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National Eligibility Test for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). The December 2026 cycle is live: official NTA notification bulletin, complete 10-unit Paper 1 syllabus, Computer Science & Applications (Code 87), exam pattern, eligibility & CBT mock tests.
NTA conducts UGC NET for JRF awards and Assistant Professor eligibility across India. Computer Based Test (CBT) mode with 150 questions (300 marks) in a single continuous 3-hour session with zero negative marking.
Total Questions
150 (Paper 1 + 2)
Total Marks
300 Marks
Exam Duration
3 Hours (180 Mins)
Negative Marking
0 (Zero Penalty)
At a glance
The National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is conducted biannually by the National Testing Agency to determine eligibility for Indian nationals for Assistant Professorship and Junior Research Fellowship.
Current cycle
Official Information Bulletin released by the National Testing Agency. Review all vital details, download the authentic brochure, and check verified exam timelines.
NTA conducts the test across 83 subjects for three categories: 1. Award of JRF and appointment as Assistant Professor, 2. Appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D., 3. Admission to Ph.D. only.
Structure & Scoring
The test consists of two papers conducted consecutively in a single 3-hour computer-based testing session.
| Paper | Subject & Focus | Questions | Marks | Marking Rule | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Paper on Teaching & Research AptitudeCompulsory for all candidates | 50 Qs | 100 Marks | +2 / 0 (Zero Penalty) | Combined 3 Hours (180 mins) continuous without any break |
| Paper 2 | Domain Subject (e.g. Computer Science & Applications - Code 87)Subject chosen by candidate | 100 Qs | 200 Marks | +2 / 0 (Zero Penalty) | Combined 3 Hours (180 mins) continuous without any break |
General Aptitude
Compulsory for all candidates across all 83 subjects. 10 units designed to assess teaching ability, research capability, reasoning, comprehension, and general awareness.
Teaching concepts, objectives, levels of teaching (memory, understanding, reflective), learner characteristics, factors affecting teaching, methods of teaching in higher education institutions, teaching support systems, evaluation systems.
Research meaning, types and characteristics, positivism and post-positivistic approach to research, methods of research (experimental, descriptive, historical, qualitative and quantitative), steps of research, thesis and article writing, application of ICT in research, research ethics.
Passage of text given from which questions are asked to evaluate analytical, inferential and factual comprehension abilities.
Communication meaning, types and characteristics, effective communication (verbal, non-verbal, intercultural, group communication, classroom communication), barriers to effective communication, mass-media and society.
Types of reasoning, number series, letter series, codes and relationships, mathematical aptitude (fraction, time & distance, ratio, proportion, percentage, profit & loss, interest and discounting, averages).
Understanding structure of arguments, categorical propositions, moods and figures, formal and informal fallacies, Venn diagram, Indian Logic: Means of knowledge (Pramanas - Pratyaksha, Anumana, Upamana, Shabda, Arthapatti, Anupalabdhi).
Sources, acquisition and classification of data, quantitative and qualitative data, graphical representation (bar-chart, histograms, pie-chart, table-chart, line-chart) and mapping of data, data and governance.
ICT general abbreviations and terminology, basics of internet, intranet, e-mail, audio and video-conferencing, digital initiatives in higher education, ICT and governance.
Development and environment, Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals, human and environment interaction, environmental issues (air, water, soil, noise pollution, climate change), international agreements (Paris Agreement, ISA).
Institutions of higher learning and education in ancient India, evolution of higher learning and research in post-independence India, oriental, conventional and non-conventional learning programmes, professional, technical and skill-based education, value education and environmental education, policies, governance and administration.
Domain Specialization
10 specialized modules testing in-depth computer science concepts with 100 objective multiple-choice questions (200 marks).
Mathematical logic, sets, relations, functions, group theory, graph theory, combinatorics, linear programming, simplex method, duality.
Digital logic circuits, data representation, register transfer and microoperations, basic computer organization and design, central processing unit, pipeline and vector processing, memory hierarchy, I/O organization.
Language design issues, OOP concepts (C++, Java), Web programming (HTML, XML, JavaScript), 2D and 3D transformations, viewing pipeline, clipping algorithms, projection, hidden surface removal.
Database system concepts and architecture, data modeling (ER model), relational model, relational algebra, SQL, normalization (1NF to 5NF), transaction processing, concurrency control, NoSQL & Big Data concepts.
Assemblers, linkers, loaders, OS functions, processes, threads, CPU scheduling, synchronization, deadlocks, memory management, virtual memory, file systems, disk scheduling, protection and security.
