiency Test (PET) or Physical Standard Test (PST). These tests are usually to be taken for defense or police jobs, not for teaching jobs.
