UGC NET Dec 2019 Official Answer Key (Out), Analysis, Cut Off, Result

What is UGC NET?

University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is a national level exam conducted in order to select candidates for only Assistant Professor or both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges. Till June 2018, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted NET on behalf of UGC. However, from December 2018 onwards National Testing Agency (NTA) started conducting the UGC NET exam.

National Testing Agency has been established by the Government of India as a premier and autonomous organisation to conduct entrance exams for admission/ fellowship in higher educational institutions. The agency has been given the responsibility to conduct popular exams like UGC NET, JEE Main, NEET, CMAT, and GPAT.

Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for UGC NET. For December 2019 exam, total 10,34,872 candidates registered and 7,93,813 aspirants took the exam. 

UGC NET 2019 Highlights

Exam Name	UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) 2019
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Level	National
Exam Mode	Online only
Exam Duration	180 minutes
Exam Purpose	Selection of candidates for posts of only Assistant Professor or both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges
Registered Candidates	10,34,872
Test-Takers	7,93,813
Exam Helpdesk No.	0120-6895200
Official Website	https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in

UGC NET Answer Key

UGC NET preliminary answer key 2019 has been released on the official website of the exam on December 10. Candidates can check the answer key along with the response sheet and question paper by logging into their registered accounts. Candidates can also challenge the official UGC NET answer key by using their application number and password/date of birth. Also Read: How to check UGC NET answer key 2019? 

Important UGC NET 2019 Dates

Check important dates for UGC NET 2019 exam below:

UGC NET Events	UGC NET Exam Dates 2019	Salient Features
Application form releases	September 9	UGC NET application form released on September 9.
Application process closes	October 9	The application process closed on October 9.
Admit card	November 10	UGC NET admit card will be released on the official website on November 10.
UGC NET exam	December 2 - 6	UGC NET 2019 exam was conducted by NTA from December 2-6.
Preliminary answer key, response sheet & question paper	December 10	UGC NET preliminary answer key along with response sheet and question paper have been released on the official website on December 10.
Challenging of provisional answer key	December 10-13	Candidates can raise objections against the provisional answer key from December 10-13 till 11:50 PM.
Final answer key	Third/fourth week of December (tentative)	The date for release of final answer key has not been released yet. However, the same is likely to be released in third/fourth week of December.
Result	December 31	UGC NET result will be released on the official website on December 31.

Important UGC NET 2020 Dates

Check important dates for UGC NET 2020 exam below:

UGC NET Events	UGC NET Exam Dates 2020	Salient Features
Application form releases	March 16	UGC NET 2020 application form wil be released on March 16.
Application process ends	April 16	The online application process will be closed on April 16.
Admit card	May 15	UGC NET 2020 admit card will be released on May 15.
UGC NET exam	June 15 - 20	UGC NET 2020 exam will be held at different test centres across India from July 15-20.
Result	July 5	UGC NET 2020 result will be announced on the official website on July 5.

UGC NET Eligibility 2019

The basic criteria that candidates must fulfill to meet UGC NET eligibility 2019 are:

• Candidates should secure at least 55 per cent aggregate marks in post-graduation 
• Candidates should not be more than 30 years in age in order to be eligible for JRF
• There is no age restriction to apply for the post of Assistant Professor
• A relaxation of five per cent in educational qualification is given to reserved category candidates
• A relaxation of five years in age criteria is given to reserved category candidates
• Candidates who have cleared State Eligibility Test (SET) before June 1, 2002 are exempted from taking the UGC NET exam

Check complete UGC NET eligibility criteria. 

UGC NET Registration Trends

Check out the number of candidates registered and appeared for UGC NET exam over the past few years below:

Number of candidates registered for UGC NET:

Number of candidates registered and appeared for UGC NET:

What’s new in UGC NET 2019 Exam?

