CSIR NET 2026 June session application process started. The last date to apply is June 19. Candidates who are interested in applying for the June session should go through the eligibility criteria. The authority prescribes the CSIR UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026 along with the notification in terms of age limit, educational qualification and nationality. CSIR JRF Age Limit is 30 years. Read below for more details on NTA CSIR NET Eligibility for JRF and LS.
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026 is the most important aspect of the CSIR UGC NET 2026 exam which is conducted by the NTA two times a year. The notification PDF released at csirnet.nta.nic.in for the June session. The last date to apply for the June session is June 19 (up to 11:50 PM). The fee payment last date is June 20 (up to 11:50 PM). The application correction window will open from June 22 to 23, 2026. The eligibility criteria released for the June session in the information bulletin. The CSIR JRF age limit is 30 years. There is no upper age limit for Lectureship. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) prescribes the CSIR NET eligibility in terms of age limit, educational qualification and nationality. Before filling out the application form for the CSIR UGC NET exam, it is important for candidates to check the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria.
The CSIR NET June exam will be conducted on July 17 and July 18, 2026. The exam is conducted for five papers- Mathematical Science, Life Science, Chemical Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science.
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Exam Overview
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Minimum Educational Qualification
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Subject-wise Educational Qualification
- CSIR NET Age Limit 2026
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Relaxation for Third Gender Category
- CSIR NET Reservation Criteria 2026
- CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Important Points
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026
Candidates must meet CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026 to appear for the exam. It is the minimum criteria that candidates must fulfil before appearing for the exam. Candidates' CSIR NET Application Form is rejected if they do not meet the eligibility criteria. CSIR NET age limit, educational qualification, number of attempts, etc. are the important criteria for CSIR NET eligibility.
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Commonly asked questions
As per the information bulletin, the upper age limit for the CSIR NET exam should not be more than 30 years as on the first day of the month in which the examination is concluded. A relaxation of upto 5 years is provided to the candidates belonging to OBC-NCL (as per the Central list of OBC) /SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third gender categories and to women applicants.
No, a candidate cannot apply for more than one subject in the CSIR NET exam. Candidates can only apply for one subject as per the exam cycle.
As per the information bulletin, there is no end period for the validity of the qualifying certificate of Assistant Professor.
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Exam Overview
The Highlights for the CSIR NET 2026 exam are mentioned in the table below:
| Exam Features |
Exam Particulars |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) |
| Conducting Body |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level |
National |
| Exam Frequency |
Twice a year |
| Mode of Exam |
Online - CBT (Computer-Based Test) |
| Exam Fees |
|
| Exam Duration |
180 minutes |
| No. of Papers and Total Marks |
|
| Exam Pattern |
Multiple Choice Questions |
| Language/Medium of Exam |
English and Hindi |
| Official Website |
https://csirnet.nta.nic.in/ |
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality
Only candidates who are Indian citizens are eligible to apply for the exam.
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Minimum Educational Qualification
- Candidates need to possess either of the below-mentioned qualifications with at least 55 per cent marks (for General and OBC) or 50 per cent marks (for Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Persons with Disability (PwD) candidates).
| MSc or equivalent degree |
Integrated BS-MS |
| BS (4 years) |
BE |
- Candidates enrolled for MSc or having completed MSc or equivalent degree/Integrated BS-MS/BS-4 years/BE/BTech/ BPharma/ MBBS as of the last date of the CSIR NET Application Form are also eligible to apply under the Result Awaited (RA) category. However, the condition for RA category candidates is such that they should complete their qualifying degree with the required percentage of marks within the validity period of two years from the date of declaration of the Joint CSIR UGC NET result failing which they shall be treated as disqualified.
- Candidates holding a BSc (Hons) or equivalent degree or candidates enrolled in an integrated MS-PhD program with at least 55 per cent marks (50 per cent for SC/ST/PwD candidates) are also eligible to apply for the exam. However, candidates holding an undergraduate degree will be eligible for a CSIR fellowship only after getting registered for PhD/Integrated PhD course within the validity period of two years, informs the official website.
- Candidates possessing only a Bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) only and not for the Lectureship (LS)/Assistant Professor. For instance, BE/BS/BTech/BPharma/MBBS final year/result awaited candidates are eligible to apply for JRF only.
- Candidates who possess a PhD degree and who have passed their master’s before September 19, 1991, with at least 50 per cent marks are eligible to apply for lectureship only.
CSIR NET Life Science Eligibility
To be eligible for the CSIR NET Life Science exam, candidates must fulfil the CSIR NET Life Science Eligibility which is mentioned below:
- Educational Qualification: Candidates must have a Master of Science (M.Sc.) or equivalent degree in Life Sciences, with a minimum of 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) or a B.Tech degree in Biotechnology, with a minimum of 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/OBC candidates)
- Nationality: Candidates must be Indian nationals
- Age limit: The upper age limit for the CSIR NET exam is 30 years. However, there is an age relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates and 3 years for women candidates
CSIR NET Eligibility for OBC
Candidates can refer to the table for CSIR NET Eligibility for OBC.
| Category | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| OBC | Master's degree in Science or equivalent degree with at least 55 per cent marks |
Note: There is also an age relaxation of 5 years for female candidates and candidates with disabilities.
