The UGC NET exam consists of two papers: Paper-1 (General for all subjects) and Paper-2 (subject-specific). You can find the detailed syllabus for all subjects on the NTA website. To effectively prepare for the exam, you can utilize various resources like UGC NET study material, sample papers, mock tests, and previous year question papers with solutions.

Qualifying UGC NET makes you eligible for Assistant Professor posts across India (lifetime validity). If you qualify JRF, you get a monthly fellowship (₹37k–₹42k) for PhD with additional allowances. It also gives you preference in PhD admissions, opportunities in PSUs & research organizations, and academic recognition.

The minimum qualification is a Master’s degree (Post-Graduation) with at least 55% marks (50% for reserved categories) from a recognized university. Final year PG students are also eligible to apply.

For the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the maximum age limit is 30 years. However, candidates belonging to OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), SC, ST, PwD, and all women candidates are given a relaxation of 5 years, making their upper age limit 35 years. Additional relaxations are also available for candidates with research experience, those who have served in the armed forces, or those holding an LLM degree, as per UGC guidelines. On the other hand, for the post of Assistant Professor, there is no upper age limit, which means candidates of any age can apply for this role if they meet the educational eligibility criteria.