CSIR UGC NET Exam Date:18 Dec' 25 - 18 Dec' 25
National Testing Agency will release the CSIR NET notification 2026 on the official website, csirnet.nta.nic.in. The CSR NET 2026 application form will be released along with the notification. Candidates must go through the eligibility criteria before filling the CSIR NET application form.
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                The CSIR NET exam is conducted twice a year - June and December. The CSIR NET exam 2026 is conducted in online mode. Candidates who wish to become lecturers or pursue their PDF in Indian universities/ colleges can attempt this exam. The CSIR NET 2026 exam is conducted for 5 subjects from science related streams. Go through the below article to more -
| Full exam name | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, University Grants Commission, National Eligibility Test | 
| Short exam name | CSIR UGC NET | 
| Exam conducting body | National Testing Agency | 
| Frequency of conduction | Twice a year (June and December) | 
| Exam level | National level | 
| Languages | English and Hindi | 
| Mode of application | Online | 
| Application fee | Rs. 1,150 (General category) | 
| Mode of exam | Online | 
| Exam duration | 3 hours | 
| Official website | csirnet.nta.nic.in | 
The CSIR NET exam dates 2026 are announced through the official notification. Other important CSIR NET 2026 exam dates are also available on the website. Check the below table to refer the CSIR NET exam dates -
| Events | CSIR NET Dates | 
| CSIR NET Notification date | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET 2026 application form | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET application form last date | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET application form correction window 2026 | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET admit card date | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET 2026 exam date | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET answer key date | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET answer key challenge facility | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET Final answer key 2026 | To be announced | 
| CSIR NET 2026 result date | To be announced | 
Candidates have to first fill the CSIR NET application form 2026 to be able to appear in the exam. The CSIR NET application dates are announced through the official notification. Candidates must make sure they submit correct information/ details within the CSIR NET application last date.
NTA does not provide any option to make changes in the CSIR NET 2026 application once submitted. Candidates can find all the essential documents to be submitted while filling the CSIR NET application form 2026 in the notification itself.
| Category | Application fee | 
| General | Rs. 1,150 | 
| OBC/EWS | Rs. 600 | 
| SC/ST/PwD/Third gender | Rs. 325 | 
Candidates are recommended to go through the CSIR NET eligibility criteria 2026 before filling the application form. Applications whose CSIR NET eligibility is not met are rejected. The CSIR NET 2026 eligibility criteria are the minimum requirements a candidate must meet to appear in the exam. The CSIR NET eligibility criteria mainly include educational qualification and age limit.
Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India.
Age: The age limit for Junior Research Fellowship is 30 years. However, a 5 year duration of age relaxation is provided for reserved category candidates. However there is no upper age limit for candidates applying under Assistant professor and PhD programs.
Educational qualification: Candidates with a bachelors or masters degree with a minimum of 55% aggregate score (General), and 50% (SC/ST/PwD) candidates.
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The CSIR NET exam pattern 2026 is specified in the official notification. The CSIR NET 2026 exam is conducted in online mode (CBT). There are 5 subjects in the CSIR NET exam. The CSIR NET exam pattern is different for every subject. Check the table below to know the CSIR NET 2026 exam pattern of all the subjects -
| Particulars | Part A | Part B | Part C | Total | 
| Total number of questions | 20 | 50 | 75 | 145 | 
| Number of questions to attempt | 15 | 35 | 25 | 75 | 
| Marks for the correct answer | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 | 
| Marks for each incorrect answer | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | - | 
| Particulars | Part A | Part B | Part C | Total | 
| Total number of questions | 20 | 50 | 80 | 150 | 
| Number of questions to attempt | 15 | 35 | 25 | 75 | 
| Marks for the correct answer | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 | 
| Marks for each incorrect answer | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.32 | - | 
| Particulars | Part A | Part B | Part C | Total | 
| Total number of questions | 20 | 40 | 60 | 120 | 
| Number of questions to attempt | 15 | 25 | 20 | 60 | 
| Marks for the correct answer | 2 | 3 | 4.75 | 200 | 
| Marks for each incorrect answer | 0.5 | 0.75 | 0 | - | 
| Particulars | Part A | Part B | Part C | Total | 
| Total number of questions | 20 | 40 | 60 | 120 | 
| Number of questions to attempt | 15 | 35 | 25 | 75 | 
| Marks for the correct answer | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 | 
| Marks for each incorrect answer | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | - | 
| Particulars | Part A | Part B | Part C | Total | 
| Total number of questions | 20 | 25 | 30 | 75 | 
| Number of questions to attempt | 15 | 20 | 20 | 55 | 
| Marks for the correct answer | 2 | 3.5 | 5 | 200 | 
| Marks for each incorrect answer | 0.5 | 0.875 | 1.25 | - | 
Candidates must go through the CSIR NET syllabus 2026 before starting their preparation. They can check the CSIR NET 2026 syllabus and scheme of the exam at csirhrdg.res.in. Referring to the CSIR NET syllabus will help a candidate in planning their preparation and to know which topics to focus more on.
| Subject name | Link to download syllabus pdf | 
| Chemical sciences | |
| Earth sciences | |
| Mathematical sciences | |
| Life sciences | |
| Physical sciences | 
The CSIR NET exam centre 2026 needs to be selected while filling the application form. The CSIR NET 2026 exam centre is the place or the location where a candidate must take the exam. Candidates will have an option to choose 4 CSIR NET exam centres of their choice. The CSIR NET exam centre 2026 once allotted cannot be changed. Candidates must bring the following document to the CSIR NET exam centre .-
Copy of admit card.
One passport size photograph.
Government ID - PAN card/ Driving License/ Voter ID/ Passport/ Aadhar Card (With photograph)/ Aadhar Enrolment No/ Ration Card.
PwD/ PwBD certificate (if required).
Those who successfully fill their application form will be issued their CSIR NET admit card. The CSIR NET 2026 admit cards are issued through the official website, csirnet.nta.nic.in. Candidates can download the CSIR NET admit card 2026 using their login credentials. The CSIR NET admit card is a mandatory document to take to the exam centre.
Visit the official website, csirnet.nta.nic.in.
Click on ‘CSIR UGC 2026 NET admit card’ in the homepage
Enter the application number and date of birth in the login window
Enter security pin
Click on ‘submit’ button
Download and take a printout of the CSIR NET admit card.
The CSIR NET answer key will be released on the official website a few days after the conduction of the exam. The provisional CSIR NET 2026 answer key is released first for a few days. Candidates have an option to challenge the CSIR NET answer key 2026 for 2 - 3 days if they have found any fault in it. Based on that, the final CSIR NET answer key is released.
The CSIR NET 2026 question paper and the response sheets are released along with the answer key on the official website. Candidates can download the CSIR NET question papers 2026 from the website which will be available for a certain duration of time. Practising previous year CSIR NET question papers is the best way to improve one’s preparation.
The CSIR NET result 2026 is released on the official website, csirnet.nta.nic.in. The CSIR NET 2026 result can be accessed by entering the candidate’s login credentials. The CSIR NET result is declared based on the final answer key. Those who are found doing any unfair practices or who do not meet the eligibility will not get their CSIR NET 2026 results.
The NTA authority releases the CSIR NET cut off 2026 along with the CSIR NET score card. The board releases the CSIR NET 2026 cut off for each category in the form of a PDF on the official website. The cutoff of CSIR NET 2026 depends on various factors like the number of applicants, the difficulty level of the exam, the number of posts available and more. Candidates can check the table below for the previous year's CSIR NET cutoff as a reference.
| Category | Minimum qualifying cut off | 
| General and OBC | 33% | 
| SC/ST & PwD | 25% | 
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates who have secured at least 55% marks in Master’s Degree or equivalent from recognized university are eligible to apply for the CSIR UGC NET exam 2026
There is no age limit for the CSIR NET exam. However, there is an upper age limit of 30 years for JRF.
Yes, it is possible to get a Ph.D without appearing in the CSIR NET exam. There might be separate entrance tests for some universities.
Yes, the CSIR NET exam is conducted twice a year.
The CSIR NET exam date 2026 is not known yet.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Aspirant,
To prepare for CSIR UGC Net Examination you need to follow some steps:
1.Know the exam pattern
Total Marks 200
It consists 3 section-
Part A(Aptitude common for all).
Part B and C(Subject specific questions)
2.Choose your subject for this examination
As this examination consider in different subjects,so you need to choose one among these subjects.
https://csirhrdg.res.in/Home/Index/1/Default/2666/78 check about subjects from official website.
3.Collect the right study material.
4.Make a study plan and follow it.
All the best for your CSIR UGC NET preparation.
 
