CSIR-NET
Determines eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor/lectureship in science subjects, and is accepted for PhD admission in science departments across India.
Eligibility
MSc or equivalent (BS-MS, BTech, BPharm, MBBS integrated routes included) with at least 55% marks (50% for OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD); final-year students can apply under the result-awaited category. JRF requires the candidate to be no older than 28 on the cutoff date, with standard relaxations; there is no age limit or attempt cap for the lectureship category.
Age limit: JRF: up to 28 years (relaxation up to 5 years for SC/ST/PwD/women and 3 years for OBC-NCL); no age limit for lectureship/Assistant Professor
Exam pattern
Computer-Based Test (CBT) of three hours, single paper of 200 marks in one of five subjects: Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Earth Sciences. Each paper has three parts: Part A (common general aptitude — reasoning, graphs, basic numeracy), Part B (subject multiple-choice questions) and Part C (higher-order analytical questions). Negative marking applies in Parts A and B (and in Part C for most subjects, with subject-specific schemes); the number of questions to attempt is capped part-wise, and extra attempts beyond the cap are not evaluated. Separate cutoffs are declared for JRF and lectureship.
Syllabus at a glance
Part A covers general aptitude common to all streams. The subject paper spans the full BSc-plus-MSc syllabus of the chosen stream — for example, Life Sciences runs from biochemistry and cell biology to ecology and evolution; Chemical Sciences covers organic, inorganic and physical chemistry; Physical Sciences covers classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetics, thermodynamics and electronics; Mathematical Sciences covers analysis, algebra, ODE/PDE, numerical analysis and statistics.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 cycle result (exam was held 17-18 Jul 2026; answer-key challenge closed mid-Aug) | Sep 2026 | expected |
| December 2026 notification | Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 | expected |
| December 2026 application window | Jan - Feb 2027 | expected |
| December 2026 exam | Feb - Mar 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Fundamentals of Life Sciences Vol I & II - Pranav Kumar & Usha Mina (Pathfinder) [Life Sciences]
- Principles of Physical Chemistry - Puri, Sharma & Pathania [Chemical Sciences]
- Organic Chemistry - Clayden, Greeves & Warren [Chemical Sciences]
- Introduction to Electrodynamics / Introduction to Quantum Mechanics - David J. Griffiths [Physical Sciences]
- Principles of Mathematical Analysis - Walter Rudin [Mathematical Sciences]
- CSIR-UGC NET previous years' solved papers for your subject - Arihant/Disha
How toppers play it
- Learn the part-wise attempt caps for your subject and never exceed them — extra attempts are ignored while the wrong ones still risk negative marks.
- Part C carries the highest marks per question and rewards derivation-level understanding; qualifying candidates typically build their score on Part C, not Part B.
- Part A is common and formula-light — 15-20 quick marks from graphs and reasoning; practise it under a strict 30-minute budget.
- Prioritise high-weightage units from previous-paper analysis (e.g. quantum mechanics and mathematical physics in Physical Sciences; molecular biology and methods in Life Sciences).
- Decide early whether your realistic target is the JRF cutoff or the lectureship cutoff (roughly 10 percentage points lower) and calibrate attempt risk accordingly.