2021
Information Bulletin
NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY
Vision
The right candidates joining best institutions will give India her demographic dividend.
Mission
To improve equity and quality in education by administering research based valid, reliable, efficient, transparent, fair and international level assessments. The best subject matter experts, psychometricians and IT delivery and security professionals will ensure that the current gaps in existing assessment systems are properly identified and bridged.
Core Values
NTA will create a system which will promote teaching (by teachers), learning (by students) and assessment (by parents and institutions). NTA strongly believes in quality, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and security of assessments. To practice these values, NTA will constantly engage with its stakeholders, viz. students, parents, teachers, experts and partner institutions.
INDEX
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND DATES AT A GLANCE
(Please refer to Information Bulletin for details)
Dates, Fee Details and Application Procedure:
*As per the OM No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II dated January 17, 2019 issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the OM No. 12-4/2019-U1 dated 17.01.2019 as well as the Letters No 35-2/2019- T.S.I dated 21.01.2019, 01.02.2019, 04.02.2019 and 15.02.2019 of MHRD Department of Higher Education regarding implementation of reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) for admission in Central Educational Institutions.
**OBC (Other Backward Classes)-NCL (Non Creamy Layer) as per the central list of Other Backward Classes available on National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC- Government of India website www.ncbc.nic.in).
The candidates falling in this list may mention OBC in the Category Column.
State list OBC Candidates who are not in OBC-NCL (Central List) must choose General.
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1. Candidate must read carefully the Instructions (including how to fill up Application Form online) given in the Information Bulletin available on the NTA Website. Candidates not complying with the Instructions shall be summarily disqualified.
2. Candidate can apply for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET in “Online” mode only. The Application Form in any other mode will not be accepted.
3. Only one application is to be submitted by a candidate. More than one application i.e. multiple Application Forms submitted by a candidate will not be accepted. 4. Instructions for filling Online Application Form:
❖ Download Information Bulletin and Replica of Application Form. Read these carefully to ensure your eligibility.
❖ Follow the steps given below to Apply Online:
Step-1: Register for Online Registration using your own Email ID and Mobile No. and note down system generated Application Number.
Step-2: Complete the Online Application Form and note down the system generated Application Number.
Step-3: Upload legible scanned images of: (i) a recent photograph (in jpg/ jpeg file, size 10Kb – 200Kb) either in colour or black & white with 80% face (without mask) visible including ears against white background; (ii) candidate’s signature (file size: 4kb - 30kb);
Step-4: Pay fee using the Payment Gateway(s)/Payment Modes of concerned Banks/Paytm integrated to the Online Application and keep proof of fee paid. ❖ All the 4 Steps can be done together or at separate timings.
5. After (successful completion of Step-4, Confirmation Page of the Application Form, should be downloaded and a printout of the same may be retained for future reference. The Confirmation Page of the online Application Form could be generated only after successful payment by the Candidate.
In case the Confirmation Page is not generated after payment of prescribed Fee, then the candidate should approach the concerned Bank/Payment Gateway Integrator (in the helpline number and email given in Annexure- I of the Information Bulletin), for ensuring the successful payment.
Inspite of above, if successful transaction is not reflected on the Portal, the candidate may contact NTA Helpline. If the payment issue is still not resolved, the candidate may pay second time.
However, any duplicate payment received from the candidate by NTA in course of said transactions will be refunded through the same payment mode through which the duplicate payment is received, after fee reconciliation by NTA.
6. Information such as his/ her name, contact details / address, category, PwD status, educational qualification details, date of birth, choice of exam cities, etc provided by the candidate in the online Application Form will be treated as final. Any request for change in such particulars after the closure of correction period will not be considered by NTA.
7. NTA does not edit/modify/alter any information entered by the candidate under any circumstances. Any request for change in information will not be entertained. Therefore, candidates are advised to exercise utmost caution for filling up correct details in the Application Form.
