UGC NET / JRF

Your complete guide for the UGC NET exam.
Access the detailed syllabus, material, exam pattern, and preparation strategy.

Instructor Vijayakumar P

Vijayakumar P

B.Tech, MBA, UGC-JRF, NET(4), SET(4)

Exam Pattern

The UGC NET exam consists of two papers with a total duration of 3 hours without any break.

Paper 1 (General)

50 Qns

100 Marks

Tests teaching and research aptitude.

Paper 2 (Subject)

100 Qns

200 Marks

Subject-specific questions.

Qualifying Rules & Criteria

1 Minimum Qualifying Marks

Aggregate percentage in both papers combined to be eligible for the merit list.

40% for General / Unreserved Category.

35% for Reserved Categories (OBC, SC, ST, PwD).

2 Merit List & Cut-off

Final selection is based on a subject-wise and category-wise merit list.

Top 6% of candidates (who clear Step 1) qualify for Assistant Professor (NET).

JRF is awarded to the highest-ranking candidates from the NET qualified list, based on available slots of subjects.

Detailed Syllabus

Refer the syllabus at official UGC NET website.

Paper 1 (Common for All)

General paper (Teaching and Research Aptitude)

Unit I: Teaching Aptitude

  • Teaching: Concept, Objectives, Levels, Characteristics
  • Learner's Characteristics
  • Factors affecting teaching
  • Methods of teaching
  • Teaching Support System
  • Evaluation Systems

Unit II: Research Aptitude

  • Research: Meaning, Types, Characteristics
  • Methods of Research
  • Steps of Research
  • Thesis & Article writing
  • Application of ICT in research
  • Research ethics

Unit III: Comprehension

  • A passage of text will be given and questions will be asked from the passage to be answered.

Unit IV: Communication

  • Communication: Meaning, types, characteristics
  • Effective communication
  • Barriers to effective communication
  • Mass-Media and Society

Unit V: Mathematical Reasoning

  • Types of reasoning
  • Number series, Letter series, Codes
  • Mathematical Aptitude

Unit VI: Logical Reasoning

  • Structure of arguments
  • Deductive and inductive reasoning
  • Analogies & Venn diagram
  • Indian Logic: Pramanas
  • Anumana (inference)

Unit VII: Data Interpretation

  • Sources and classification of Data
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Data
  • Graphical representation
  • Data Interpretation & Governance

Unit VIII: ICT

  • ICT: General abbreviations
  • Basics of Internet, E-mail, etc.
  • Digital initiatives in higher education
  • ICT and Governance

Unit IX: People & Environment

  • Development and environment
  • Human and environment interaction
  • Environmental issues
  • Natural and energy resources
  • Natural hazards and disasters
  • Environmental Protection Act

Unit X: Higher Education System

  • Institutions in ancient India
  • Evolution post-independence
  • Learning programmes in India
  • Professional, Technical & Skill Based education
  • Value and environmental education
  • Policies, Governance, & Administration

Paper 2 (Select Your Subject)

Management (Code 17)

Unit I: Management & Managerial Economics

  • Management Functions & Communication
  • Organisation Structure & Design
  • Managerial Economics & Demand Analysis
  • Market Structures & National Income
  • Business Ethics & CSR

Unit II: Organisational Behaviour

  • Individual & Group Behaviour
  • Leadership & Team Building
  • Interpersonal Behaviour & Transactional Analysis
  • Organizational Culture, Climate & Change
  • Stress Management & Workforce Diversity

Unit III: Human Resource Management

  • HRM Concepts & Functions
  • Performance Management & Appraisal
  • Talent Management & Skill Development
  • Industrial Relations & Grievance Management
  • International HRM & Green HRM

Unit IV: Accounting & Financial Management

  • Accounting Principles & Standards
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Costing & Variance Analysis
  • Capital Structure & Cost of Capital
  • Budgeting & Leverages

Unit V: Capital Management & Derivatives

  • Valuation of Bonds & Shares
  • Capital Budgeting & Risk Analysis
  • Dividend Theories
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Derivatives & Working Capital Management

Unit VI: Strategic & Marketing Management

  • Strategic Management Process
  • Strategic Analysis (PEST, Porter's, SWOT)
  • Strategy Formulation & Implementation
  • Marketing Concepts & Segmentation
  • Product, Pricing, Place & Promotion Decisions

Unit VII: Consumer Behaviour & SCM

  • Consumer and Industrial Buying Behaviour
  • Brand Management & Brand Equity
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Service & Retail Marketing
  • Digital & International Marketing

Unit VIII: Statistics & Operations Management

  • Statistics for Management
  • Sampling & Hypothesis Testing
  • Correlation and Regression Analysis
  • Quality Management (TQM, Six Sigma)
  • Operation Research (PERT/CPM)

