Know the Difference Between UGC NET and CSIR NET – Check Details Here
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 13th, 2023

Know the Difference Between UGC NET and CSIR NET: Most of the students dream of cracking one of the prestigious exams, i.e. CSIR NET and UGC NET but get confused between these two. CSIR NET and UGC NET have some basics that have to be understood by each student before starting the preparation so that they will not be stuck anywhere while preparing for CSIR NET or UGC NET. We have mentioned some important and basic differences for the references to get a clear idea.
CSIR NET and UGC NET are the two most popular exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for awarding the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) to Indian Nations and determining the eligibility of the candidate for College and University level lectureship.
Table of content
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1.
CSIR NET vs UGC NET
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2.
1. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Subjects
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3.
2. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Pattern
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4.
3. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Eligibility
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5.
4. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Mode of Examination
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6.
5. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Number of Candidates Appeared
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7.
6. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Career Scope
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8.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Despite having the same objective of conducting both the exams, some important differences have to keep in mind before moving ahead with the exam preparation. We have come up with detailed information on CSIR NET and UGC NET to know all the differences. For ease of comparison and understanding, differences have been categorized into different categories like Exam Pattern & Syllabus, Eligibility Criteria, Career Scope, etc.
CSIR NET vs UGC NET
The major difference between UGC NET and CSIR NET exams are categorized on the following parameters:
We will now discuss these in detail to help you understand the difference between CSIR NET and UGC NET exams. The following points will help you to differentiate CSIR and UGC NET.
1. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Subjects
One of the major differences between UGC NET and CSIR NET is the difference in the number of subjects the exam is conducted in.
CSIR NET or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test is conducted twice a Year to shortlist the candidates for the junior research fellowship and lectureship for the 5 Science subjects:
1. Chemical Science | 2. Life Science |
3. Physical Science | 4. Mathematical Science |
5. Earth Science |
UGC NET or University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test is conducted for 84 Different Subjects other than the Science Stream.
2. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Pattern
The preparation for both the exam will depend on the exam pattern so it should be very clear in mind before starting the preparation.
The main differences between the Exam pattern of CSIR NET and UGC NET are mentioned below:
CSIR NET Exam Pattern:
This exam consists of only a single paper with three different sections (Part A, Part B, and Part C). Each part contains a different number of questions. The total number of questions in the CSIR UGC NET exam also varies depending on the subject for which the candidate is appearing. Unlike the UGC NET exam, there is a negative marking of 25% marks for every wrong answer. The total duration to complete the exam is three hours.
Section | Subject | Total marks | Number of Questions | Marks for each correct option | Negative Marking |
Part A | General Aptitude | 30 | 20 (for every subject) | 2 | 0.5 |
Part B | Subject Paper | 70 | 25-50 (subject wise) | 2-3.5 | 0.5-0.875 |
Part C | Scientific Concepts | 100 | 30-75 (subject wise) | 4-5 | 1-1.32 |
Duration: 3 Hours combined—no break in between any of the Sections.
UGC NET Exam Pattern:
UGC NET is the online mode exam consisting of 2 Papers containing objective-type questions. All the questions are mandatory. There will be no negative marking for any of the wrong answers.
UGC NET Papers | Subjects | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
Paper I | General Aptitude | 50 | 100 |
Paper-II | The subject chose by the candidate | 100 | 200 |
Duration- 3 Hours Combined for both papers I and II. No break in between the exam.
3. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Exam Eligibility
The difference between the eligibility criteria for both the exam is mentioned below:
Parameters | CSIR NET Eligibility | UGC NET Eligibility |
Education Qualification | Degree in BTech/BE/BPharma/MBBS/BS (4 years)/Integrated BS-MS/MSc with minimum 55 per cent aggregate | Post-graduation in relevant streams such as Humanities, Social Science, Electronic Science, Computer Science & Applications, etc. with at least 55 per cent aggregate |
Age Limit | For JRF, candidates should be maximum of 28 years in age. There is no upper age limit for lectureship. | For JRF, candidates should be maximum of 30 years in age. There is no upper age limit for lectureship. |
Age Relaxation | Relaxation of up to 5 years in sc/st/PWD/women and 3 years for OBC-NCI. | Relaxation of upto 5 years for sc/st/obc-ncl/women/armed forces personnel’s /pwd/ transgender/ researchers,3 years for L.L.M degree holder. |
4. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Mode of Examination
- CSIR NET is conducted in Online mode, i.e., computer-based tests (CBT).
- UGC NET exam is also conducted online as a computer-based test (CBT). Earlier, it was conducted in offline mode.
5. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Number of Candidates Appeared
The number of candidates who appeared for the UGC NET Exam was much larger than the CSIR NET Exam.
In June 2020, a total of 8,60,976 candidates registered, and 5,26,707 appeared for the UGC NET exam. On the other hand, in June 2020, a total of 2,62,692 candidates registered to appear for the CSIR NET exam.
6. CSIR NET VS UGC NET: Career Scope
The same Body conducts both the Exams, i.e. NTA, but there is a difference in career opportunities for both the Exams. The UGC NET qualified students will be eligible to work with UGC Coordinating Institutes while the CSIR NET qualified students will be eligible to work with the CSIR Research Laboratories.
We have discussed major differences between the UGC and CSIR NET Exam categories in depth. Now it’s time to discuss some similarities between UGC NET and CSIR NET Exams. Following are some major similarities:
Purpose of Exam: Both the exams are conducted to offer the Junior research Fellowship and provide the college level lectureship.
Exam Frequency: Both Exams are conducted by the NTA twice a year, in July and December.
Selection Criteria: In both the exams, the top 6% of qualifying candidates are declared eligible for lectureship. About 2-3% of candidates are shortlisted for both Junior Research fellowship and College Level Lectureship.
Level of Exams: Both exams are conducted at the national level by the National Testing Agency in multiple states and cities across India.
We hope that this article will help you get yourself ready before starting the preparation of any of the Exams and will clear all your confusion between UGC NET and CSIR NET Exam. Subscribe to Online Classroom Program to Ace your Exam.
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