The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test December session exam will be the first exam to be conducted by the newly formed National Testing Agency (NTA). The exam is taken by postgraduate students for lectureship posts in reputed Indian universities and for admission to Ph.D. programs.
The December session UGC NET exam has been re-scheduled to be conducted from 18th to 22nd December. Earlier, the exam was scheduled to be held between 9th and 23rd December 2018. The exam will be conducted through Computer-Based mode in two shifts.
For detailed exam pattern, read the article.
UGC NET Exam Pattern
With effect from July 2018, the UGC NET exam pattern has been changed. As per the revisions made in the pattern, here is the new exam scheme:
| Papers | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Paper-I | 50 questions (all compulsory) | 100 | 1 Hour (09:30 AM to 10:30 AM) |
| Paper-II | 100 questions (all compulsory) | 200 | 2 Hour (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM) |
The papers will have a break of 30 minutes between them. There will be no negative marking for incorrect answer. If any question in the question paper is found incorrect, the benefit of marks will be provided to only those candidates who attempted the question.
Paper-I
Questions are asked on the topics – reasoning ability, research/teaching aptitude, reading comprehension, general awareness, etc.
Paper-II
Questions will be on subject-related topics. The exam is conducted for 85 subjects. It is advised to choose the subject of your post-graduation or related subject for the UGC NET exam as the syllabus is vast.
Download the syllabus for both the papers of the UGC NET exam. Please note that syllabus of earlier paper-II and paper-III will now be covered under paper-II.
Now, let’s have a quick look at the old exam pattern of the exam.
Old Exam Pattern – UGC NET
| Papers | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Paper-I (Teaching/Research Aptitude) | 60 questions (50 to be attempted) | 100 | 1 Hour 15 Minutes |
| Paper-II (Subject Paper) | 50 questions (all compulsory) | 100 | 1 Hour 15 Minutes |
| Paper-III (Subject Paper) | 75 questions (all compulsory) | 150 | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) used to conduct the examination till July 2018 session. Now, from the UGC NET December session, the exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency.
UGC NET 2018 December Session Schedule
From the December 2018 session, the UGC NET exam will be conducted through computer-based mode in two shifts. Here is the schedule for the examination to be held from 18th to 22nd December consecutively:
| Papers | Shift I | Shift II |
| Paper-I | 9:30 to 10:30 AM | 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM |
| Paper-II | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM |
Earlier the exam was scheduled between 9th and 23rd December 2018. So, candidates must keep a note of the revised exam dates. Keep a check on the official website – ntanet.nic.in for updates on the exam.
