UGC NET and CSIR NET are both National Eligibility Tests run by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and both can lead to a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor eligibility or PhD admission. For most candidates, the choice between them is made by their subject. This guide compares the two using the December 2026 information bulletins. June 2027 cycles had not been announced as of 9 October 2026.
Which one should you take, by subject?
CSIR NET (the Joint CSIR-UGC NET) covers five science subjects:
- Chemical Sciences
- Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
- Life Sciences and Bio-Technology (LS-BT)
- Mathematical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
UGC NET covers 87 subjects in December 2026, across the humanities, social sciences, languages, commerce, management, law, education and more. It also includes some subjects with a science or technical flavour, such as Computer Science and Applications, Electronic Science, Environmental Sciences, Forensic Science and, new for December 2026, Statistics.
So:
- If your master’s is in chemistry, physics, mathematics, life sciences or earth sciences, CSIR NET is usually the exam for your subject.
- If your subject is on the UGC NET list, take UGC NET.
- If your subject could fit either, compare the two syllabi carefully against what you have studied. UGC NET syllabi are at ugcnetonline.in; the CSIR NET syllabus is published by CSIR HRDG.
New in December 2026: under a CSIR–DBT arrangement, DBT-JRF fellowships in Life Sciences and Bio-Technology are now awarded through CSIR NET.
What do JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD-only mean?
Both exams sort qualifying candidates into three categories:
| Category | What it makes you eligible for |
|---|---|
| JRF + Assistant Professor + PhD | A Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as Assistant Professor and PhD admission |
| Assistant Professor + PhD | Appointment as Assistant Professor and PhD admission, without the fellowship |
| PhD only | PhD admission |
JRF is the most competitive category, and it is the one with an age limit.
How do the age limits compare?
| UGC NET | CSIR NET | |
|---|---|---|
| JRF | Not more than 30 years as on 1 December 2026 | Not more than 30 years as on 1 December 2026 |
| Relaxation for JRF | Up to 5 years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, third gender and women; for research experience; for armed-forces service. Total capped at 5 years. LL.M. holders get 3 years | Up to 5 years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, third gender, women, research experience and armed forces. Total capped at 5 years |
| Assistant Professor | No upper age limit | No upper age limit |
| PhD admission | No upper age limit | No upper age limit |
Who is eligible to apply?
The basic rules are the same for both:
- A master’s degree or equivalent with 55% (General/EWS) or 50% (OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and third gender). Final-year students and result-awaited candidates can apply provisionally.
- A 4-year bachelor’s degree with 75% (5% relaxation for reserved categories). If you qualify on this basis, you are eligible for JRF and PhD admission, but not Assistant Professor.
One difference: CSIR NET is open only to bona fide Indian citizens, according to its bulletin.
Our UGC NET eligibility and CSIR NET eligibility pages go into more detail.
How do the exam patterns compare?
| UGC NET | CSIR NET | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3 hours, no break | 3 hours |
| Structure | Paper 1 (50 questions, 100 marks) and Paper 2 (100 questions, 200 marks) | Parts A, B and C |
| Total marks | 300 | 200 |
| Questions | 150, all compulsory | Varies by subject; you answer only a set number in each part |
| Paper 1 / Part A | Teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension and more | General aptitude, common to all subjects |
| Marking | +2 per correct answer | Varies by subject and part |
| Negative marking | None | Yes, in most parts |
CSIR NET marking, by subject (December 2026)
| Subject | Marks per correct (A/B/C) | Negative per wrong (A/B/C) |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Sciences | 2 / 2 / 4 | 0.5 / 0.5 / 1 |
| Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary | 2 / 2 / 4 | 0.5 / 0.5 / 1.32 |
| Life Sciences and Bio-Technology | 2 / 2 / 4 | 0.5 / 0.5 / 1 |
| Mathematical Sciences | 2 / 3 / 4.75 | 0.5 / 0.75 / 0 |
| Physical Sciences | 2 / 3.5 / 5 | 0.5 / 0.875 / 1.25 |
In CSIR NET, answers beyond the attempt limit in a part are ignored; only the first ones up to the limit are evaluated. In Mathematical Sciences Part C, more than one option may be correct, and you get credit only if you mark all the correct ones.
The practical difference: in UGC NET, every question deserves an answer, because a wrong one costs nothing. In CSIR NET, you choose which questions to attempt, and a wrong answer costs a quarter of the marks in most parts. For how to think about guessing when there is a penalty, see our guide to GATE MCQ, MSQ and NAT marking.
How do you qualify?
- UGC NET: you need at least 40% aggregate across both papers (General/EWS) or 35% (OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and third gender) just to be considered. Only 6% of candidates who appeared in both papers qualify for Assistant Professor, split by category and then by subject, so the final cutoffs vary by subject and category.
- CSIR NET: merit is based on total marks, with no separate cutoff for each part. The minimum is 33% for General, EWS and OBC, and 25% for SC, ST and PwD/PwBD. Actual cutoffs are higher and vary by subject and category.
How long are the results valid?
| UGC NET | CSIR NET | |
|---|---|---|
| JRF | 3 years from the date of issue of the JRF award letter | Set by CSIR; check the CSIR HRDG rules |
| Assistant Professor | Check the current UGC NET bulletin | The bulletin states there is “no end period” for the certificate |
| Marks for PhD admission | 1 year from the result | 1 year from the result |
For PhD admission, the UGC NET bulletin says NET marks carry 70% weight and the interview or viva carries 30%.
Key dates for December 2026
| UGC NET | CSIR NET | |
|---|---|---|
| Apply | 8–28 October 2026 | 7 October – 5 November 2026 |
| Late fee window (₹500) | 29–31 October 2026 | 6–9 November 2026 |
| Exam | 14–19 December 2026 | 19, 22 and 27 December 2026 |
| Fee | ₹1,150 General; ₹600 EWS/OBC-NCL; ₹325 SC/ST/PwD/third gender | Same |
See the UGC NET guide and CSIR NET guide for full details.
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