The UGC NET December 2025 Exam is one of the most important national-level eligibility tests for aspiring Assistant Professors and Junior Research Fellows across India. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the exam evaluates candidates’ subject knowledge and teaching aptitude in over 85 subjects. The NET December cycle is expected to be held between December 2025 and January 2026, with the application process beginning in October 2025. Candidates aiming for a career in teaching or research in Indian universities should keep a close eye on the official notification for detailed guidelines on eligibility, syllabus, and exam structure.
The official UGC NET December 2025 Notification will soon be released on the NTA’s website. It will include complete details such as important dates, eligibility conditions, application procedure, syllabus, and exam pattern. Since the UGC NET is held twice every year i.e. once in June and once in December. The exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across 85 subjects. Below is a quick overview of key details:
The UGC NET 2025 December Cycle is a highly competitive national-level exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to determine eligibility for Assistant Professor roles and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for taking PhD admission. The NET exam consists of two mandatory papers: Paper I, which tests general teaching and research aptitude, and Paper II, which focuses on subject-specific knowledge. The NTA NET Exam will be Conducted online mode with two shifts which lasts 3 hours without breaks and is held twice a year (June and December). Successful candidates can pursue careers as Assistant Professors, secure JRF positions, or gain admission to PhD programs.
UGC NET 2025 December Cycle | |
Exam details | Application Process |
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Exam Pattern | Eligibility |
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Certificate Validity | Age Limit |
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Application Fee | Important Link |
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The UGC NET December 2025 application form will be made available online on the official NTA website. Candidates will be required to complete the registration process by filling in personal and academic details, uploading scanned images of photographs and signatures, and paying the application fee. It is important to provide accurate details, as errors may lead to rejection of the application. Aspirants should also ensure they meet the eligibility requirements before applying. Candidates are advised to read the detailed UGC NET Notification carefully before applying for the UGC NET Application Form 2025.
Candidates will be able to apply for the UGC NET 2025 December Cycle online through the official website ugcnet.nta.nic.in. Follow these simple steps to complete the application process:
To complete the UGC NET 2025 Application Form, candidates must keep the following documents ready in the specified formats:
The UGC NET 2025 Application Form 2025 has been explained below category-wise. Candidates applying for the NET exam must pay the application fee through integrated payment gateways such as Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI. Below are the category-wise application fees as per the UGC NET 2025 Notification:
Category | Application Fee |
General/Unreserved | Rs.1150/- |
Gen-EWS/ OBC-NCL | Rs.600/- |
SC/ST/PWD/Third Gender | Rs.325/- |
The UGC NET 2025 age limit and relaxation policies vary based on the eligibility criteria. Below is a detailed summary of UGC NET Age Limit 2025 below.
Category | Age Limit | Relaxation |
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Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) | Maximum 30 years as of 01.01.2025. |
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Assistant Professor | No upper age limit. | Not applicable. |
PhD Admission | No upper age limit. | Not applicable. |
To qualify for the UGC NET 2025 exam, candidates must adhere to the eligibility criteria specified by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Below are the UGC NET 2025 Eligibility Criteria as per qualifying marks, degree, and Subject:
1. Qualifying Examination
2. Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree Holders
3. Subject Eligibility
The UGC NET Exam Pattern has been released. The UGC NET 2025 Exam is conducted in online mode (CBT) and consists of two papers: Paper I and Paper II. Below is the detailed exam pattern, combining all key aspects in a single table:
Aspect | Paper I | Paper II | Overall Details |
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Mode of Exam | Online (CBT) | Online (CBT) | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online |
Number of Papers | Paper I | Paper II | Two Papers: Paper I and Paper II |
Duration | 3 hours (combined for both papers) | 3 hours (combined for both papers) | 3 hours (No break between papers) |
Total Questions | 50 | 100 | 150 (50 in Paper I + 100 in Paper II) |
Total Marks | 100 | 200 | 300 (100 for Paper I + 200 for Paper II) |
Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | MCQs for both papers |
Marking Scheme | +2 for each correct answer | +2 for each correct answer | +2 for each correct answer; No negative marking |
Description | Tests General Teaching and Research Aptitude (Common for all candidates) | Tests Subject-specific knowledge (Based on the chosen subject) | Paper I focuses on reasoning and comprehension; Paper II evaluates subject expertise. |
The UGC NET December 2025 syllabus will remain the same as previous cycles, covering two papers:
Candidates should thoroughly review the detailed subject-wise syllabus available on the official website to create a targeted preparation strategy. Candidates must know the detailed Syllabus unit-wise before starting their exam preparation. Knowing the UGC NET Syllabus 2025 in detail ensures you cover all the important areas and maximize your preparation.
