UGC NET 2021 Application Form (Extended), Notification, Exam Dates & Eligibility

What is UGC NET?

UGC-NET 2021 notification was released on February 2, 2021 for the December 2020 cycle. The candidates can fill the UGC-NET application 2021 online at the official website. The UGC NET 2021 Exam will be conducted on May 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 17.  The last date to apply online for the UGC NET 2021 (December 2020 Cycle) has been extended to March 9 and the last date to pay application fee is now March 10, 2021. 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, the 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.

The UGC NET result 2020 was released on December 1, 2020. A total of 47,157 candidates qualified the exam.

Latest Updates:

• March 3, 2021: NTA has extended the last date for UGC NET 2021 application process till March 9, 2021. Eligible candidates can register and apply online now. The last date to pay application fee has also been extended till March 10, 2021. Read More
• March 1: UGC NET 2021 application process closes on March 2, 2021. Candidates can apply online now by paying fee through Debit Card/Credit Card/ Internet Banking/ UPI/ PAYTM. Read more
• February 2: UGC NET 2021 notification released. The UGC NET application 2021 can be filled online. See here details
• December 14: UGC NET eligibility certificate 2020 has been released. Read More
• December 1: UGC NET 2020 result has been released. Read More

UGC NET 2021 Highlights

The basic criteria that candidates must fulfil to meet UGC NET eligibility 2021 are:

• Candidates should secure at least 55 per cent aggregate marks in post-graduation 
• Candidates should not be more than 31 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. 

Also Read: List of UGC NET subjects

Important UGC NET 2021 Dates

UGC NET 2021 exam dates have not been released yet. Check tentative UGC NET exam dates 2021 below:

UGC NET Registration Trends

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

UGC NET Selection Process

UGC NET selection process includes the following steps:

Step 1: Fill UGC NET application form

For UGC NET registrations, candidates can fill the application form in online mode on the official website of the exam. 

Step 2: Download UGC NET admit card

After successful registrations, candidates can download their UGC NET admit card by logging in to their registered accounts.

Step 3: Appear for 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.

Step 4: Check 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. 

UGC NET 2021 Exam Day Guidelines

National Testing Agency issues an advisory stating some guidelines for UGC NET 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 2021 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 safekeeping of candidates’ valuables. Things that are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall include:

• 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 2021

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

UGC NET Exam Analysis 2020

NTA successfully conducted the second shift of UGC NET 2020 exam from 3:00-6:00 PM on September 24. The UGC NET paper-I was of moderate difficulty level. Majority of the questions asked in the paper were from Teaching and Research Aptitude. Also Read: UGC NET 2020 Exam Analysis: Check difficulty level & important topics for paper-I and II

Also watch the complete UGC NET paper-I and -II analysis here:

The first shift of UGC NET 2020 exam was conducted successfully from 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon on September 24. Shiksha reported live from an exam centre in Noida to check arrangements at the test centre with respect to COVID-19 and capture students' feedback regarding the difficulty level of paper-I and -II. 

Most of the candidates that Shiksha spoke with shared that UGC NET paper-I 2020 was of moderate difficulty level. Check complete UGC NET exam analysis 2020.

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

UGC NET Result 2020 Statistics

NTA UGC NET 2020 result was released on December 1. Last year, total 8,60,976 candidates registered for the UGC NET exam out of which 5,26,707 appeared. Total 47,157 candidates qualified the exam. Out of this, 40,986 candidates qualified the exam for Assistant Professor only and 6,171 candidates qualified the exam for JRF and Assistant Professor.