Under NTA, UGC NET a ‘general knowledge test’ – rewards rote learning, not analytical skills

NTA UGC NET: Chandni Yadav, now in first year of PhD in history at Banaras Hindu University, cleared the UGC NET and did well enough to earn a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). She does not consider it an achievement. “It was completely about recall. There were questions like ‘where is this, who did that, which year, which place’,” Yadav said. “If someone is good at mugging up, they will clear it. Analytical questions have almost disappeared.”

That is also how many academics and research scholars see the University Grants Commission - National Eligibility Test, that the exam is of poor quality, doesn’t serve the purpose for which it is conducted and has declined since the National Testing Agency (NTA) took over its management.

But the stakes are high. The UGC NET is the only national-level standardised test to gauge academic and research potential. It is used for teacher recruitment in higher education and selecting candidates for PhD and the NET JRF. The December 2025-January 2026 session had 7.35 lakh examinees.

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But many aspirants who have appeared over the past few years, as well as senior faculty members, say the UGC NET exam does not test how candidates think, analyse, or understand their subjects. Instead, it mainly benefits students who memorise facts.

The NET exam is conducted twice a year, in June and December, as a computer-based test (CBT). It involves two compulsory papers in a single three-hour session. UGC NET Paper 1 tests general aptitude and includes 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), each carrying two marks; Paper 2 tests subject-specific knowledge and has 100 MCQs, each carrying two marks. In total, the NTA NET has 150 questions and 300 marks with no negative marking.

NTA UGC NET: The changes

The NTA became responsible for the NET, taking over from UGC, the main higher education regulator, in December 2018.

The UGC NET exam pattern has always involved a two-step process but a key change was the subject-specific Paper 2 also becoming entirely MCQ-based. It resulted in the exam becoming about recall, not research aptitude.

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Yadav, who wrote the exam twice and cleared it in December 2024, finds that the shift has become more obvious over the last two-three years. “At least statement-based questions require analysis. But now it’s entirely factual,” she said. “No one knows where those questions come from. You end up guessing. That’s why people say NET is about studying, but JRF is about luck.”

UGC NET exam questions ‘embarrassing’

A senior political science professor at a central university, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed, saying the NET exam has changed a lot since the NTA took over. “Earlier, there were two parts – general and analytical. Candidates had a chance to show how they think and present academic answers,” he said. “Now it is completely multiple-choice and mostly about memorising facts.”

He said the current format treats NET like a general knowledge test, which is not enough to judge future teachers and researchers. “To become a teacher, knowing facts or dates is not enough. Analytical skills and judgement have been reduced a lot. These problems have been around for too long. Everyone knows them, but nothing has changed.”

He suggested bringing back a two-paper system, with one qualifying paper and another focused on analytical and subject-specific skills.

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Sangit Kumar Ragi, also in political science but at Delhi University wrote on X, “Looking at the UGC NET JRF political science question paper, anyone would feel embarrassed. Questions based on rote memory in no way assess a student’s intellect or creative ability. I don’t know where NTA finds experts to prepare these questions”.

UGC NET previous years’ questions

Surbhi Gupta, a second-year PhD student at Delhi University, researching comparative languages, recalled being asked “author names, histories of authors, random facts”.

“In research, you analyse texts, interpret ideas, build arguments. None of that is being tested. There should be descriptive and critical thinking–based questions. Otherwise, how do you judge research readiness?” she said.

Mohammed Saad from Mysore, Karnataka, who wrote the UGC NET in psychology recently said his exam “went well” but otherwise had the same reaction as Yadav and Gupta. He thought it was “all about memorising,” with very little focus on applying knowledge or thinking critically.

“This exam is for research scholars, but the questions only test memory,” he said.

Further, Saad pointed to the growing role of online coaching platforms, running UGC NET mock tests. He subscribed to one set before his January attempt but found them very different from the real exam. “They were much easier. When I compared my scores with past papers, the gap was huge. That’s when I realised you can’t fully trust these tests.” The mock tests helped him improve his speed but also left him wondering if speed should even matter in an exam meant to select academics.

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“NET has become all about performance and time, quick answers, fast recall. But research doesn’t work like that. Writing, thinking, analysing, none of this is being tested,” he said.

NTA NET ‘just one step’

However, Bina Sengar, a history professor at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, said she has not noticed any decline in the quality of students clearing UGC NET. “I have never felt there is a difference between students earlier and now. Those who are meritorious have always cleared the exam,” she said.

She added that qualities such as “devotion and passion for one’s subject” are essential for NET-qualified candidates and continue to be present among those who clear the exam.

Responding to criticism that the exam has become memory-based, Sengar said, “NET is only one qualifying step and not the sole criterion for becoming a professor or researcher. There are many other academic requirements that come later. The exam is not about memory alone.”