Software process models (Waterfall, Agile, Scrum), requirements engineering, software design, testing techniques (black-box, white-box), metrics, software quality assurance, maintenance and reverse engineering.
Network models (OSI, TCP/IP), physical layer, data link layer (framing, error control, MAC), network layer (IPv4/IPv6, routing protocols), transport layer (TCP/UDP, congestion control), application layer (DNS, HTTP, SMTP), network security (cryptography, firewalls).
Regular languages and finite automata, context-free languages and pushdown automata, Turing machines, decidability, compiler phases (lexical analysis, parsing, semantic analysis, intermediate code generation, optimization, code generation).
Arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting and searching algorithms, algorithm design techniques (divide-and-conquer, greedy, dynamic programming), complexity theory (P, NP, NP-Complete).
Search algorithms (BFS, DFS, A*, heuristic search), knowledge representation, propositional and predicate logic, fuzzy logic, machine learning fundamentals, neural networks, genetic algorithms, natural language processing.
Qualifications & Limits
Official qualifying percentage requirements, category relaxations, and upper age limits as mandated by UGC and NTA.
Qualifying Degree
Master's Degree OR a 4-Year Bachelor's Degree (Honours/Research/B.Tech — eligible for JRF & Ph.D. admission) from universities/institutions recognized by UGC.
Minimum Percentage (Master's Degree)
At least 55% marks for General/Unreserved/EWS candidates, and 50% marks for OBC (NCL) / SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender candidates (without rounding off).
Minimum Percentage (4-Year Bachelor's Degree)
At least 75% marks in aggregate (or equivalent grade) for General (Unreserved) category, and 70% marks (5% relaxation) for SC / ST / OBC (NCL) / PwD / EWS categories as per UGC norms.
Candidates Awaiting Results
Candidates in the final year or awaiting results can apply provisionally. They must complete their degree with the required percentage within the stipulated UGC timeframe.
Age Limit for JRF
Not more than 30 years as on the 1st day of the month in which the examination concludes. Up to 5 years relaxation for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD/Third Gender/Women applicants.
Age Limit for Assistant Professor & Ph.D.
No upper age limit for applying for Assistant Professor eligibility (Category 2) and Admission to Ph.D. only (Category 3).
Get full access to UGC NET Paper 1 & Paper 2 Computer Science mock tests, solved previous year papers, and PDF study library alongside 15+ other technical officer examinations.
Timed full-length mock tests strictly calibrated to NTA 3-hour format with detailed performance analytics.
Unit-wise solved PYQs with in-depth conceptual explanations for Paper 1 and Paper 2 CS.
Downloadable revision cheat sheets, formula sheets, and key concept notes for last-mile revision.
Also unlock SEBI Grade A, IBPS SO IT, RBI Grade B, and NICL AO with zero extra fees.
Attempt tests multiple times to refine your pace, timing per question, and eliminate weak areas.
Dedicated educator assistance for complex Computer Science and Paper 1 questions.
Exam Readiness
Experience full-length CBT interface simulations matching NTA's exact exam software layout, question palette, and timers.
Our educator team is currently finalizing verified NTA-calibrated Paper 1 & Paper 2 (Computer Science) mock papers. You can start practicing general aptitude tests or get immediate access with TVK+ Pass.
Got Questions?
Clear answers to common queries regarding NTA UGC NET eligibility, negative marking, subject syllabus, and exam pattern.
No. There is zero negative marking in the UGC NET exam. For every correct answer, 2 marks are awarded (+2). Unanswered or incorrect questions carry 0 marks.
Yes! The Victory Key provides comprehensive CBT mock tests, previous year solved question papers, and high-yield notes for General Paper 1 as well as specialized Paper 2 (Computer Science & Applications).
Category 1 qualifies candidates for both JRF scholarship and eligibility for Assistant Professor. Category 2 qualifies for Assistant Professor appointment and Ph.D. admission. Category 3 qualifies candidates solely for Ph.D. admissions as per UGC guidelines.
You can read the detailed breakdown on our verified notification hub at https://thevictorykey.com/notifications/national-testing-agency-nta-ugc-net-december-2026-examination-2026 and download the official NTA PDF directly.
The TVK+ All-Access Pass unlocks unlimited access to all UGC NET mock tests, topic-wise practice sets, PDF vault study notes, and all other exams hosted on The Victory Key for a full 12 months at ₹0 extra fees.
Our CBT interface replicates the exact NTA examination environment with identical 3-hour continuous timers, question palette navigation, instant score calculation, accuracy analysis, and comprehensive step-by-step solutions for every question.