CSIR NET Eligibility for Female
Candidates can refer to the table for CSIR NET Eligibility for OBC.
| Gender | Educational Qualification | Age Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Female | Master's degree in Science or a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology with at least 55 per cent marks | 21 to 30 years (5 years relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates) |
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Subject-wise Educational Qualification
The table below covers the subject-wise CSIR NET 2026 Qualification.
| Subject |
Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Life Science |
Academic Qualification in Life Science only |
| Chemical Science |
Candidate must hold a degree in MSc/BS/B-Tech or any other equivalent qualification in Chemistry |
| Earth Science |
Candidate must have completed their MSc/BS-MS/BS-4 Years/B-Pharma or any other equivalent degree in Earth Science |
| Mathematics |
Candidate must hold MSc/BS-MS/BS/B-Tech degree or any other equivalent qualification in Mathematics |
| Physical Science |
Candidate must have completed MSc Physics or BS-MS in Physics or any other equivalent qualification |
CSIR NET Age Limit 2026
The CSIR NET age limit criteria differ for JRF and Lecturership. Have a look:
CSIR JRF Age Limit
Candidates should be a maximum of 30 years. That is not more than 30 years as on the 1st day of the month in which the examination is concluded i.e. July 2026 to be eligible to apply for CSIR NET JRF.
Assistant Professor: There is no upper age limit in applying for Joint CSIR UGC NET for Assistant Professor.
Admission to PhD: There is no upper age limit in applying for Joint CSIR-UGC NET for Admission to PhD.
CSIR NET 2026: Relaxation in Upper Age Limit for JRF NET
The upper age limit is relaxed for reserved category candidates who want to apply for CSIR NET JRF. Have a look:
| Category | Upper Age Limit |
|---|---|
| SC/ ST/ PwD/ Female | 35 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 33 years |
CSIR NET Age Limit for Lectureship
There is no upper age limit for candidates applying for CSIR NET lectureship.
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Relaxation for Third Gender Category
Candidates belonging to the Third gender category are eligible to draw the same relaxation in fee, age and educational qualification for the CSIR NET as are available to SC/ ST categories. The subject-wise qualifying CSIR NET Cut-off for the Third gender category will be the lowest among those for SC/ ST/ PwD/ OBC–NCL/ General-EWS categories.
CSIR NET Reservation Criteria 2026
CSIR follows the stipulated guidelines regarding the marks relaxation for different categories. Candidates can check the table below for CSIR NET Reservation Criteria 2026.
| Category | Relaxation in marks |
|---|---|
| Other Backward Classes | 5 per cent |
| Scheduled Caste | 5 per cent |
| Scheduled Tribe | 5 per cent |
Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates
10 Jun '26
1 May '26 - 30 Jun '26
31 Jul '26
31 Jul '26
22 Aug '26 - 23 Aug '26
CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Important Points
- If a candidate applies for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and fulfils the eligibility criteria for lectureship, s/he is considered for both
- If a candidate is found over-age for JRF, s/he is automatically considered for lectureship/ assistant professorship only
- Candidates who have completed pursuing an MSc or are awaiting the final result of their MSc are eligible for lectureship subject to fulfilling the laid down CSIR NET eligibility criteria
- CSIR NET Admit Card will not be issued to candidates who do not fulfil the eligibility criteria.
In the event of any ineligibility being detected by CSIR / UGC / NTA at any stage, their candidature will be cancelled and they shall be liable for legal action. NTA does not verify the information provided by the candidates during online registration and hence candidature will be purely provisional subject to the fulfillment of eligibility criteria.
The Examinations will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. The Paper will be in bilingual i.e. Hindi and English. Candidates are required to answer in the medium as per option exercised in the Application Form. In case of any ambiguity between Hindi and English version due to translation, English version would be treated as final.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
The CSIR NET 2026 Provisional Answer Key for the June session is expected to be released around 7 to 10 days after the exam. It will be released at csirnet.nta.nic.in. Candidates will also get time to check their responses and raise an objections if any.
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2026 contains a Negative Marking in the exam. CSIR NET Negative Marking varies for different subjects. Candidates can check CSIR NET exam pattern for more detail: https://www.shiksha.com/sarkari-exams/articles/csir-net-2026-blogId-222056
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
Candidates should follow a proper strategy and focused approach for the CSIR NET exam preparation. Some of the tips includes frequent revision, understand the pattern of an exam and syllabus, solve previous year question papers, practice mock test, etc.
G
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
The preparation for the CSIR NET exam depends upon the candidate to candidate. Generally, it is considered that with the right guidance and structured approach 6 to 12 months are enough for the CSIR NET preparation. Proper dedication and structured approach also plays a crucial role.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
Generally, the good score in the CSIR NET exam is considered as 120+ out of 200 for JRF General category candidates and for Lectureship 90 to 110 range. This can vary year to year.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
The CSIR NET exam is considered to be Moderate to Difficult in overall difficulty. Generally, Part C of the exam is considered to be difficult. Also, in subjects, Life Science is perceived to be tougher because of the depth of the syllabus and Chemical Science consists of the application-based quest
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
Candidates can download the CSIR NET Syllabus by visiting the official website at csirnet.nta.nic.in or csirhrdg.res.in. Candidates can also visit out Shiksha page to download the syllabus PDF for the CSIR NET exam.
C
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 months ago
Generally, the CSIR NET Chemical Science exam is considered to be moderate to difficult level of difficulty. It is crucial for the candidates to have clear understanding about the topics asked in the Earth Science exam.
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 months ago
Candidates who are preparing for the CSIR NET Earth Science exam need to make proper strategy, understanding of the core concept is also important including in Geography, Physical Geography, Oceanography, etc. It is also crucial to analyze the syllabus thoroughly, solve previous year question papers
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 months ago
As per the cutoff trends and normalization process, candidates should aim to achieve at least 100 marks out of 200 to clear or meet the benchmark for the CSIR NET Life Science exam. For candidates who want to score for JRF then 110 or above is considered to be a good target.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Role: Editorial Domain
Education: Mass Com & Journalism, MSC Mathematics
Expertise: Sarkari Exam Expert
About
Shikha Goyal is a double post graduate with more than 12 years of experience in education domain, journal
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