NET stand for “National Eligibility Test”. It is a national level competitive examination conducted in India. Candidates clearing NET exam are eligibility for lectureship and for awarding Junior Research Fellowship in various Indian colleges and universities. Basically, there are two types of NET exam conducted in India: 1. UGC NET EXAM and 2. CSIR NET EXAM. It is usually conducted twice a year (June & December) and consists of two papers. Below, is provided the required information regarding the two exams. Candidates can go through it and can have much required knowledge about the exam. Students should always follow latest exam pattern and syllabus 2023 for best result.
1. UGC NET Exam
The UGC NET exam stands for the “University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test”. It is a competitive examination that is conducted twice in India on the month of June and December. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC NET exam is mainly conducted to determine the candidates eligibility for assistant Professors and providing awards for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) in Indian colleges and universities.
Some of the important key point about the UGC NET exam:
- Eligibility criteria for the UGC NET exam is that a candidates should completed a Master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks (50% for candidates belonging to reserved categories).
- The Subjects in which the UGC NET exam is conducted are Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, History, Anthropology, Commerce, Education, Social Work, Defence & Strategic Studies, Home Science, Public Administration, Population Studies, Music, etc. Candidates have the right to choose their preferred subject of specialization for the examination.
- The UGC NET Exam is mainly conducted to qualify to become Assistant Professor in various Indian colleges or universities and to be awarded for a Junior Research Fellowship, which help the candidates to be eligible to pursue research in their chosen subject.
- The UGC NET exam consists of two papers: 1. Paper-I (General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude) that is common for every candidates and 2. Paper-II (Subject-specific paper) that’s depend on the candidate’s preferred subject.
- The UGC NET certificate for the lectureship is for lifetime, however, it is typically valid for three to four years for JRF from the date of issue.
- The UGC NET is an offline exam and a computer-based test (CBT), with multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
- To be eligible for Assistant Professor or JRF, Candidates must achieve a minimum qualifying score in both papers. The qualifying criteria always vary depending on the percentage of score secured.
- There is no upper age limit for the candidates applying for Assistant Professors but for JRF, the age limit is generally 30 years. But, there is always a age relaxation for reserved candidates categories.
- There are various exam centres throughout the India for conducting the exam including more than one centres in many states of India.
- The UGC NET exam is conducted twice a year, in the month of June and December.
The UGC NET Exam is one of the competitive exam in India which is very difficult to clear. So, candidates should thoroughly study the syllabus and need to have a precise preparation to clear the UGC NET Exam. Students should believe in themselves and had to do a lot of hard work to get succeed.
2. CSIR NET Exam
The CSIR NET exam stand for “CSIR National Eligibility Test”. It is also a competitive examination conducted in India. It is aggravated by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The primary objective of this exam is to check the eligibility of candidates in lectureship and Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) positions in various science and technology universities and colleges. The CSIR NET exam is usually held to determine the ability of a candidates having the potential in the field of science for research and teaching.
Some of the important key point about the CSIR NET exam:
- Eligibility for the CSIR NET exam is that, candidates must have a Master’s degree from a recognized university with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in the related science subject for which he/she is applying (50% for candidates belonging to reserved categories).
- The subjects in which the CSIR NET exam is conducted are Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. Candidates always have the right to choose their preferred subject of specialization for the examination.
- The CSIR NET Exam is mainly conducted to qualify to become Assistant Professor in various Indian science universities or college or to be eligible for getting Junior Research Fellowship in their chosen research subject.
- The CSIR NET exam typically consists of three parts: 1. Part A (General Aptitude), which is common for all candidates and 2. Part B (Subject-related Multiple Choice Questions), and Part C (Subject-related Conventional Questions). The exact pattern of each subject and the number of questions may vary depending on the chosen subject.
- The CSIR NET exam is conducted all over the country in different cities centres. It is a computer-based test (CBT) which includes multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for Part A and Part B. In Part C, there may be involvement of descriptive questions or problem-solving, depending on the chosen subject.
- The CSIR NET exam is usually conducted twice a year, in the month of June and December in different exam centres of the country.
- The age limit for JRF is maximum 28 years but there may be some age relaxation for reserved candidates categories. However, there is no upper age limit for candidates applying for Lectureship in any science specification.
- The CSIR NET certificate for JRF is typically valid for two to three years from the date of issue but it is for lifetime for lectureship.
The CSIR NET exam is one of the toughest competitive in India. Clearing in this examination can lead to lot of opportunities in the research field. It can includes getting opportunities to pursue research in various CSIR laboratories and institutions. It help candidates to pursue Ph.D. in the related subject while doing research in the related field and also help in making a career in teaching field.
Candidates need to do a lot of hard work to clear the CSIR NET Exam but once you clear the exam, you will get the full satisfactory result of your hard work. So, continue doing hard work and you will of course get your hard work result one day. Prepare for the exam according to the syllabus, as syllabus for each subject vary according to the subject. Don’t forget to follow the latest exam pattern and CSIR net syllabus 2023 for the best result.