The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Eligibility Test (NET) 2026 is a national-level examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to determine eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor positions under prevailing UGC/CSIR rules.
The exam covers five science subjects: Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. It is a computer-based test (CBT) conducted in a single session of 3 hours duration with no breaks, consisting of three parts: Part A, Part B, and Part C. The total maximum marks are 200.
Exam Pattern Overview
The question paper format varies by subject in terms of total questions, the number of questions to attempt, marks per question, and negative marking:
- Chemical Sciences: Part A and B - 2 marks per correct answer, Part C - 4 marks per correct answer, 25% negative marking for each incorrect answer.
- Earth Sciences: Negative marking of 25% in Parts A and B; 33% in Part C.
- Life Sciences: Negative marking of 25% in all three parts.
- Mathematical Sciences: Part A - 2 marks, Part B - 3 marks, Part C - 4.75 marks per correct answer; negative marking applies to Parts A and B only; Part C has no negative marking.
- Physical Sciences: Part B - 3.5 marks, Part C - 5 marks per correct answer.
Subject-Wise Details
Earth Sciences has the highest number of questions (150), whereas Physical Sciences has the fewest (75).
Part A focuses on general aptitude including logical reasoning and numerical ability. Parts B and C cover conceptual and analytical subject knowledge at increasing levels of difficulty and weightage.
NIRF #2 (2025)Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1969View detailsJMINAAC A++
NIRF #4 (2025)Jamia Millia IslamiaNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1920View detailsDUNAAC A+
NIRF #5 (2025)University of DelhiNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1922View details
NAAC A
NIRF #6 (2025)Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1916View details
NAAC A+
NIRF #10 (2025)Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1920View detailsUOHNAAC A++
NIRF #18 (2025)University of HyderabadHyderabad, TelanganaAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1974View detailsBBAUNAAC A
NIRF #37 (2025)Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar UniversityLucknow, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1996View detailsCUPNAAC A
NIRF #77 (2025)Central University of PunjabBathinda, PunjabAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2009View detailsTUNAAC A
NIRF #79 (2025)Tezpur UniversityTezpur, AssamAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1994View detailsMZUNAAC A
NIRF #82 (2025)Mizoram UniversityAizawl, MizoramAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2000View detailsImportance of Understanding the Exam Pattern
- Helps plan effective preparation.
- Improves time management during the exam.
- Enables informed question selection and attempt strategy.
- Allows candidates to manage negative marking impact.
- Facilitates structured, subject-wise preparation.
Understanding these details assists candidates in focusing on important sections and maximizing their score.
Official Information
The CSIR NET 2026 official information bulletin with full syllabus and exam pattern is available on csirnet.nta.nic.in.