The UGC NET Exam Centre list will be released by the NTA on the official website along with the UGC NET 2025 Notification. Choosing the right exam center is an important step in your UGC NET 2025 application process. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release a list of exam centers across India along with the official notification. Candidates can select up to three preferred centers while filling out the application form which will ensure convenience for candidates nationwide.
State | City | City |
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Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT) | South Andaman | Port Blair |
Andhra Pradesh | Guntur | Amaravathi |
Andhra Pradesh | Anantapur | Chittoor |
Andhra Pradesh | West Godavari | Bhimavaram |
Andhra Pradesh | Prakasam | Chirala |
Arunachal Pradesh | West Siang | Basar |
Arunachal Pradesh | Papum Pare | Itanagar/Naharlagun |
Arunachal Pradesh | Namsai | Namsai |
Assam | Baksa | Dhubri |
Assam | Barpeta | Darrang (Mangaldoi) |
Assam | Dibrugarh | |
Bihar | Araria | Arrah |
Bihar | Bhojpur | Aurangabad |
Bihar | Arwal | Banka |
Chandigarh (UT) | Chandigarh | Chandigarh/Mohali/Panchkula |
Chhattisgarh | Sarguja | Ambikapur |
Chhattisgarh | Balod | Durg |
Chhattisgarh | Bijapur | Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) |
Dadra & Nagar Haveli (UT) | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Silvassa |
Daman & Diu (UT) | Daman | Diu |
Delhi | Delhi | Delhi/New Delhi |
Goa | South Goa | Panaji/Madgaon/Margao |
Goa | North Goa | Ponda |
Gujarat | Amreli | Vallabhvidyanagar |
Gujarat | Banaskantha | Bharuch |
Haryana | Ambala | Bhiwani |
Haryana | Faridabad | Gurugram |
Haryana | Gurugram | |
Haryana | Hissar | |
Himachal Pradesh | Bilaspur | Chamba |
Himachal Pradesh | Hamirpur | Kangra |
Himachal Pradesh | Kullu | |
Jammu & Kashmir | Anantnag | Badgam |
Jammu & Kashmir | Baramulla | Jammu |
Jammu & Kashmir | Kathua | |
Jharkhand | West Singhbhum | Bokaro |
Jharkhand | Deoghar | Chaibasa |
Jharkhand | Chatra | Dhanbad |
Karnataka | Bagalkot | Ballari |
Karnataka | Belagavi | Belagavi (Belgaum) |
Karnataka | Bengaluru- Rural | Bengaluru- Urban |
Kerala | Alappuzha | Idukki |
Kerala | Ernakulam | Angamaly |
Kerala | Kannur | |
Lakshadweep (UT) | Kavaratti | Kargil |
Leh & Ladakh (UT) | Leh | |
Madhya Pradesh | Ashok Nagar | Balaghat |
Madhya Pradesh | Barwani | Betul |
Madhya Pradesh | Bhind | |
Maharashtra | Akola | Amravati |
Maharashtra | Aurangabad | Beed |
Maharashtra | Ahmednagar | |
Manipur | Chandel | Imphal |
Meghalaya | Ri Bhoi | East Khasi Hills |
Meghalaya | Shillong | |
Mizoram | Aizawl | Mamit |
Nagaland | Dimapur | Kohima |
Nagaland | Kiphrie | |
Odisha | Balangir | Baragarh |
Odisha | Balasore | Balasore (Baleswar) |
Odisha | Angul | |
Odisha | Mayurbanj | Baripada/Mayurbanj |
Puducherry | Puducherry | Karaikal |
Punjab | Amritsar | Firozpur |
Punjab | Bhatinda | Faridkot |
Punjab | Fazilka | |
Rajasthan | Ajmer | Alwar |
Rajasthan | Baran | Barmer |
Rajasthan | Bharatpur | Bhilwara |
Sikkim | Gangtok | West Sikkim |
Tamil Nadu | Ariyalur | Cuddalore |
Tamil Nadu | Chengalpet | Chennai |
Tamil Nadu | Coimbatore | |
Telangana | Adilabad | Asifabad |
Telangana | Bhupalapally | Hayathnagar |
Telangana | Jogulamba Gadwal | Gadwal |
Tripura | West Tripura | Agartala |
Tripura | Dhalai | |
Uttar Pradesh | Agra | Aligarh |
Uttar Pradesh | Aligarh | Ambedkar Nagar |