With the launch of NTA, some changes have been introduced in the teacher eligibility test as mentioned below:

• UGC NET 2019 application fee has been increased for all categories of students
• UGC NET syllabus has been updated for all subjects
• UGC NET exam for both the papers is conducted in a single three hour duration. Check UGC NET exam pattern  
• Till 2017, UGC NET was conducted as a pen-and-paper based test. However, now the exam is conducted as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) only 

UGC NET Selection Process

UGC NET selection process includes the following steps:

• UGC NET application form: For UGC NET registrations, candidates can fill the application form in online mode on the official website of the exam
• UGC NET admit card: After successful registrations, candidates can download their UGC NET admit card by logging in to their registered accounts
• UGC NET exam: Next, candidates need to appear for UGC NET exam. UGC NET is a computer-based test that consists of two papers - I and II. Both the papers contain objective-type questions that candidates need to complete in a duration of three hours.
• UGC NET result: NTA declares UGC NET result on its official website as per the prescribed schedule. The result contains the roll number and status (qualified for Assistant Professor only or both JRF and Assistant Professor) of candidates qualifying the National Eligibility Test. 

Exam Day Guidelines

National Testing Agency has issued an advisory stating some guidelines for UGC NET 2019 aspirants. All candidates are recommended to read the advisory and instructions mentioned on the admit card carefully. Candidates can also go through instructions given below for better clarity.

What to carry on exam day?

UGC NET 2019 is a computer-based test and candidates are given a pen/ pencil and blank sheets for rough work. However, candidates are still advised to carry a pen/ pencil to the exam centre to avoid any last minute hassle.

What NOT to carry on exam day?

• UGC NET aspirants are not allowed to carry any instrument, metallic item or electronic gadgets/ devices to the exam hall. It may be noted that there might also not be any provision for safe keeping of candidates’ valuables. Things that are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall include:

Any kind of Paper/ Stationery/ Textual material (printed or written material)	Handbag/ Purse
Geometry/ Pencil box	Eatables and Water (loose or packed)
Mobile Phone/ Ear Phone/ Microphone/ Pager	Watch
Calculator	DocuPen
Slide Rules	Log Tables
Camera	Tape Recorder

• Diabetic students are allowed to carry eatables like sugar tablets, fruit and transparent water bottle to the exam hall. However, such candidates are not allowed to carry any packed food like chocolates, candy and sandwich.

Documents required

Documents that candidates need to carry at UGC NET exam centre are:

• Admit card: Candidates need to carry a clear printout (preferably coloured printout on A4 size paper) of the downloaded UGC NET admit card from NTA website   
• Passport size photo: Candidates need to carry one passport size photograph (same as uploaded on the application form) that is pasted on the attendance sheet at the exam centre
• ID proof: Candidates need to carry a valid and original photo ID proof such as PAN card/ Driving License/ Voter ID card/ Passport/ Aadhaar Card (With photograph)/ E- Aadhaar/ Ration Card to the test centre. The official website informs, “ID cards issued by schools/ colleges/ universities/ coaching centres, Aadhar enrollment receipt without Aadhar number and photocopies or images stored in mobile phones etc is NOT accepted.”
• PwD certificate: Candidates who wish to claim relaxation under PwD category must carry their PwD certificate issued by the competent authority

Do's and Don'ts for UGC NET Exam 2019

Some do's and don'ts that candidates should keep in mind for UGC NET exam are:

Do’s	Don’ts
Read the instructions on the admit card carefully.	Do not indulge in any unfair practice at the exam centre. All exam centres are under CCTV surveillance and equipped with jammers.
Visit the exam centre a day before the exam to make yourself familiar with the location and means of reaching at the venue.	Do not forget to carry NET admit card and other documents to the exam centre.
Reach the exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned on the admit card. Candidates reporting beyond the gate closing time of centre will not be allowed to enter exam hall.	Do not carry mobiles, watches or any other gadget to exam centre.
Remember to return the rough sheet and admit card to the invigilator before leaving the exam hall.	Do not carry any eatables or water inside the exam hall.
Enter all required details in the attendance sheet in legible handwriting and ensure that left hand thumb Impression is clear and not smudged.	-

