UGC NET Exam Pattern 2021: Paper 1 & Paper 2 Latest Pattern

National Test Agency released the official UGC NET Exam pattern 2021 for the UGC NET aspirants. With the help of the latest exam pattern candidates can easily understand the no. of questions and marking scheme allocated for the UGC NET Paper 1 and Paper 2. The UGC NET Notification 2021 was released by NTA on 02 February 2021 along with details about the exam date. 

Students preparing for the NTA UGC NET exam 2021 must understand the exam pattern in detail. It makes planning and preparation easier and more targeted. You must also download the UGC NET Syllabus. It will definitely help you in planning your preparation strategy and to understand the efforts you need to put in to clear the cut-off. 

1. UGC NET Exam Mode & Timing

The NET exam is going to be conducted online as a Computer Based Test (CBT). Candidates are given a total of three hours to complete both UGC NET Paper 1 and Paper 2. 

2. Examination Pattern

The test will consist of objective type questions. It will comprise of two papers- Paper I & Paper-II. Both the papers are compulsory for qualifying for Lectureship and JRF. The description of both the papers has been given below.

Check also:

• UGC NET Notification 2021
• UGC NET Application Form 2021, Apply Now

This UGC NET exam consists of two papers i.e.
(a) Paper I.
(b) Paper-II.

Both the papers (Paper I and Paper II) will consist of only objective type questions.

There will be no break between the two sections.

UGC NET Paper 1 Pattern

There is a total of 50 questions and each question is 2 marks. So, the total marks for Paper I is 100. A candidate will be allotted 1 hour to attempt this section. It will consist of topics from Teaching Aptitude, Research Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, Comprehension, Communication, Divergent Thinking, and General Awareness. All the questions are compulsory.

UGC NET Paper 2 Pattern

There is a total of 100 questions and each question is of 2 marks. So, the total marks for Paper II is 200. A candidate will be allotted 2 hours to attempt this section. Paper-II will have the questions based on the subject selected by the candidate. For e.g., If one candidate selects Electronic Science, he/she attempts Paper II which has questions from electronics only. All the questions are compulsory.

• There are no negative marks for an incorrect response.
• No marks will be allotted for unanswered/marked for review questions.
• If a question is found to be incorrect, the benefit of marks will be given to only those candidates who attempted the question.
• The cut-off will be decided separately for an individual subject.
• The cut-off will be decided after obtaining marks out of 300 (Paper I and Paper II).

Now that you are aware of the detailed pattern of UGC NET Exam 2021, start your preparation thoroughly to crack this exam with a good score.

Let us now go through the selection criteria of the UGC NET 2021 Exam, which will help you understand:

• How the number of candidates to be qualified is decided?
• What procedure is followed for selection?

We shall now discuss how this selection of candidates is made.

Now, we will discuss the process followed for the selection of the candidate. The following steps will be followed:

Step I:

• The candidate belonging to the General category needs to secure at least 40% aggregate in both the papers taken together and at least 35% aggregate marks in both the papers taken together for the candidates belonging to the Reserved category (SC, ST, OBC, PWD, Transgender) in order to be considered for Assistant Professor or JRF.

Step II:

• The number of candidates who qualify for Assistant Professor should be equal to 6% of the total candidates appeared in both papers (Total slots).
• Similarly, the number of candidates who qualify for the award of JRF should be equal to 1% (approx.) of the total candidates appeared in both papers.

Step III:

• The total slots shall be allocated to different categories as per the Government's Reservation Policy.

Step IV:

• The methodology used for calculating the number of candidates to be declared qualified in any subject for a specific category is shown below:

• The aggregate percentage of both papers corresponding to the number of slots arrived at, will determine the qualifying cut-off for Eligibility for Assistant Professor in ‘Management’ subject for the General category.
• In a similar way, subject-wise qualifying cut-offs for all categories can be computed by applying the same methodology.

Step V:

• All the candidates who had applied for ‘Eligibility for Assistant Professor & JRF both’ out of the total number of qualified candidates computed as per Step IV, shall be taken into consideration zone for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).

Step VI:

• The total number of slots available for awarding JRF is allocated among different categories subject wise as per Government's Reservation Policy.
• The procedure followed for category-wise cum subject wise cum allocation of JRF slots is shown below:

Example: Number of candidates to be declared qualified for JRF & Eligibility for Assistant Professor Both in the subject ‘Management’ for the General category

• The aggregate percentage of both papers corresponding to the number of slots arrived at, will determine the qualifying cut-off for the award for JRF ‘in ‘Management’ subject for the General category.
• The similar procedure is used for all subjects and categories. It should be noted that the above-mentioned criteria are final and binding.

Important Note: The subject-wise and category-wise merit list is prepared on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in all the rounds for the selection purpose.

So, the aspirants must keep all these factors in mind while preparing for the UGC NET Exam 2021.