New Delhi: Revised dates for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET), which was originally scheduled for 15 January 2025, have been released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Instead, as a result of the exams being moved, these postponed exams will be held on 21 and 27 January 2025, effectively turning the daylong exams into two-day exams.
As per the new schedule, exams on January 21 will be held in a single shift between 9 AM and 12 PM. The Indian Knowledge System, Malayalam, Urdu, Criminology, and Folk Literature are the subjects to be tested on this day. Later, on 27 January, examinations will be held in the afternoon slot between 3 PM and 6 PM for Sanskrit, Mass Communication and Journalism, Japanese, Electronic Science, Law, and Nepali.
Festivals like Pongal and Makar Sankranti had driven the NTA to first postpone the 15 January exams. According to official notice, “The National Testing Agency (NTA) has put off the UGC NET December 2025 exam, scheduled for 15 January 2025,” it said. “The new exam date will be announced later,” they said. This postponement did not impact the examinations scheduled for 16 January, which will go on as initially scheduled.
Initially, the UGC NET 2024 examination, which started on 3 January, was supposed to end on 16 January. But with 15 January exams now to be rescheduled, the last day of sitting will be 27 January. The rescheduled examinations admit cards will be issued by the NTA soon.
The UGC NET is a two-yearly test held in June and December as a qualifying exam for applicants seeking to achieve assistant professorship and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) positions in Indian universities and colleges. Whereas for JRF candidates, the UGC NET certificate remains valid for the period of three years, and lifetime validity is for the assistant professor/lecturer candidates.
Candidates are, therefore, advised to visit the official NTA website constantly for any latest announcements or changes in the exam dates as the new dates come closer.