The National Testing Agency conducts the UGC NET exam 2026 twice every year. The UGC NET exam is an eligibility test to become assistant professors in Indian universities and Junior research fellowships (JRF). The UGC NET exam has huge competition across India, with lakhs of candidates applying every year.
The UGC NET 2026 exam has a large applicant pool. Around 7- 8 lakh candidates apply for the UGC NET exam. The number is increasing with each year. However, the number of candidates appearing for the NET exam 2026 is a about 7lakhs.
The below table shows rough numbers about the registered UGC NET candidates versus the number of candidates who actually appear for the June exam.
Year | Number of applicants | Number of candidates appeared | Number of qualified candidates |
June 2024 | 11,21,225 | 9,08,580 | TBA |
Dec 2023 | 945872 | 695928 | 53762 |
June 2023 | 639069 | 462144 | 32304 |
Dec 2022 | 834537 | 546679 | 39070 |
Dec 2021 + June 2022 (Merged Cycle) | 1266509 | 671288 | 43729 |
June 2020 | 860976 | 526707 | 40986 |
For the 2026 UGC NET exam, around 993,702 candidates registered for the exam. Out of which, 7,35,614 candidates actually appeared for the exam. Out of the UGC NET qualified candidates, only a small percentage of candidates qualify for the exam.
The number of candidates who qualify for the UGC NET exam and become assistant professors are even less in number. Candidates have to meet the UGC NET cut off 2026 in order to qualify for the exam. In the end, around 10-15 % of those qualified candidates usually take up roles for JRF and assistant professors.
Some of the main reasons due to which the candidates don't appear for the examination could be due to insufficient preparation, reaching late to the UGC NET 2026 exam centre, or a change of mind.
Getting an Assistant professor job through a UGC NET certificate is a stepping stone for those who want to teach. The jobs are limited and considered to have a large competition. The candidates who take up JRF positions also receive a great deal of funding to pursue their PhD after qualifying the NET 2026 exam.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There isn't a fixed salary after clearing the UGC NET 2024 as it completely depends on the job type, experience, and location. Candidates may expect the NET salary of Rs 30,000 - Rs 60,000 for the assistant professor role.
A very small percentage of candidates get the UGC NET JRF qualification every year. Only 30% of the UGC NET qualified candidates get JRF every year which is around 10,000 - 20, 000 candidates.
For someone who is new to the UGC NET 2024 subjects, 3 months could be a tough time frame to crack the exam. However, with focussed work and dedication, it is definitely enough.
The difficulty level of the NET exam depends on the preparation of the candidate.Candidates can enhance their preparation level by solving as many sample papers and UGC NET 2024 mock tests as possible.
The UGC NET success rate is the number of candidates qualifying the exam as per the cut off. The success rate is around 6-10 %.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Dear,
Uploading an older OBC-NCL certificate does not automatically mean that your CSIR-UGC NET result will be cancelled, but the final acceptance of your OBC-NCL status depends on the applicable NTA/CSIR rules and document verification requirements.
The important point is that NTA treats the information and documents submitted in
Hello Dear Student,
Yes, you may be eligible , but it depends on the PSC recruitment notification .
The UGC NET category under which you qualified (PwD) and the reservation category under which you apply for a job (EWS) are not always required to be the same.
If:
Hello Yogita,
Please refer to this article; I hope it helps.
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/ugc-net-syllabus-2026
Hello Dear Student,
You are already pursuing BA (Hons.) Political Science from School of Open Learning University of Delhi , preparing for SSC CGL , and keeping UGC-NET/JRF as a backup. Doing a regular MA through CUET-PG can strengthen that backup plan significantly.
What I like about your plan:
Hi,
Yes, you can generally use a Bihar EWS certificate issued in May 2026 for UGC NET June 2026 if it is in the Central Government prescribed format and issued by a competent authority such as a Revenue Officer/Tehsildar. UGC NET requires a valid EWS certificate in the latest Government
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