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The UGC NET Political Science Cutoff 2026 will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with the UGC NET June 2026 result. The cut-off marks are published category-wise for candidates qualifying for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor eligibility, and PhD admission in the English subject. These qualifying scores reflect the minimum marks required after normalization and help candidates assess their eligibility for academic and teaching careers in Political Science.
UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026: Overview
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.
- Exam Conducting Authority: National Testing Agency (NTA)
- Exam Name: UGC NET
- Subject: Political Science
- Cut Off Release Mode: Online
- Official Website: ugcnet.nta.nic.in
- UGC NET Answer Key 2026
UGC NET Political Science Expected Cut Off 2026
The UGC NET Political Science Expected Cut Off 2026 will let you the know your expected result beforehand and official cut-off marks will be officially released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with the UGC NET June 2026 result. The cut-off marks are announced category-wise for candidates qualifying for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor eligibility, and PhD admission in the English subject. These scores indicate the minimum qualifying marks after normalization and are crucial for assessing eligibility for academic and teaching opportunities.
| Category | JRF Cut Off | Assistant Professor Cut Off | PhD Cut Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 228-232 | 206-210 | 180-184 |
| EWS | 218-222 | 194-198 | 170-175 |
| OBC (NCL) | 216-220 | 194-198 | 170-175 |
| SC | 208-212 | 182-186 | 160-165 |
| ST | 202-204 | 178-182 | 155-160 |
Reasons Behind the Expected UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026 (As Explained by Puneet Sir)
| Factor | Analysis | Expected Impact on Cut Off |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Paper Difficulty | The UGC NET Political Science paper was moderate in difficulty level. Most questions were based on the syllabus and could be attempted by candidates with strong conceptual clarity. | Cut off is expected to increase due to a good number of attempts. |
| Paper II Difficulty Level | Paper II was comparatively easy to moderate, with many direct and concept-based questions from important topics. Well-prepared candidates were able to attempt the paper confidently. | Higher scores in Paper II may lead to an increase in cut off. |
| Concept-Based Questions | The paper focused more on understanding of concepts, theories, and important topics rather than extremely difficult questions. | Increased accuracy among candidates may raise competition. |
| Balanced Paper I | Paper I followed the expected pattern and remained balanced. Some sections required time management, but the overall difficulty level was manageable. | Moderate impact, but good attempts can push the cut off higher. |
| High Competition Level | Due to the easy-to-moderate nature of Paper II and a moderate overall paper level, many candidates are expected to score well. | Strong possibility of a higher overall cut off for UGC NET Political Science. |
UGC NET Political Science Qualifying Marks
To qualify for UGC NET Political Science, candidates must meet the minimum qualifying marks set by the NTA. General category candidates need to score at least 40%, while those from reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD) must secure a minimum of 35%. However, meeting these basic criteria doesn’t guarantee selection- actual cut-offs are typically higher and are influenced by factors like competition and exam difficulty. Candidates are advised to review the category-wise cut-off scores to better understand their chances of selection.
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Marks (%) |
|---|---|
| General | 40% (Aggregate in Papers I & II) |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 35% (Aggregate in Papers I & II) |
| SC/ST/PwD | 35% (Aggregate in Papers I & II) |
Steps to Download UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026
Once the NTA releases the UGC NET Political Science Cut Off 2026, candidates can follow these steps to download it:
- Visit the Official Website: Go to the official NTA UGC NET website (https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/).
- Find the Cut-Off Link: Look for the notification or link titled “UGC NET Political Science Cut Off.”
- Select Your Category: Click on the link and select your category (General, OBC, SC, ST, or PwD).
- Download the Cut-Off: The category-wise cut-off marks will be displayed in PDF format. Download and save the file for future reference.
- Check Your Score: Compare your UGC NET Political Science score with the cut-off marks to determine your qualification status.
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 June 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 | December
2025 |
June 2025 | December 2024 | June 2024 | December 2023 | June 2023 | December 2022 |
| UGC NET JRF Cut Off Political Science |
UNRESERVED | 214 | 244 | 234 | 99.73 | 216 | 99.67 | 99.59 |
| EWS | 206 | 238 | 226 | 99.24 | 208 | 99.30 | 99.16 | |
| OBC (NCL) | 202 | 236 | 226 | 99.23 | 206 | 98.83 | 98.90 | |
| SC | 192 | 222 | 212 | 97.32 | 190 | 96.14 | 95.63 | |
| ST | 186 | 218 | 208 | 96.76 | 186 | 93.94 | 94.17 | |
| UGC NET Assistant Professor Cut Off Political Science | UNRESERVED | 188 | 218 | 234 | 96.34 | 190 | 97.65 | 96.95 |
| EWS | 174 | 200 | 226 | 90.39 | 174 | 93.94 | 92.04 | |
| OBC(NCL) | 174 | 202 | 226 | 91.31 | 174 | 92.50 | 92.04 | |
| SC | 162 | 186 | 212 | 83.24 | 162 | 85.69 | 82.57 | |
| ST | 158 | 180 | 208 | 78.15 | 156 | 81.98 | 78.66 | |
| UGC NET PhD Cut Off Political Science | UNRESERVED | 164 | 186 | 184 | 83.24 | – | ||
| EWS | 150 | 160 | 164 | 67.02 | ||||
| OBC(NCL) | 152 | 168 | 160 | 71.59 | ||||
| SC | 144 | 160 | 158 | 64.30 | ||||
| ST | 142 | 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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