8. Candidates must ensure that their email address and mobile number to be registered in their online Application Form are their own, as relevant/ important information/ communication will be sent by NTA through e-mail on the registered e-mail address and/or through SMS on registered mobile number only. NTA shall not be responsible for any non-communication/ mis-
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communication with a candidate in the email address or mobile number given by him/ her other than his/ her own.
9. NTA disclaims any liability that may cause due to incorrect information provided by the candidate in his/her online Application Form.
10. Candidates are advised to visit the NTA Website and check their e-mails regularly for latest updates.
11. Candidates shall appear in the exam at their own cost at the Examination Centre on the Date / Shift and time indicated on their respective Admit Cards which would be issued by the NTA in due course through its Website.
Note:
i. The final submission of Online Application Form will remain incomplete if Step-3 and step-4 are not complete. Such forms will stand rejected and no correspondence on this account will be entertained.
ii. No request for refund of fee once remitted by the candidate will be entertained by NTA under any circumstances.
iii. The entire application process for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET is online, including uploading of scanned images, payment of fees, and printing of confirmation page, admit card, etc. Therefore, candidates are not required to send/submit any document(s) including confirmation page to NTA through Post/ Fax/WhatsApp/Email/by Hand.
iv. Usage of Data and Information: NTA/Government of India can use the data provided by the End Users (test taker in this case) for internal purpose(s) including training, research and development, analysis and other permissible purpose(s). However, this information is not for use by any third party or private agency for any other use.
Brief Advisory regarding COVID-19 Pandemic:
Candidates are advised to carry only the following with them into the Examination venue:
a) Admit Card along with Self Declaration (Undertaking) downloaded from the NTA Website (a clear printout on A4 size paper) duly filled in.
b) A simple transparent Ball Point Pen.
c) Additional photograph, to be pasted on Attendance Sheet
d) Personal hand sanitizer (50 ml).
e) Personal transparent water bottle.
f) Sugar tablets/fruits (like banana/apple/orange) in case the candidate is diabetic.
Note:
1. In case it is found at any time in future that the Candidate has used / uploaded the photograph and signature of someone else in his/ her Application Form / Admit Card or he/she has tampered his/her Admit Card / result, these acts of the candidate shall be treated as Unfair Means (UFM) Practices on his/her part and he/she shall be proceeded with the actions as contemplated under the provisions of the Information Bulletin relating to Unfair Means Practices.
2. Candidates are NOT allowed to carry Instruments, Geometry or Pencil box, Handbag, Purse, any kind of Paper/ Stationery/ Textual material (printed or written material), Eatables (loose or packed), Mobile Phone/ Earphone/ Microphone/ Pager, Calculator, DocuPen, Slide Rules, Log Tables, Camera, Tape Recorder, Electronic Watches with facilities of calculator, any metallic item or electronic gadgets/ devices in the Examination Hall/Room. Smoking, chewing gutka, spitting etc. in the Examination Room/Hall is strictly prohibited.
3. If any candidate is in possession of any of the above item, his/ her candidature will be treated as unfair means and lead to cancellation of the current Examination & also debar the candidate for future examination(s) & the material will be seized.
4. Corrections sent by the candidate through Post/ Fax/WhatsApp/Email/by Hand will not be entertained by NTA.
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University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test
December 2020 Cycle (May 2021)
Introduction
1. About National Testing Agency (NTA)
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), which is now known as Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India (GOI) has established the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an independent, autonomous, and self-sustained premier testing organization under the Societies Registration Act (1860) for conducting efficient, transparent and international standards tests in order to assess the competency of candidates for admissions to premier higher education institutions.
The NTA has been entrusted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) with the task of conducting UGC-NET, which is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for ‘Assistant Professor’ and ‘Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor’ in Indian universities and colleges.
2. About University Grants Commission (UGC)
The University Grant Commission (UGC), is a Statuary Body of Government of India, Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, constituted under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956), vested with two responsibilities: that of providing funds and that of coordination, determination and maintenance of standards in institutions of higher education. The UGC`s mandate includes:
▪ Promoting and coordinating university education.
▪ Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities.
▪ Framing regulations on minimum standards of education.
▪ Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to the universities and colleges.
▪ Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning.
▪ Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education.
