CSIR NET December 2026: exam pattern, syllabus, dates and preparation

CSIR NET, formally the Joint CSIR-UGC NET, is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and UGC. It is generally held twice a year, in June and December. This guide is based on the December 2026 Information Bulletin; the June 2027 cycle has not been announced.

TestGuru is not affiliated with NTA, CSIR or UGC. The official site, csirnet.nta.nic.in, is the authority.

When is CSIR NET December 2026?

The exam is on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026, according to the official Information Bulletin. Some news sites have printed other dates; go by the bulletin. There are two shifts each day: 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Applications are open from 7 October to 5 November 2026 (11:50 PM). A late window with a ₹500 fee runs from 6 to 9 November, and corrections from 10 to 12 November. Every date is on the important dates page.

Which subjects does CSIR NET cover?

Subject 703 has been renamed Life Sciences and Bio-Technology. Under a CSIR–DBT arrangement, DBT-JRF fellowships in this subject are now awarded through this exam and administered by DBT.

What is the CSIR NET exam pattern?

Every subject is a single 3-hour, 200-mark computer-based paper of objective MCQs, available in Hindi and English. It has three parts:

• Part A: General Aptitude, common to all subjects.
• Part B: subject MCQs.
• Part C: higher-order questions that test analytical application of the subject.

There are more questions than you can attempt. Each part has a limit, and only your first answers up to that limit are evaluated. The number of questions, the limits and the negative marking differ by subject, so check your subject’s row on the exam pattern page.

Who can apply?

You need a Master’s degree with 55% (General/EWS) or 50% (OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender). Result-awaited candidates can apply provisionally. Graduates of a four-year bachelor’s degree with 75% can apply for JRF and Ph.D. admission, but not Assistant Professor. Only Indian citizens can take the test.

For JRF, you must be 30 or under on 1 December 2026, with up to 5 years’ relaxation. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or Ph.D. admission. Details are on the eligibility page.

What is the CSIR JRF stipend?

₹37,000 a month for the first two years, plus a ₹20,000 a year contingency grant. It can be upgraded to SRF at ₹42,000 a month.

How does qualifying work?

There is no separate cutoff for Parts A, B and C. Merit is based on your total. The minimum benchmark is 33% for General/EWS/OBC and 25% for SC/ST/PwD/PwBD. Actual cutoffs are higher, vary by subject and category, and are set by the results committee. See the cutoff page.

What is the application fee?

How should I prepare?

CSIR NET rewards choosing well as much as knowing well, because you cannot attempt everything and wrong answers cost marks in most parts. The preparation strategy page covers how to plan the weeks to December, and the syllabus page explains where the official syllabus is published.

Does TestGuru have CSIR NET mock tests?

Not yet. CSIR NET mock tests are on the waitlist. When they open, each test will come with a report that names the idea behind every wrong answer and builds a practice set from your own mistakes. See what the CSIR NET mock tests will cover.

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