To score well in the UGC NET exam, aspirants must have a proper preparation plan. To have the best strategy for the exam, you must know the UGC NET Paper Pattern, time Duration and the marking scheme.
UGC NET Exam Patten has been released by the NTA. The UGC NET consists of two papers - Paper 1 & Paper 2, both of which are conducted on the same day without any breaks in between.
Paper 1 focuses on Teaching & Research Aptitude, while Paper 2 is subject-specific paper based. Both papers consist of objective-type Multiple choices (MCQs) and Time Duration is 3 hours (180 min). There is no negative marking for the for wrong answers.
In this article, you will get complete information related to UGC NET Exam Pattern for all the sections in an easy-to-understand format.
Here in this article, you will find: -
Scheme of NTA UGC NET Paper Pattern
UGC NET 2024 Exam Pattern for Paper 2
UGC NET Syllabus 2024 - All Subjects
UGC NET Exam Pattern 2024 - Key Highlights
The first step towards the preparation of any exam is understanding its structure. The NTA conducts the UGC NET Exam twice a year (in June and December month) in two papers – Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Paper 1 is based on General Paper while Paper 2 is a subject-specific exam (for the subject that you choose during the form-filling process).
The UGC NET Exam Pattern Highlights for both General Paper 1 and Paper 2 is given below –
| NTA UGC NET Paper Pattern 2024 | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
| Type of Papers |
General Paper |
Subject-based paper (85 Subjects) |
| Total Number of Questions | 50 | 100 |
| Total Marks | 100 | 200 |
| Marking scheme | +2 for Correct answer & 0 for wrong answer | +2 for Correct answer & 0 for wrong answer |
| Questions Based on Topics | General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude | Subject related topics |
| Type of Questions | MCQ (Multiple choices Questions) | |
| Exam Mode | Online Mode (CBT) | |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking | |
| Paper Language | English & Hindi | |
| Total Time | 3 Hours | |
As per the latest Notification, the UGC NET December 2024 exam will be conducted from 3rd January 2025 to 16th January 2025 in two different shifts: below, you can check Shift wise Exam Timing and Duration.
| UGC NET Exam Timing |
Shift-1 | Shift-2 |
| Exam Time |
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM |
| Total Time Duration |
3 hours | |
| Entry Time |
30 minutes before the exam | |
| Documents Checking Before Entering |
30 minutes before the exam | |
| Instructions by the Invigilators |
8:45 AM to 8:55 AM | 2:45 PM to 2:55 PM |
| Paper Starting Time |
9:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| End of the Exam |
12:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
Note – NTA has released the subject-wise UGC NET Exam Time Table for the December 2024 session . You can check all the updates and news here - UGC NET Notification 2024.
Below, we have explained the NTA UGC NET Paper Pattern 2024 in detail. You can check it for a better understanding of the exam scheme.
UGC NET Exam Pattern 2024 – Understand the Paper Format
UGC NET paper pattern consists of two objective-type papers. Each paper has a different standard and difficulty level.
UGC NET Paper Pattern for Paper 1
General Aptitude Test is common for all the subjects. The medium of Question Paper wil be in English & Hindi.
The questions in UGC NET Paper 1 are based on teaching and research aptitude that measure your interpretation skills. It consists of Reasoning Ability, Reading Comprehension, Mental Ability, General Awareness, etc. In Paper 1, No negative marking for wrong answers.
Below, you can check the complete study kit for UGC NET Paper 1.
Download Free Study Kit & Start Preparing Now
UGC NET Exam Pattern for Paper 2
Paper II is a subject-based paper that consists of 100 MCQ-type questions (multiple choices with a single correct answer), each consisting of two marks.
The NTA UGC NET Paper-II covers the entire syllabus of the master’s degree subject selected by the candidates. And to qualify for the exam, you must have deep knowledge of your chosen subject.
Here is the marking scheme and duration for Paper 1 and Paper 2:
| Marking in the Exam |
UGC NET Total Marks |
Number of Questions |
Duration |
| Paper-I |
100 |
50 |
3 Hours (180 minutes) Without any break. (Shift 1: 9.00 AM – 12.00 PM; Shift 2: 3.00 PM – 6.00 PM) |
| Paper-II |
200 |
100 |
|
| Total |
300 |
150 |
Start your UGC NET 2024 Exam Preparation with Eduncle’s expert-quality content. You can download the sample study material free from the following table.
| Download Free UGC NET Material for All Subjects [Trusted & Recommended by 4600+ Selected Students] |
UGC NET Marking Scheme 2024
According to the UGC NET 2024 Marking Scheme: -
For each correct Answer, you will get 2 marks in both Paper I & II.
There is no negative marking in UGC NET for incorrect answer. Therefore, you are advised to attempt all the UGC NET Previous Year Question Paper.
No marks will be given for questions ‘Unanswered/Marked for Review’.
All the questions are compulsory.
If a question is found to be incorrect/ambiguous during the key challenge, only those candidates who have attempted the question and chosen one of the correct answers will be given the credit.
Only for dropped question(s), if any, marks will be given to all the candidates.
| UGC NET Negative Marking |
Making Process |
| Each Incorrect Answer |
0 marks deducted |
| One Correct Answer |
2 marks added |
| No Answer |
0 marks deducted |
| Wrong Question |
Marks will be given to all aspirants |
Note – The above-mentioned details for UGC NET Exam Pattern 2024 is based on the latest notification released by the National Testing Agency.
UGC NET Syllabus 2024
After checking the complete UGC NET Exam Pattern, you should also know the updated Syllabus.
it will help you to know the important topics and sub-topics that can be asked in the exam. If you are preparing for the 2024 exam, you should check the Complete UGC NET Syllabus.
Download UGC NET Syllabus 2024 PDF
UGC NET Exam Pattern Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we have mentioned some common questions that are generally asked by the aspirants who are preparing for the exam. Check them below -
Question - What is the pattern of UGC NET 2024??
Ans. – You can check the NTA UGC NET Paper Pattern for 2024 from here.
Question – What is the duration of the UGC NET Exam?
Ans. – As per the exam pattern, both the papers will be conducted in a single three-hour duration but candidates belonging to the PwD category have an extra time of 20 minutes for Paper-I and 40 minutes for Paper II in case the aspirant is availing the facility of the scribe.
Question – Is there any negative marking in the UGC NET exam?
Ans. – No, there is no negative marking in both Paper-I and Paper-II. We would recommend you attempt all the questions in the National Eligibility Test.
Question – What is the mode of UGC NET examination in 2024, is it online or offline?
Ans. – The UGC NET December 2024 Exam will be conducted in online mode (Computer Based Test) only.
Question - How many questions will be asked in UGC NET Paper 1 & 2?
Ans. – There will be a total of 50 questions for 100 marks in the Paper- I and 100 questions for 200 marks in the Paper- II.
Question - How many times is the UGC NET exam held in a year?
Ans. – Every year, UGC NET Exam is conducted 2 times, in June & December.
Question - Does the UGC NET Exam Pattern change every year?
Ans. – No, Exam Pattern doesn’t change yearly.
We hope the above information will help you in understanding the UGC NET Exam Pattern 2024 in a better way. If you have any queries about the Paper Pattern, you can share them with us through the comment box below.
You can also join India’s No.1 Learning Community for UGC NET, where you will get doubt solutions for all your exam-related queries with the help of experts from all over India. To join the community, you can download the Eduncle app now.
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