Uttar Pradesh | Prayagraj | Almora |
Uttar Pradesh | Ambedkar Nagar | Amethi |
Uttar Pradesh | Dehradun | Haldwani |
Uttarakhand | Nainital | Haridwar |
West Bengal | Darjeeling | Asansol |
West Bengal | Bankura | Durgapur |
West Bengal | Purba Bardhaman | Burdwan (Bardhaman) |
West Bengal | Paschim Bardhaman |
The UGC NET 2025 exam covers 85 subjects across disciplines like Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science. Candidate must check their eligibility Criteria before selecting the subject as pr Postgraduation. Candidate must cross-check with the official notification before filling the Subject and Subject code. It is an important exam for candidates aspiring to become assistant professors and researchers. Below is the list of 85 subjects that candidates can choose from while filling out the application form.
Sr. No | UGC NET Subject | Subject Code |
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1 | Adult Education/Continuing Education/Andragogy/Non-Formal Education | 46 |
2 | Anthropology | 07 |
3 | Arab Culture and Islamic Studies | 49 |
4 | Arabic | 29 |
5 | Archaeology | 67 |
6 | Assamese | 36 |
7 | Bengali | 19 |
8 | Bodo | 94 |
9 | Buddhist, Jaina, Gandhian, and Peace Studies | 60 |
10 | Chinese | 32 |
11 | Commerce | 08 |
12 | Comparative Literature | 72 |
13 | Comparative Study of Religions | 62 |
14 | Computer Science and Applications | 87 |
15 | Criminology | 68 |
16 | Defence and Strategic Studies | 11 |
17 | Dogri | 33 |
18 | Economics/Rural Economics/Co-operation/Demography/Development Planning/Development Studies/Econometrics/Applied Economics/Development Economics/Business Economics | 01 |
19 | Education | 09 |
20 | Electronic Science | 88 |
21 | English | 30 |
22 | Environmental Sciences | 89 |
23 | Folk Literature | 71 |
24 | Forensic Science | 82 |
25 | French (French Version) | 39 |
26 | Geography | 80 |
27 | German | 44 |
28 | Gujarati | 37 |
29 | Hindi | 20 |
30 | Hindu Studies | 102 |
31 | History | 06 |
32 | Home Science | 12 |
33 | Human Rights and Duties | 92 |
34 | Indian Culture | 50 |
35 | Japanese | 45 |
36 | Kannada | 21 |
37 | Kashmiri | 84 |
38 | Konkani | 85 |
39 | Labour Welfare/Personnel Management/Industrial Relations/Labour and Social Welfare/Human Resource Management | 55 |
40 | Law | 58 |
41 | Library and Information Science | 59 |
42 | Linguistics | 31 |
43 | Maithili | 18 |
44 | Malayalam | 22 |
45 | Management (including Business Admn. Mgt./Marketing/Marketing Mgt./Industrial Relations and Personnel Mgt./Personnel Mgt./Financial Mgt./Co-operative Management) | 17 |
46 | Manipuri | 35 |
47 | Marathi | 38 |
48 | Mass Communication and Journalism | 63 |
49 | Museology & Conservation | 66 |
50 | Music | 16 |
51 | Nepali | 34 |
52 | Oriya | 23 |
53 | Pali | 83 |
54 | Performing Art - Dance/Drama/Theatre | 65 |
55 | Persian | 42 |
56 | Philosophy | 03 |
57 | Physical Education | 47 |
58 | Political Science | 02 |
59 | Politics including International Relations/International Studies including Defence/Strategic Studies, West Asian Studies, South East Asian Studies, African Studies, South Asian Studies, Soviet Studies, American Studies | 90 |
60 | Population Studies | 15 |
61 | Prakrit | 91 |
62 | Psychology | 04 |
63 | Public Administration | 14 |
64 | Punjabi | 24 |
65 | Rajasthani | 43 |
66 | Russian | 41 |
67 | Sanskrit | 25 |
