UGC NET cut-off for PhD admission rises for major subjects; English most sought-after

NEW DELHI: The UGC-National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) cut-offs for “PhD only” category saw an increase compared to the previous session for major subjects. Of the 6.49 lakh candidates who appeared in the exam, the highest number of students opted for English paper, followed by political science.

The NTA announced to conduct the UGC NET December 2024 in computer-based test (CBT) mode after the OMR pen-paper exams for the June session had to be cancelled due to paper leak allegations.

A total of 8,49,166 candidates registered for the NET exam, of which, 6,49,490 candidates appeared. Of them, the highest number 1,14,445 candidates qualified for the PhD admissions. On the other hand, 5,158 aspirants qualified for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and assistant professor, and 48,161 for assistant professor and PhD admissions.

The University Grants Commission introduced the third category - PhD admission - in the NTA UGC NET exam for those aspiring to pursue PhD in Indian universities. The NTA conducted the UGC NET exam for PhD admissions for the second time in a row.

Qualified candidates should complete their master’s degree or equivalent exam within one year after the declaration of UGC NET results. Failing to complete the qualifying exam within the specified deadline will lead to disqualification.

UGC NET cut-offs for PhD

The UGC NET has two papers - paper 1 carries 50 questions on teaching, research aptitude, reasoning ability, reading comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness,.for 100 marks. Paper 2 carries 100 questions for 200 marks and is based on the subject opted by the candidate. The UGC NET subject-wise cut-offs out of 300 marks for PhD admissions are given below.