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    How many students apply for UGC NET every year?

    How many students apply for UGC NET every year?

    Meghana Mohana KrishnanUpdated on 11 Jun 2026, 11:58 AM IST

    National Testing Agency conducts the UGC NET exam 2024 twice every year. The UGC NET exam is an eligibility test to become assistant professors in Indian universities and Junior research fellowships (JRF). The UGC NET exam has a huge competition across India with lakhs of candidates applying every year.

    How many students apply for UGC NET every year?
    How many students apply for UGC NET every year?

    The UGC NET 2024 exam has a large applicant pool. Around 8- 12 lakh candidates apply for the UGC NET exam. The number is increasing with each year. However, the number of candidates appearing for the NET exam 2024 is a little less.

    UGC NET Statistics

    The below table shows rough numbers about the registered UGC NET candidates versus the number of candidates who actually appear for the June exam.

    UGC NET Statistics of candidates appeared in the exam

    Year

    Number of applicants

    Number of candidates appeared

    Number of qualified candidates

    June 2024

    11,21,225

    9,08,580

    TBA

    Dec 2023

    945872

    695928

    53762

    June 2023

    639069

    462144

    32304

    Dec 2022

    834537

    546679

    39070

    Dec 2021 + June 2022 (Merged Cycle)

    1266509

    671288

    43729

    June 2020

    860976

    526707

    40986

    For the 2024 UGC NET exam, around 11,21,225 candidates registered for the exam. Out of which, 9,45,918 candidates actually appeared for the exam. Out of the UGC NET qualified candidates, only a small percentage of candidates qualify the exam.

    The number of candidates who qualify for the UGC NET exam and become assistant professors are even less in number. Candidates have to meet the UGC NET cut off 2024 in order to qualify the exam. In the end, around 10-15 % of those qualified candidates usually take up roles for JRF and assistant professors.

    Some of the main reasons due to which the candidates don't appear for the examination could be due to insufficient preparation, reaching late to the UGC NET 2024 exam centre, or a change of mind.

    Getting an Assistant professor job through a UGC NET certificate is a stepping stone for those who want to teach. The jobs are limited and considered to have a large competition. The candidates who take up JRF positions also receive a great deal of funding to pursue their PhD after qualifying the NET 2024 exam.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: What is the salary of a UGC NET qualified lecturer?
    A:

    There isn't a fixed salary after clearing the UGC NET 2024 as it completely depends on the job type, experience, and location. Candidates may expect the NET salary of Rs 30,000 - Rs 60,000 for the assistant professor role.

    Q: How many people get JRF every year?
    A:

    A very small percentage of candidates get the UGC NET JRF qualification every year. Only 30% of the UGC NET qualified candidates get JRF every year which is around 10,000 - 20, 000 candidates.

    Q: Is 3 months enough for UGC NET?
    A:

    For someone who is new to the UGC NET 2024 subjects, 3 months could be a tough time frame to crack the exam. However, with focussed work and dedication, it is definitely enough.

    Q: Is UGC NET very hard?
    A:

    The difficulty level of the NET exam depends on the preparation of the candidate.Candidates can enhance their preparation level by solving as many sample papers and UGC NET 2024 mock tests as possible.

    Q: What is the success rate of the UGC NET exam?
    A:

    The UGC NET success rate is the number of candidates qualifying the exam as per the cut off. The success rate is around 6-10 %.

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    Questions related to UGC NET

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to UGC NET ?

    Hello there,

    It is important to carry all the documents that you have been told to bring on your exam day. Every piece of document in the exam hall matters. NTA guidelines on national level exams states that a candidate must have 2 passport size photographs that is there on

    Hello aspirant,

    Solving previous year question papers immensely helps you in enhancing your preparation for a competitive exam like NET UGC. It gives you the idea of exam pattern, level of questions asked in exam etc.

    To get the UGC NET last year question papers, you can visit our website

    Hello there,

    If you have mistakenly clicked on the wrong gender, you need not to be worried. The NTA (National Testing Agency) conducts UGC-NET Exam twice a year- June and December cycle and always open a correction window for those candidates who have filled any of their details incorrectly. This

    Hello,

    Yes, candidate who has completed their Master's from IGNOU can apply for UGC-NET. The eligibility criteria of appearing in UGC-NET Exam is to score an equivalent or more than 55% in their Master's CGPA.

    UGC-NET Exam happens twice a year. The June cycle has been re-scheduled. The second cycle

    Hello Aspirant,

    As per the guidelines issued by UGC NET, a candidate enrolled in a Master's program, whether in the 1st semester or the last, is eligible to sit for the UGC NET exam of the subject in which they are doing masters in. Please don't let people misguide you,