68 | Sanskrit Traditional Subjects (including Jyotisha/Sidhanta Jyotish/Navya Vyakarna/Vyakarna/Mimansa/Navya Nyaya/Sankhya Yoga/Tulanatmaka Darsan/Shukla Yajurveda/Madhav Vedant/Dharmasasta/Sahitya/Puranotihasa/Agama) | 73 |
69 | Santali | 95 |
70 | Sindhi | 101 |
71 | Social Medicine & Community Health | 82 |
72 | Social Work | 10 |
73 | Sociology | 05 |
74 | Spanish | 40 |
75 | Tamil | 26 |
76 | Telugu | 27 |
77 | Tourism Administration and Management | 93 |
78 | Tribal and Regional Language/Literature | 70 |
79 | Urdu | 28 |
80 | Visual Art (including Drawing & Painting/Sculpture Graphics/Applied Art/History of Art) | 79 |
81 | Women Studies | 74 |
82 | Yoga | 100 |
83 | Indian Knowledge System | 103 |
84 | Disaster Management | 104 |
85 | Ayurveda Biology | 105 |
UGC NET Previous Year Papers are a valuable resource for candidates preparing for the National Eligibility Test, as they provide deep insights into the exam pattern, types of questions, and frequently asked topics. UGC NET Previous Year Papers help candidates understand the exam pattern, question types, and important topics. Solving these papers improves time management, problem-solving skills, and confidence. It also helps identify weak areas that need more focus. Practicing old papers gives a clear idea of the difficulty level and boosts the chances of success in the exam.
Candidates aspiring for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship), Assistant Professor, or PhD admission in top Indian universities must be aware of the UGC NET 2025 Qualifying Marks. Understanding the qualifying marks helps set a clear target for preparation. Here we have explained the UGC NET 2025 Qualifying Marks category wise in below table.
UGC NET Paper 1 and 2 Passing Marks | |
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Category | UGC NET Passing Marks |
Unreserved (UR) - General | 40% |
Reserved - OBC/PWD/SC/ST/EWS | 35% |
The UGC NET 2025 Cut-Off is the minimum score required for candidates aspiring for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor positions, and Ph.D. admissions in top universities. The NET cut-off varies based on subject, category, and exam difficulty. UGC NET Cut Off influenced by factors like the number of candidates appearing, exam difficulty level, available JRF and Assistant Professor slots, and reservation policies. The official cut-off will be released in percentile scores with qualified candidates.
Preparing for a National-level Exam like UGC NET requires a lot of determination and a deep understanding of the syllabus. Along with the syllabus, understanding the exam pattern can significantly help in creating strategies tailored for each individual. For this purpose, practicing with the UGC NET 2025 Mock Test can certainly help in cracking the exam. These mock tests consist of fresh questions that help in assessing our preparation by attempting the exam in the same format that will be followed by UGC. By this assessment, we can understand what topics to focus more upon.
The UGC NET Result will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) soon on its official website. The result will be made available online, and candidates will be able to access it through the official UGC NET website by entering their login credentials, such as roll number and date of birth. The result will include the candidate's scores, qualifying status, and details of eligibility for the roles of Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).