📅 Published on: 05.12.2025
Preparing for the UGC NET exam becomes far easier when you use the right strategy, the right study material, and most importantly, the UGC NET previous year question paper. For every serious aspirant, previous papers act as a blueprint that reveals the exam pattern, difficulty level, and the type of questions asked each year. If you want to qualify NET or secure JRF, solving UGC NET previous year question paper consistently is one of the smartest and most result-oriented steps you can take.
UGC NET Exam Previous Year Question Paper
The UGC NET exam is one of the toughest national-level competitive exams, but it becomes much more predictable once you start analysing the UGC NET previous year question paper. These papers show the structure, trend, and weightage distribution of the real exam. Practising them not only boosts confidence but also helps candidates recognise repeated concepts and high-weightage chapters.
Candidates who solve at least 10–12 sets of UGC NET previous year question paper generally perform better because they understand the examiner’s mindset, common traps, and time-management challenges. No matter which subject you are preparing for, previous papers act as your most reliable mentor.
Exam Pattern of UGC NET EXAM 2026
Before you begin practising the UGC NET previous year question paper, you must understand the complete exam structure:
Paper 1 – General Aptitude (Common for All)
- 50 Questions
- 100 Marks
- Testing areas: Teaching aptitude, research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, DI, ICT, environment, communication, higher education, etc.
Paper 2 – Subject-Specific
- 100 Questions
- 200 Marks
- Testing depth of understanding, conceptual clarity, and application skills in the chosen subject.
Important Points:
- No negative marking
- Conducted in CBT mode
- Total duration: 3 hours (without break)
- Both papers are compulsory
Understanding this pattern helps you approach every UGC NET previous year question paper with the right strategy and time allocation.
Download Table – All Subject PDFs
Here is a clean and simple download table for UGC NET previous year question paper across major subjects. You can replace links later with your own website links if needed.
| Subject | Paper-1 PDF | Paper-2 PDF |
|---|---|---|
| General Paper 1 | Download | – |
| English | Download | Download |
| Hindi | Download | Download |
| Commerce | Download | Download |
| Economics | Download | Download |
| Education | Download | Download |
| History | Download | Download |
| Geography | Download | Download |
| Political Science | Download | Download |
| Sociology | Download | Download |
| Psychology | Download | Download |
| Management | Download | Download |
| Computer Science | Download | Download |
| Environmental Science | Download | Download |
| Law | Download | Download |
UGC NET Exam Cut-Off (All Major Subjects) – Category Wise
Commerce
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 210 | 188 |
| OBC | 198 | 176 |
| EWS | 196 | 174 |
| SC | 182 | 160 |
| ST | 170 | 150 |
English
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 186 | 164 |
| OBC | 174 | 158 |
| EWS | 172 | 156 |
| SC | 160 | 148 |
| ST | 154 | 142 |
Hindi
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 192 | 170 |
| OBC | 182 | 160 |
| EWS | 180 | 158 |
| SC | 166 | 148 |
| ST | 158 | 142 |
Education
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 200 | 178 |
| OBC | 188 | 168 |
| EWS | 186 | 166 |
| SC | 174 | 154 |
| ST | 164 | 144 |
Economics
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 198 | 170 |
| OBC | 186 | 160 |
| EWS | 184 | 158 |
| SC | 168 | 150 |
| ST | 160 | 144 |
Political Science
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 222 | 196 |
| OBC | 210 | 182 |
| EWS | 208 | 180 |
| SC | 192 | 160 |
| ST | 182 | 152 |
History
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 178 | 158 |
| OBC | 168 | 150 |
| EWS | 166 | 148 |
| SC | 154 | 140 |
| ST | 148 | 136 |
Sociology
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 216 | 188 |
| OBC | 204 | 176 |
| EWS | 202 | 174 |
| SC | 188 | 160 |
| ST | 176 | 152 |
Geography
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 192 | 170 |
| OBC | 182 | 160 |
| EWS | 180 | 158 |
| SC | 166 | 150 |
| ST | 160 | 144 |
Management
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 206 | 182 |
| OBC | 194 | 170 |
| EWS | 192 | 168 |
| SC | 176 | 156 |
| ST | 168 | 146 |
Computer Science
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 212 | 188 |
| OBC | 198 | 176 |
| EWS | 196 | 174 |
| SC | 180 | 158 |
| ST | 170 | 150 |
Law
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 218 | 190 |
| OBC | 206 | 178 |
| EWS | 204 | 176 |
| SC | 188 | 160 |
| ST | 176 | 150 |
Psychology
| Category | JRF | Assistant Professor |
|---|---|---|
| General | 210 | 184 |
| OBC | 198 | 170 |
| EWS | 196 | 168 |
| SC | 180 | 156 |
| ST | 170 | 148 |
Expert Preparation Tips Using UGC NET Previous Year Question Paper
1. Start Your Preparation with Previous Papers First
- Begin with 2–3 UGC NET previous year question paper sets before diving into the full syllabus.
