The NTA officially confirmed the shift to CBT mode during the announcement of the re-examination, highlighting the change from the earlier offline mode.
In an official notice, the NTA stated, “The UGC NET June 2024 Cycle examination was previously conducted in Pen & Paper (offline) mode. However, it will now be held in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.” This change marks a return to the more conventional CBT format used by the NTA for UGC NET in previous years.
The examination serves multiple purposes, including qualification for Assistant Professorship, Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), and PhD admissions. Interestingly, the NTA had initially deviated from this convention earlier this year by scheduling the June exam in a pen-and-paper format for a single day.
Despite the initial announcement that the exam was successfully conducted for 9.08 lakh candidates on June 18, the Ministry of Education later revealed concerns about the integrity of the test. The next day, the ministry canceled the exam after reports surfaced about a potential compromise, with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan confirming that a question paper had been leaked on the darknet. In the aftermath of the UGC NET cancellation, the NTA also postponed the joint CSIR-UGC NET exam, citing logistical challenges and unavoidable circumstances. The NTA has since released new dates for the CSIR NET exam.
UGC NET June 2024 Re-examination to be held in online CBT Mode: Check detailed exam pattern
The UGC NET exam pattern for 2024, as prescribed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), comprises two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Both papers are objective-type, featuring multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and must be completed within a total duration of three hours. Paper 1 includes 50 questions, while Paper 2 consists of 100 questions, amounting to a total of 150 questions. Notably, there is no negative marking in the UGC NET exam, with candidates receiving marks only for correct answers.
The UGC NET 2024 exam will be conducted online in CBT mode, with question papers available in both English and Hindi. The latest exam pattern for Paper 1 and Paper 2 is detailed in the table below:
| UGC NET Paper |
Number of Questions |
Total Marks |
| Paper 1 | 50 | 100 |
| Paper 2 | 100 | 200 |
| Total |
150 |
300 |
Candidates have three hours (180 minutes) to complete both papers, without any breaks. All questions are compulsory, and the medium of the question paper must be selected carefully during the application process, as it is available only in English and Hindi. Each question is worth two marks, with no deductions for incorrect responses.
Paper 1 is designed to assess a candidate’s teaching and research aptitude, with questions focusing on reasoning ability, comprehension, divergent thinking, and general awareness. The detailed section-wise breakdown of Paper 1 is as follows:
| UGC NET Paper 1 Sections |
Number of Questions |
Total Marks |
| Teaching Aptitude | 5 | 10 |
| Research Aptitude | 5 | 10 |
| Reading Comprehension | 5 | 10 |
| Communication | 5 | 10 |
| Reasoning (including Mathematics) | 5 | 10 |
| Logical Reasoning | 5 | 10 |
| Data Interpretation | 5 | 10 |
| Information & Communication Technology (ICT) | 5 | 10 |
| People & Environment | 5 | 10 |
| Higher Education System: Governance, Polity & Administration | 5 | 10 |
| Total | 50 | 100 |
With a little more than a week until the exams begin, candidates should begin their revision by thoroughly understanding the UGC NET exam pattern and syllabus. This will allow them to strategise more effectively and increase their chances of success during the upcoming re-examination.
