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The UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) is one of India’s most esteemed exams for aspiring assistant professors and research scholars. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it determines eligibility for lectureship and the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). In this article, we explore the category-wise cut-off trends for Political Science and how they can help candidates plan their preparation more strategically.
UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026
The UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026 represents the minimum qualifying marks required by candidates to be considered eligible for JRF, Assistant Professor, and PhD admissions. These cut-offs are released category-wise along with the official result and are determined after applying the normalization process across multiple exam shifts.
The cut-off marks for Political Science in 2026 were influenced by factors such as the overall difficulty level of the paper, number of candidates appearing, category-wise seat availability, and previous year trends. Compared to earlier cycles, the cut-off remained high for JRF, while Assistant Professor and PhD cut-offs showed moderate variation across categories.
UGC NET Answer Key 2026 Out – Click to Download
UGC NET Political Science Expected Cut Off 2026 (Category-wise)
Based on previous year cut-off trends from December 2022 to June 2025, the following combined table presents the expected cut-off marks for UGC NET Political Science 2026 across JRF, Assistant Professor, and PhD categories. These expected figures are indicative and prepared after analyzing consistent category-wise performance patterns.
| Category | JRF (Expected Marks) | Assistant Professor (Expected Marks) | PhD (Expected Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved | 238 – 245 | 200 – 225 | 185 – 195 |
| EWS | 230 – 240 | 180 – 210 | 160 – 170 |
| OBC (NCL) | 228 – 238 | 185 – 215 | 165 – 175 |
| SC | 215 – 225 | 165 – 195 | 160 – 170 |
| ST | 210 – 220 | 160 – 190 | 155 – 170 |
How to Check UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026
The UGC NET Political Science Cut off 2026 will be available on the official UGC NET website after the exam results are declared. Candidates can follow these steps to check the cut-off:
- Visit the Official Website: Go to NTA’s UGC NET portal: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in
- Find the Cut-Off Notification: Look for the “Cut-Off Marks Dec 2025” link under “Latest Announcements” or “Results”. Click on the PDF/notification for Political Science (Subject Code: 02).
- Check Category-wise Cut-Off: The PDF will display the minimum qualifying marks for: General / Unreserved (UR)/ OBC-NCL/ SC/ST/PwD
- Verify Your Scorecard: After results are declared, download your UGC NET Scorecard from the same portal. Compare your marks with the official cut-off to check qualification status.
Factors Influencing the Cut-Off
Several factors contribute to the variation in UGC NET Political Science cut-off marks each year:
- Difficulty Level of the Exam: If the paper is more challenging, the cut-off may decrease, and vice versa.
- Number of Candidates: Higher competition can lead to an increase in the cut-off.
- Number of Vacancies: The availability of seats for JRF and assistant professorships also impacts the cut-off.
- Performance of Candidates: The overall performance of candidates in the exam plays a significant role in determining the cut-off.
UGC NET Political Science Previous Year Cut Off Trends
Reviewing previous years’ cut-off trends for UGC NET Political Science (Subject Code: 02) can give candidates valuable insight into the qualifying marks expected in December Cycle. The cut-offs shift each year based on factors like exam difficulty, the number of candidates, and reservation policies. Below is a detailed analysis of past UGC NET Cut Off for both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor eligibility to help you evaluate your preparation and set realistic score targets.
| Subject | Category | June 2025 | December 2024 | June 2024 | December 2023 | June 2023 | December 2022 |
| UGC NET JRF Cut Off Political Science |
UNRESERVED | 244 | 234 | 99.73 | 216 | 99.67 | 99.59 |
| EWS | 238 | 226 | 99.24 | 208 | 99.30 | 99.16 | |
| OBC (NCL) | 236 | 226 | 99.23 | 206 | 98.83 | 98.90 | |
| SC | 222 | 212 | 97.32 | 190 | 96.14 | 95.63 | |
| ST | 218 | 208 | 96.76 | 186 | 93.94 | 94.17 | |
| UGC NET Assistant Professor Cut Off Political Science | UNRESERVED | 218 | 234 | 96.34 | 190 | 97.65 | 96.95 |
| EWS | 200 | 226 | 90.39 | 174 | 93.94 | 92.04 | |
| OBC(NCL) | 202 | 226 | 91.31 | 174 | 92.50 | 92.04 | |
| SC | 186 | 212 | 83.24 | 162 | 85.69 | 82.57 | |
| ST | 180 | 208 | 78.15 | 156 | 81.98 | 78.66 | |
| UGC NET PhD Cut Off Political Science | UNRESERVED | 186 | 184 | 83.24 | – | ||
| EWS | 160 | 164 | 67.02 | ||||
| OBC(NCL) | 168 | 160 | 71.59 | ||||
| SC | 160 | 158 | 64.30 | ||||
| ST | 156 | 168 | 58.64 | ||||
How to Calculate UGC NET Political Science Cut Off?
The UGC NET Political Science cut-off is the minimum score required to qualify for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor positions, or PhD admissions. Calculated based on your performance in Paper I (General Aptitude) and Paper II (Political Science), the cut-off varies by category and exam difficulty. Below is a step-by-step guide to understanding how NTA determines these marks, along with key formulas and examples.
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check Total Marks | Paper I (100) + Paper II (200) = 300 Marks |
| 2 | Verify Minimum % | General: 40% (120/300) OBC/SC/ST/PwD: 35% (105/300) |
| 3 | Determine Percentile | Use formula: (Candidates below you/ Total candidates) × 100 |
| 4 | Compare with Cut-Off | JRF: Top 6% percentile Asst. Prof.: Meet category-wise minimum % |
| 5 | Check Normalization | Applied if exam has multiple shifts (adjusts difficulty variations) |
| 6 | Official Confirmation | Final cut-off released at ugcnet.nta.nic.in |
Example:
- Score = 190/300 (63.3%)
- 40,000 candidates below you out of 50,000 → 80th percentile
- Result: Qualifies for Asst. Prof. (if ≥40%), but not JRF (needs 96th percentile).



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