3. University Grants Commission - National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET)
3.1 UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for ‘Assistant Professor’ and ‘Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor’ in Indian universities and colleges.
3.2 The selection of candidates for the following Fellowships of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Minorities Affairs is also made through the UGC-NET:
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• National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC)
• National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC)
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students (MANF)
3.3 Candidates aspiring for the Fellowships listed above, shall also have to apply for the Test.
4. December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET
The December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode in multi shifts as per the time schedule specified in the Information at a glance, in the Subjects given at Annexure -II in selected Cities spread across the Country (Annexure -III).
4.1 Mode of Examination
The Examination shall be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode only. 4.2 Pattern of Examination
The Test will consist of two papers. Both the papers will consist of objective type, multiple choice questions. There will be no break between papers.
4.3 Subject and Syllabus of Test
The List of Subjects and their Codes for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET are given at Annexure-II. The candidates may note that the syllabus has been modified and the new syllabus applicable from June 2019 onwards has also been notified through a Public Notice on NTA website.
Updated Syllabi for all NET Subjects can be downloaded from the UGC website: https://www.ugcnetonline.in/syllabus-new.php.
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National Testing Agency will not provide the copy of syllabus to any candidate.
4.4 Medium of Question Paper
i) The medium of Question Paper shall be in English & Hindi only. ii) Option of medium of Question Paper should be carefully chosen by the Candidate, while filling the Application Form online. The option once exercised cannot be changed.
iii) Candidates opting for Hindi medium in the Application Form will be given bilingual paper, but candidates opting for English medium will be given English version only.
iv) Candidates are required to answer in the medium as per option exercised in the Application Form.
v) In case of any ambiguity in translation/construction of a question in the exam, its English version shall be treated as final and the decision of NTA shall be final in this regard.
4.5 Marking Scheme
i) Each question carries 02 (two) marks.
ii) For each correct response, candidate will get 02 (two) marks.
iii) There is no negative marking for incorrect response.
iv) No marks will be given for questions un-answered/un-attempted/marked for Review.
v) To answer a question, the candidate needs to choose one option as correct option.
vi) If a question is found to be incorrect/ambiguous during the Key Challenge, only those candidates who have attempted the question and chosen one of the correct answers would be given the credit. Only for dropped question(s), if any, marks will be given to all the candidates.
vii) In case a Question is dropped due to some technical error, full marks shall be given to the candidates who have attempted it.
5. Eligibility Criteria for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET 5.1 Qualifying Examination:
(i) General/Unreserved/General-EWS candidates who have secured at least 55% marks (without rounding off) in Master’s Degree or equivalent examination from universities/institutions recognized by UGC (available on the website: www.ugc.ac.in in Humanities and Social Science
(including languages), Computer Science and Applications, Electronic Science etc. are eligible for this Test. List of subjects at Post Graduation level is attached as Annexure-IV. The Other Backward Classes (OBC) belonging to Non-Creamy Layer/Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Persons with Disability (PwD)/Third gender
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category candidates who have secured at least 50% marks (without rounding off) in Master’s degree or equivalent examination are eligible for this Test.
(ii) Candidates who are pursuing their Master’s degree or equivalent course or candidates who have appeared for their qualifying Master’s degree (final year) examination and whose result is still awaited or candidates whose qualifying examinations have been delayed may also apply for this test. However, such candidates will be admitted provisionally and shall be considered eligible for award of JRF/eligibility for Assistant Professor only after they have passed their Master’s Degree or equivalent examination with at least 55% marks (50% marks in case of OBC-NCL / SC / ST / PwD / Third gender category candidates). Such candidates must complete their Master’s degree or equivalent examination within two years from the date of NET result with required percentage of marks, failing which they shall be treated as disqualified.
(iii) Candidates belonging to the Third gender category are eligible to draw the same relaxation in fee, age and Eligibility Criteria for NET (i.e. JRF and Assistant Professor) as are available to SC/ST/PwD categories. The subject-wise qualifying cut-offs for this category would be the lowest among those for SC / ST / PwD / OBC–NCL / General-EWS categories in the corresponding subject.
