The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) for determining the eligibility of candidates for Assistant Professorship and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges.
If you are planning to appear for this exam, you must be aware of the NTA UGC NET Exam Pattern. In this article, we will guide you through the exam pattern, marking scheme, and important topics that you need to prepare for.
The NTA UGC NET Exam Pattern comprises two papers – Paper 1 and Paper 2. Both papers are conducted on the same day, and the duration of each paper is 3 hours. The exam is conducted in computer-based mode, and the questions are of objective type. Let’s dive deeper into the exam pattern:
Paper 1 is designed to assess the teaching and research aptitude of the candidate. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, each carrying 2 marks. The paper aims to test the candidate’s knowledge in the following areas:
Paper 2 is designed to test the candidate’s knowledge in the subject they have opted for. It consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, each carrying 2 marks. The paper covers topics from the syllabus of the subject chosen by the candidate.
Now that you know the exam pattern, let’s understand the marking scheme of the NTA UGC NET exam. Each question carries 2 marks, and there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. However, if a candidate attempts more than the required number of questions, only the first n questions will be considered, where n is the required number of questions to be attempted.
Exam Pattern for the paper I am such that the question paper will be selected from 10 sections as mentioned below and will consist of 50 objective type compulsory questions each carrying 2 marks. The questions are general, and intended to assess the teaching/research aptitude of the candidate. It will primarily be designed to test the reasoning ability, comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness of the candidate
| Unit Name(Section) | Questions | Marks |
| Teaching Aptitude | 5 | 10 |
| Research Aptitude | 5 | 10 |
| Reading Comprehension | 5 | 10 |
| Communication | 5 | 10 |
| Reasoning (Including Math-Based) | 5 | 10 |
| Logical Reasoning | 5 | 10 |
| Data Interpretation | 5 | 10 |
| Information & Communication Technology (ICT) | 5 | 10 |
| People & Environment | 5 | 10 |
| Higher Education System: Governance, Polity & Administration | 5 | 10 |
| Total | 50 | 100 |
Please note the above table is for reference purposes only and there is no complete guideline saying that there will be 5 topics from each unit. FYI- More than 5 Question was asked in Dec 2019, and June 2021 Exam from research & teaching aptitude topics. in-fact more than 7 Question was asked from teaching aptitude only.