- Identify:
- Repeating topics that are frequently asked.
- Question patterns and formats.
- Expected difficulty level for both Paper-1 and Paper-2.
- Helps you understand where to focus more and prevents studying irrelevant topics.
2. Build Concepts, Then Practice Daily
- First, complete the basic theory and fundamentals from standard books.
- Solve 2–3 previous papers every week to strengthen application skills.
- Frequent practice of UGC NET previous year question paper improves:
- Accuracy
- Speed
- Question familiarity
3. Fix Weak Areas Using Paper Analysis
- Make a list of mistakes after every paper you solve.
- Go back to those specific chapters and relearn concepts.
- Re-attempt the same wrong questions after one week to check improvement.
4. Solve Papers in Realistic Conditions
- Set a 3-hour timer just like the actual exam.
- Sit in a quiet environment without distractions.
- Avoid taking breaks to build mental stamina and focus endurance.
5. Evaluate Using Official Answer Keys
- Never assume your answer is correct—cross-check with the official NTA key.
- This ensures:
- Correct assessment of your performance.
- Clear understanding of NTA’s marking accuracy.
- The most reliable method to evaluate a UGC NET previous year question paper.
6. Make Short Notes of Repeated Topics
- Track topics asked repeatedly over 10–12 years.
- Prepare a notebook containing:
- Frequently repeated MCQs
- Important units that appear every cycle
- Tricky concepts that many candidates often get wrong
- Helps during quick revisions before exams.
7. Take Mock Tests After Solving Previous Papers
- Use UGC NET previous year question paper to learn concepts and patterns.
- Use mock tests to test your final readiness.
- This creates a strong preparation loop:
Learn → Practice → Test → Improve
8. For Paper-1, Daily Practice is Essential
- Paper-1 includes:
- Reasoning
- Mathematics
- Data Interpretation
- ICT
- Environment
- Higher Education
- These topics require regular revision, not just one-time study.
- Strong Paper-1 performance greatly boosts your total score and rank.
9. Don’t Ignore Revision
- Set every Sunday as revision day.
- Re-solve at least one UGC NET previous year question paper weekly.
- Revision helps convert short-term learning into long-term memory.
10. Aim 10–15% Above the Cut-Off
- Targeting slightly higher ensures:
- Safety even if the exam is tougher than expected.
- A comfortable margin above the qualifying score.
- Helps in securing JRF and not just qualifying NET.
FAQs on UGC NET Previous Year Question Paper
You should solve at least 10–12 years of previous papers to understand trends, difficulty levels, and repeated topics. The more papers you practice, the better your accuracy and speed become. Solving extra papers also familiarizes you with every possible question pattern.
Previous year papers are extremely important, but they alone are not sufficient. You must combine them with conceptual understanding, quality study material, and regular revision. Using both theory and practice together increases your chances of clearing NET or even securing JRF.
You can download all official UGC NET previous year question papers from the NTA UGC NET website. They are also provided by many coaching websites, exam portals, and educational platforms. Always prefer official sources for accuracy and authenticity.
Exact questions rarely repeat, but the concepts, formats, and question styles are often repeated. This makes previous papers extremely valuable for preparation. Understanding these patterns helps you predict what may appear in the next exam.
Yes, practicing both papers is essential because each contributes to your total score. Paper-1 especially can significantly boost your rank if you score well. Working on both papers improves balance, confidence, and overall exam performance.
Conclusion
The smartest and most effective way to prepare for UGC NET is to integrate UGC NET previous year question paper into your daily study plan. These papers reveal everything — exam pattern, difficulty level, repeated topics, and the exact nature of questions. Whether you are preparing for Commerce, English, Computer Science, Political Science, Sociology, or any of the 80+ subjects, solving past papers gives you an unbeatable advantage. Combine this with smart revision, mock tests, and cut-off analysis, and your chances of qualifying increase dramatically.