(iv) The Ph.D. degree holders whose Master’s level examination have been completed by 19 September 1991 (irrespective of date of declaration of result) shall be eligible for a relaxation of 5% in aggregate marks (i.e. from 55% to 50%) for appearing in NET. The list of Post-Graduation courses and their codes is given at Annexure-V.
(v) Candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their Post Graduation only. The candidates, whose Post Graduation subject is not covered in the list of NET subjects attached as Annexure-IV, may appear in a related subject.
(vi) Candidates are neither required to send any certificates/documents in support of their eligibility nor printout of their Application Form or Confirmation Page to NTA. However, the candidates, in their own interest, must ensure themselves about their eligibility for the test. In the event of any ineligibility being detected by the UGC/NTA at any stage, their candidature will be cancelled and they shall be liable for legal action. NTA does not verify the information provided by the candidates during online registration and hence candidature will be purely provisional subject to the fulfillment of eligibility criteria.
(vii) Candidates with post-graduate diploma/certificate awarded by Indian University/ Institute or foreign degree/diploma/certificate awarded by the foreign University/ institute should in their own interest, ascertain the
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equivalence of their diploma/degree/ certificate with Master’s degree of recognized Indian universities from Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi (www.aiu.ac.in).
5.2 Instructions
(i) The eligibility for ‘Assistant Professor’ or for ‘Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor’ will depend on the performance of the candidate in both the papers of UGC-NET in aggregate. However, the candidates qualifying exclusively for Assistant Professor will not be considered for the award of JRF. Candidates appearing in UGC-NET should thoughtfully select in the Application Form whether they are applying for ‘Assistant Professor’ or ‘Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor’. Candidates who qualify the Test for eligibility for Assistant Professor will be governed by the rules and regulations for recruitment of Assistant Professor of the concerned Universities / Colleges / State governments, as the case may be.
(ii) The candidates who qualify for the award of JRF are eligible to pursue research in the subject of their post-graduation or in a related subject and are also eligible for Assistant Professor. The universities, institutions, IITs and other national organizations may select the JRF awardees for full time research work in accordance with the procedure prescribed by them.
(iii) Junior Research Fellowship: Candidates qualifying for the award of JRF will be eligible to receive fellowship of UGC under various schemes, subject to their finding placement in universities/IITs/Institutions. The validity period of the offer will be three years w.e.f. the date of issue of JRF Award Letter. However, for those candidates who have already joined M. Phil. / Ph.D., the date of commencement of Fellowship shall be from the date of declaration of NET result or date of their joining, whichever is later.
(iv) The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC), National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) and the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students (MANF) shall be governed by the guidelines available on the official websites of the concerned Ministries and/or the UGC.
5.3 Exemption (Eligibility for Assistant Professor)
(i) NET/SET/SLET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities/Colleges/ Institutions. In this regard, exemption from NET/SET/SLET will be governed by UGC regulations and amendments notified in the Gazette of India from time to time.
(ii) The candidates who have passed the UGC/CSIR/ JRF examination prior
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to 1989 are also exempted from appearing in NET.
(iii) For SET Candidates: The candidates who have cleared the States Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC for Assistant Professor held prior to 1st June 2002, are exempted from appearing in NET, and are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor anywhere in India. For SET held from 1st June 2002 onwards, the qualified candidates are eligible to apply for the post of Assistant Professor only in the universities/colleges situated in the State from where they have cleared their SET.
5.4 Age Limit and Relaxation
(i) JRF: Not more than 31 years as on 1st day of the month in which the examination is concluded i.e. 01.03.2021 (This age limit is applicable for the current examination only).