Unit IX: International Business & IT

  • Theories of International Trade
  • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
  • WTO & EXIM Policies
  • Use of Computers in Management (MIS, DSS)
  • Artificial Intelligence and Big Data

Unit X: Entrepreneurship Development

  • Entrepreneurship Concepts & Theories
  • Intrapreneurship & Women Entrepreneurship
  • Innovations in Business
  • Business Plan & Feasibility Analysis
  • Micro and Small Scale Industries in India
Commerce (Code 08)

Unit I: Business Environment & International Business

  • Concepts and elements of business environment
  • Theories of international trade
  • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) & Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI)
  • Balance of Payments (BOP)
  • WTO, IMF, World Bank

Unit II: Accounting and Auditing

  • Basic accounting principles
  • Corporate Accounting & Partnership Accounts
  • Cost and Management Accounting
  • Financial Statements Analysis
  • Auditing & Recent Trends

Unit III: Business Economics

  • Meaning & scope of business economics
  • Demand analysis & Consumer behavior
  • Law of Variable Proportions
  • Theory of cost
  • Price determination under different market forms

Unit IV: Business Finance

  • Scope and sources of finance
  • Cost of capital and time value of money
  • Capital structure & Capital budgeting decisions
  • Working capital management & Dividend decision
  • International financial markets

Unit V: Business Statistics and Research Methods

  • Measures of central tendency, dispersion, skewness
  • Correlation and regression
  • Probability & Probability distributions
  • Sampling and estimation
  • Hypothesis testing & Report writing

Unit VI: Business Management and HRM

  • Principles and functions of management
  • Organization structure
  • Motivation, leadership, and business ethics
  • Human Resource Management & Planning
  • Compensation management & Performance appraisal

Unit VII: Banking and Financial Institutions

  • Overview of Indian financial system
  • Types of banks & RBI
  • Banking sector reforms in India (Basel norms)
  • Financial markets & Financial Institutions
  • Digitisation of banking & Insurance

Unit VIII: Marketing Management

  • Marketing concepts & Marketing mix
  • Product & Pricing decisions
  • Promotion & Distribution decisions
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Trends in marketing (Social, Online, Green)

Unit IX: Legal Aspects of Business

  • Indian Contract Act, 1872 & Sale of Goods Act, 1930
  • Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
  • The Companies Act, 2013 & LLP
  • Competition Act, IT Act, RTI Act
  • IPRs & Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Unit X: Income-tax and Corporate Tax Planning

  • Income-tax: Basic concepts, Residential status
  • Computation of taxable income
  • International Taxation
  • Corporate Tax Planning
  • Deduction and collection of tax at source (TDS)
Labour Welfare / HRM (Code 55)

Unit I: Principles and Practices of Management

  • Development of management Thought
  • Approaches: Behavioural, Systems, etc.
  • Functions of Management

Unit II: Human Resource Management

  • Conceptual framework of HRM
  • HR Planning, Recruitment, Selection, Training
  • Compensation Management
  • New Trends in HRM

Unit III: Human Resource Development (HRD)

  • HRD Concepts, Mechanisms, Culture
  • HRD Interventions, HR Accounting & Audit
  • International HRM (IHRM)

Unit IV: Organisational Behaviour

  • Personality, Perception, Learning, Attitude
  • Group Dynamics, Leadership, Communication
  • Stress, Organisational Change

Unit V: Industrial Relations

  • Concept, Approaches, Models
  • Collective Bargaining & Workers' Participation
  • Trade Unions: Concept, Evolution, Recognition

Unit VI: Industrial Disputes

  • Factors, Forms, Prevention, Settlement
  • Role of State and Central Labour Administration
  • The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Unit VII: Labour Legislation

  • Objectives, Principles, Evolution
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO)
  • Major Labour Acts (Factories, Mines, etc.)

Unit VIII: Wages

  • Concepts, Types, Theories, Differentials
  • Wage-related Acts (Minimum Wages, Payment of Wages, etc.)
  • Bonus, Gratuity, Provident Fund Acts

Unit IX: Labour Welfare

  • Concept, Scope, Theories, Principles
  • Industrial Health and Hygiene
  • Social Security: Concept and Scope

Unit X: Labour Market

  • Features, Demand and Supply of Labour
  • Nature and Composition of Indian Labour Force
  • Problems of Labour in India

Strategic Preparation Plan

  1. Step 1: Understand the Syllabus & Pattern

    Thoroughly analyze the detailed syllabus and exam pattern to create a structured study plan. Identify high-weightage topics.

  2. Step 2: Build Conceptual Clarity

    Focus on building a strong foundation for both Paper 1 and Paper 2. Use standard textbooks and our e-books for in-depth understanding.

  3. Step 3: Practice & Mock Tests

    Solve previous year question papers and take regular mock tests to improve speed, accuracy, and time management.