 
 
 
A six month preparation window is ideal for CSIR UGC NET, especially if you follow a structured plan. Below is a month wise breakdown of how you can prepare effectively, balancing core subjects, General Aptitude, revision, mock tests , and research paper reading .
In the first three months , focus on completing the full syllabus, spending most of your time on core subjects and 1 day a week on General Aptitude. Also, begin reading 1 to 2 research papers weekly.
In month 4 , start your first full revision, practice topic-wise questions, and begin attempting small mock tests.
In month 5 , do your second revision and shift to full-length mock tests (2 per week) while analyzing mistakes.
In month 6 , do a final quick revision, increase mock tests to 3 to 4 per week, and avoid starting new topics.
Overall, spend around 60 to 70% of your time on subject preparation , 15 to 20% on revision , and 10 to 15% on mock tests and paper solving , increasing test practice in the last two months.
Hi aspirant.
If you're looking to download the CSIR UGC NET question papers, you can follow this method for easy access:
You can also download it from the Career360 website
Hello,
As of now there is no official announcement made regarding the release date of application form for CSIR NET for June session, you may follow the official website at https://csirnet.nta.nic.in/ to know the latest information pertaining this,
CSIR NET is conducted to determine the eligibility of candidate for JRF/Assistant Professor or Lectureship, it is conducted for three hours for 200 marks, there are three parts; part A is common to all subjects for general aptitude carrying 15 questions for two marks, total marks allotted is 30 marks, part B is subject related conventional MCQs for 70 marks with question range of 20-35, part C has been allotted 100 marks to test scientific concepts and its application. there is negative marking of 25% for each wrong answer, check out our page at https://competition.careers360.com/articles/csir-ugc-net-exam-dates to know more details regarding this.
| S.N | Topic Name for NET Life Science Syllabus 2022 | 
| 1. | Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology | 
| 2. | Cellular Organization | 
| 3. | Fundamental Processes | 
| 4. | Cell Communication and Cell Signaling | 
| 5. | Developmental Biology | 
| 6. | System Physiology – Plant | 
| 7. | System Physiology – Animal | 
| 8. | Inheritance Biology | 
| 9. | Diversity of Life Forms | 
| 10. | Diversity of Life Forms | 
| 11. | Evolution and Behavior | 
| 12. | Evolution and Behavior | 
| 13. | Evolution and Behavior | 

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