A relaxation of upto 5 years is provided to the candidates belonging to OBC-NCL (as per the Central list of OBC available on website: www.ncbc.nic.in) /SC/ST/PwD/Third gender categories and to women applicants. Relaxation will also be provided to the candidates with research experience, limited to the period spent on research in the relevant / related subject of post-graduation degree, subject to a maximum of 5 years, on production of a certificate from appropriate authority, which should be a recognized Indian university / Institute of National Importance / foreign university which is duly approved / recognized / accredited in its own Country / Public Sector Undertaking of Government of India / State Government in India. The research should not have been carried out towards completion of graduation or post-graduation degree(s). Three years relaxation in age will be permissible to the candidates with L.L.M. degree. A relaxation of upto 5 years is provided to the candidates who have served in the armed forces subject to the length of service in the armed forces upto the first day of the month in which the concerned UGC-NET is concluded. Total age relaxation on the above ground(s) shall not exceed five years under any circumstances.
(ii) Assistant Professor:
There is no upper age limit in applying for UGC-NET for Assistant Professor.
6. Reservations
6.1 Reservation Policy of the Government of India is applicable to UGC-NET. According to this, in the Central Universities and Institutions which are deemed to be Universities, the reservation of seats shall be as follows:
(i) 15% of the seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates
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(ii) 7.5% of the seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates
(iii) 27% of the seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) candidates as per the Central List*
(iv) 10% of the seats for General - Economically Weaker Sections (General - EWS) candidates
(v) 04% of the seats in the above mentioned categories for Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40% or more disability.
(vi) # Reservation for Kashmiri Migrant (subject to notification from Ministry of Education for Academic Session 2021-22).
Notes:
1. The benefit of reservation for admission to Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) shall be given only to those classes/castes/tribes which are in the respective Central List published by the Government of India from time to time.
2. Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer (OBC–NCL) are as per the Central list of Other Backward Classes available on National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), Government of India website www.ncbc.nic.in Thus, the candidates falling in this list may mention OBC in the Category Column. State list OBC Candidates who are not in OBC-NCL (Central List) must not choose OBC-NCL.
3. Economically Weaker Section (EWS) -This provision would be regulated as per the OM No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II dated January 17, 2019 issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the OM No. 12-4/2019-U1 dated 17.01.2019 as well as the Letters No 35-2/2019-T.S.I dated 21.01.2019, 01.02.2019, 04.02.2019 and 15.02.2019 of MHRD Department of Higher Education regarding implementation of reservation for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) for admission in Central Educational Institutions (CEIs).
4. # One seat (supernumerary) in each Central and State Government affiliated IHM is provided for registered Kashmiri Migrants. Such Applicants shall have to qualify the December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET. Candidates registered with different State Govts. should produce proof of registration in original at the time of Counselling and at the time of admission to the Institute(s) concerned.
7. Provisions relating to Persons with Disability (PwD)
7.1 As per Section 2(t) of the RPwD Act, “Persons with Disability (PwD)” means a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.
7.2 According to Section 2(r) of the RPwD Act, 2016, “persons with benchmark disabilities” means a person with not less than forty percent (40%) of a specified disability where specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms and includes a person with disability where specified disability has been defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority.
7.3 The “specified disabilities”, which are included in the Schedule of the RPwD Act, are as follows:
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8. Facilities for PwD candidates to appear in the exam
As per the Guidelines issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment issued from time to time on the subject: “Written Examination for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities”, A candidate with one of the benchmark disabilities [as defined in Section 2(r) of RPwD Act, 2016], holding a Disability Certificate in the format prescribed in
Annexure-VI, is entitled to the following facilities:
a. The facility of Scribe, in case he/she has a physical limitation and a scribe is essential to write the Examination on his/her behalf, being so certified in the aforesaid format by a CMO/Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Govt. Health Care Institution. However, as a measure of caution and due to the prevailing circumstances of COVID-19 Pandemic, such candidate is required to bring his/her own Scribe alongwith an undertaking in the format given at Annexure-VII.
b. Compensatory time of one hour for Examination of three hours duration, whether such candidate uses the facility of Scribe or not.
The Candidate cannot change the category or sub-category (PwD status) after the submission of the Online Application Form, and in any case, no change will be entertained by NTA after the declaration of December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET NTA Scores. Therefore, the candidates are advised to fill the category / sub-category column very carefully.