UGC NET 2019 Exam Analysis

Know the difficulty level of paper-I and II of UGC NET December 2019 exam below:

Paper-I: UGC NET paper-I 2019 exam was of easy to moderate difficulty level. Check the complete UGC NET paper-I analysis 2019 by students below: 

UGC NET Preparation Tips by Toppers

Go through topper interviews of last two years [2018 and 2019 (June)] for UGC NET preparation:  

UGC NET Toppers	Preparation Strategy and How They Cracked It
Vivek Sharma Subject: Political Science Qualified for JRF & Assistant Professor	Focused on enhancing fact-based and conceptual knowledge Focused on each topic of the syllabus thoroughly Solved previous years’ UGC NET question papers
Abhinav Pandey Subject: History Qualified for Assistant Professor	Focused on reading History books with critical outlook Read bibliography to enhance information about research sources Read each topic of UGC NET syllabus thoroughly
Vivek Mishra Subject: Geography Qualified for JRF & Assistant Professor	Gave equal preparation time for paper-I and II Created notes from multiple books containing facts   Revised each topic multiple times
Chiranjit Gorai Subject: History Qualified for JRF & Assistant Professor	Studied four to five hours everyday Solves previous year question papers for both paper-I and II Gave more preparation time to weak subjects
Snigdha Moitra Subject: Forensic Science Qualified for Assistant Professor	Studied for 10 hours everyday Followed a proper timetable Gave equal importance to preparation of paper-I
Richa Chaudhary Subject: Psychology Qualified for Assistant Professor	Followed a day-wise schedule Focused on clearing basics for each topic Attempted a series of practice/ mock tests
Ramesh Kumar Subject: Commerce Qualified for Assistant Professor	Solved MCQs after studying each subject Revised concepts multiple times

Important FAQs Regarding UGC NET Exam

Q: How many times is UGC NET conducted in a year?

A: NTA UGC NET is conducted twice a year - June and December.

Q: For how many subjects is UGC NET exam conducted?

A: UGC NET is conducted for total 81 subjects.

Q: Is UGC NET conducted online?

A: Yes, ever since NTA has started conducting the exam, UGC NET is conducted in online mode as a computer-based test (CBT) only.

Q: What is the age limit to apply for UGC NET exam?

A: To apply for JRF, candidates should not be more than 30 years in age. There is no age limit to apply for the post of Assistant Professor.

Q: How many papers does one need to clear in order to qualify the UGC NET exam?

A: One needs to pass both the papers (paper-I and II) in order to qualify the UGC NET exam.   

Q: Is there any negative marking in UGC NET exam?

A: No, there is no negative marking in the exam. Candidates are awarded zero marks for an incorrect answer or a question left unanswered. 

Q: What is the validity of UGC NET eligibility certificate?

A: There is no prescribed validity for UGC NET eligibility certificate received for the post of Assistant Professor. This means that UGC NET certificate for Assistant Professor is valid for lifetime. However, the JRF award letter is valid for a period of three years starting from the day of issue of the letter.

Q: Can I choose the post for which I want to take the exam?

A: Yes, you have the option of selecting the role (Assistant Professor/ JRF/ both) at the time of filling the application form.

Q: Is Aadhaar card mandatory to apply for the exam?

A: No, you can mention any identification number (PAN card, ration card, passport etc) at the time of filling the application form.

Q: What is the minimum eligibility criteria to apply for UGC NET exam?

A: You should score at least 55 per cent aggregate marks in your master's degree exams. 

Q: Who are exempted from taking the UGC NET exam?

Q: When will I get the admit card?

A: UGC NET admit card for December 2019 exam has been released on November 10.

Q: How many candidates have registered for UGC NET December 2019 exam?

A: Total 10,34,872 candidates have registered for UGC NET December 2019 exam     

Q: When will the results be declared?

A: UGC NET result 2019 will be announced on the official website of the exam on December 31.