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9. Choice of Cities for Exam Centre
9.1 The Centres (Cities) where the Test will be conducted are given at Annexure-III.
9.2 It is mandatory for candidates to select the States/Cities (any four of their choice) while filling Online Application Form for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET. Effort will be made to allot Centre of Examination to the candidates in the order of Cities opted by them in their Application Form.
However, due to administrative reasons, a different city of nearby area may be allotted.
9.3 The List of States/Union Territories and their Codes are given at Annexure-VIII. 10. General Instructions
Check List for filling the Online Application Form
11. Instructions for filling online Application Form
(Please see Replica of Application Form - Annexure IX)
To avoid any kind of inconvenience or last-minute rush or unforeseen difficulties, candidates are advised to submit Online Application Form without waiting for the last date. NTA will not be responsible for network problems or any other problem of this nature in submission of online application during the last day.
11.1 Ready Reckoner
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11.2 Instructions for filling Online Application Form
❖ Log on to NTA website ugcnet.nta.nic.in and click on the “Apply Online” button under December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET. ❖ Download Information Bulletin and Replica of Application Form. Read these carefully to ensure your eligibility.
❖ Follow the steps given below to Apply Online:
Step-1: Register for Online Registration using your own Email ID and Mobile No. and note down system generated Application
Number.
Step-2: Complete the Online Application Form and note down the system generated Application Number.
Step-3: Upload legible scanned images of: (i) a recent photograph (in jpg/ jpeg file, size 10Kb – 200Kb) either in colour or black & white
with 80% face (without mask) visible including ears against
white background; (ii) candidate’s signature (file size: 4kb -
30kb);
Step-4: Pay fee using the Payment Gateway(s) / Payment Modes of concerned Banks / Paytm integrated to the Online
Application and keep proof of fee paid.
❖ All the 4 Steps can be done together or at separate timings.
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12. Admit Card for December 2020 Cycle UGC-NET
12.1 The Admit Card would be issued provisionally to the candidates of December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET, subject to fulfillment of eligibility criteria.
12.2 The candidate has to download the Admit Card from the NTA website and appear for the Examination at the given Centre on date, shift, time and discipline as indicated in his/her Admit Card.
12.3 No candidate will be allowed to appear at the examination centre, on Date and Timings other than that allotted to them in their Admit card.
12.4 In case a candidate is unable to download Admit Card from the website, he/she may approach the Help Line of NTA between 09:30 am to 5:30 pm or write to NTA at: ugcnet@nta.ac.in
12.5 The candidates are advised to read the Instructions given in the Admit Card carefully in advance of the exam day and follow them during the conduct of the examination.
12.6 In case of any discrepancy in the particulars of the candidate or his/her photograph and signatures shown in the Admit Card and Confirmation Page, the candidate may immediately approach the Help Line between 09:30 am to 5:30 pm. In such cases, candidates would appear in the Examination with the already downloaded Admit Card. However, NTA will take necessary action to make correction in the record later.
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Note:
a. Candidate may please note that Admit Cards will not be sent by post.
b. In no case, the duplicate Admit Card for December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC-NET would be issued at the Examination Centre(s).
c. Candidate must not mutilate the Admit Card or change any entry made therein. d. Candidates are advised to preserve their Admit Cards in good condition for future reference. e. No Admit Card shall be issued to the candidates whose Applications are found to be incomplete
for any reasons (including indistinct/ doubtful photographs/unsigned Applications) or who do not fulfill the eligibility criteria for the examination.
f. Issue of Admit Cards, however, shall not necessarily mean acceptance of eligibility which shall be further scrutinized at subsequent stages of admission process.
12.7 Conduct of Exam
Candidates are advised to go through the instructions given in the Admit Card carefully before going for the Examination
12.7.1 Documents to be brought to the Examination Centre
❖ Candidates must bring the following documents to the Test Centre
❖ Printed copy of Admit Card downloaded from NTA website.
❖ One passport size photograph (same as uploaded on the Online Application Form) for pasting on the specific space in the
Attendance Sheet at Centre during the Examination. Any one of
the authorized photo IDs (must be original, valid and non
expired) – PAN card/ Driving License/ Voter ID/ Passport/
Aadhaar Card (With photograph)/ Aadhaar Enrolment No/ Ration
Card). The name on the photo identification must match with
the name as shown on the Admit Card.
❖ PwD certificate issued by the Competent Authority, if claiming the relaxation under PwD category.
12.7.2 Reporting Time and other Important Instructions
(i) The candidates shall report at the Examination Centre two hours before the commencement of the examination so as to
complete the frisking and registration formalities well before time.
Registration desk will be closed 30 minutes prior to the
examination.
(ii) Candidates shall not be permitted to enter in the Examination Centre after 8.30 am in First Shift and after 2.30 pm in Second
Shift.
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(iii) Candidates are also advised to report at the Examination Hall/Room in the Examination Centre by 8.45 am in the First Shift
and by 2.45 pm in the Second Shift.
(iv) The candidates are advised to read the instructions on the Admit Card carefully and follow them during the conduct of the
examination.
(v) Candidates should take their seat immediately after opening of the Examination Hall. If the candidates do not report in time due
to any reason i.e. traffic jam, train/bus delay etc, they are likely to
miss some of the general instructions to be announced in the
Examination Rooms/Halls. The NTA shall not be responsible for
any delay.
(vi) The candidate must show, on demand, the Admit Card downloaded/printed from the NTA website for admission in the
examination room/hall. The Test Centre Staff on duty is
authorized to verify the identity of candidates and may take steps
to verify and confirm the identify credentials. Candidates are
requested to extend their full cooperation. A candidate who does
not possess the valid Admit Card shall not be permitted for the
examination under any circumstances by the Centre
Superintendent.
(vii) A seat indicating Roll Number will be allotted to each candidate. Candidates should find and sit on their allocated seat only. In case
of a candidate who changes room/hall or the seat on his/her own
other than the one allotted, candidature shall be cancelled and no
plea would be accepted for it.
(viii) The candidate should ensure that the question paper available on the computer is as per his/her opted subject indicated in the Admit
Card. In case, the subject of question paper is other than his/her
opted subject, the same may be brought to the notice of the
Invigilator concerned.
(ix) Candidate may approach the Centre Superintendent/Invigilator in the room for any technical assistance, first aid emergency or any
other information during the course of examination.
For any queries or issues regarding Computer Based Test, the
candidates may contact on Helpline Numbers available on UGC
NET website.
(x) For those who are unable to appear on the scheduled date of test for any reason, re-test shall not be held by the NTA under
any circumstances.
13. Computer Based Test (CBT) Guidelines
The CBT Guidelines are provided at Annexure-XII. Please read them carefully and practice the same with Mock Test through: https://www.nta.ac.in/Quiz
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14. Rough Work
All calculations/writing work are to be done only in the rough sheet provided at the Test Centre in the examination Room/Hall and on completion of the test candidates must hand over the rough sheets to the invigilator on duty in the Room/Hall.
15. Unfair Means Practices and Breach of Examination Rules
Definition: Unfair Means Practice is an activity that allows a candidate to gain an unfair advantage over other candidates. It includes, but is not limited to:
a) Being in possession of any item or article which has been prohibited or can be used for Unfair Practices including any stationery item, communication device, accessories, eatable items, ornaments or any other material or information relevant or not relevant to the Examination in the paper concerned;
b) Using someone to write Examination (impersonation) or preparing material for copying;
c) Breaching Examination rules or any direction issued by NTA in connection with UGC NET examination;
d) Assisting other candidate to engage in malpractices, giving or receiving assistance directly or indirectly of any kind or attempting to do so;
e) Writing questions or answers on any material given by the Centre Superintendent for writing answers;
f) Contacting or communicating or trying to do so with any person, other than the Examination Staff, during the Examination time in the Examination Centre; g) Threatening any of the officials connected with the conduct of the Examination or threatening any of the candidates;
h) Using or attempting to use any other undesirable method or means in connection with the examination;
i) Manipulation and fabrication of online documents viz. Admit Card, Rank Letter, Self-Declaration, etc.;
j) Forceful entry in /exit from Examination Centre/Hall;
k) Use or attempted use of any electronic device after entering the Examination Centre;
l) Affixing/uploading of wrong/morphed photographs/signatures on the Application Form/Admit Card/Performa;
m) Creating obstacles in smooth and fair conduct of examination;
n) Any other malpractices declared as Unfair Means by the NTA.
Disclaimer- The decision of NTA shall be final and binding for declaration of any person / candidate guilty of foregoing or such offence as shall be classified as Unfair Means Case (UMC).
16. Display of Provisional Answer Key for Challenges
16.1 The NTA will display Provisional Answer Key of the questions on the NTA website ugcnet.nta.nic.in to provide an opportunity to the candidates to
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challenge the Provisional Answer Key. The Answer Keys are likely to be displayed for two to three days.
16.2 The Candidates will be given an opportunity to make a challenge online against the Provisional Answer Key on payment of Rs. 1000/- per question challenged as processing charges.
16.3 Key Challenge procedure- Only paid challenges made during stipulated time through key challenge link will be considered. Challenges without justification/ evidence and those filed on any other medium other than the prescribed link will not be considered.
16.4 The NTA decision on the challenges shall be final and the result will be declared on the basis of final answer keys.
17. Display of Recorded Responses
The NTA will display the Question Paper and attempted recorded responses by the candidates on the NTA website ugcnet.nta.nic.in prior to declaration of result. The Question paper attempted and recorded responses are likely to be displayed for two to three days.
18. Procedure and Criteria for declaration of result
18.1 The following steps will be followed:
Step I: The number of candidates to be qualified (total slots or Eligibility for Assistant Professor) shall be equal to 6% of the candidates appeared in both the papers of NET.
Step II: The total slots shall be allocated to different categories as per the reservation policy of Government of India.
Step III: In order to be considered for ‘JRF and Eligibility for Assistant Professor’ and for ‘Assistant Professor’, the candidate must have appeared in both the papers and secured at least 40% aggregate marks in both the papers taken together for General (Unreserved) / General-EWS category candidates and at least 35% aggregate marks in both the papers taken together for all candidates belonging to the reserved categories (viz., SC, ST, OBC (belonging to Non
Creamy Layer, PwD and Third gender).
Step IV: The number of candidates to be declared qualified in any subject for a particular category is derived as per the methodology illustrated below:
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The aggregate percentage of the two papers corresponding to the number of slots arrived at, shall determine the qualifying cut-off for Eligibility for Assistant Professor ‘in ‘Economics’ for the SC category.
Similar yardstick shall be employed for deriving the subject-wise qualifying cut offs for all categories.
Step V: All candidates who had applied for ‘Eligibility for JRF & Eligibility for Assistant Professor both’ out of the total number of qualified candidates derived as per Step IV, shall constitute the consideration zone for JRF.
Step VI: The total number of slots available for awarding JRF is allocated among different categories as per the reservation policy of Government of India. The procedure for subject wise cum category wise allocation of JRF slots is illustrated below:
The aggregate percentage of the two paper scores corresponding to the number of JRF slots arrived at, shall determine the qualifying cut-off for JRF in ‘Economics’ for the ST category.
Similar location procedure is used for all subjects and categories.
It may be noted that the above qualifying criteria decided by UGC is final and binding. Result of the examination shall be hosted on NTA website ugcnet.nta.nic.in. The candidates will not be individually intimated about their result.
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18.2 Normalization procedure (Annexure – XIII):
a) For multi-shift papers, raw marks obtained by the candidates in different shifts/sessions will be converted to NTA Score (percentile).
b) The detailed procedure on NTA Score being adopted is available on NTA website under Normalization procedure based on Percentile Score.
c) In case a subject test is conducted in multi-shifts, NTA Score will be calculated corresponding to the raw marks obtained by a candidate. The calculated NTA Score for the Raw Marks for all the shifts/sessions will be merged for further processing for deciding the allocation.
d) In the events of the percentiles for the multi-shifts being dissimilar / unequal, the lowest will be the eligibility cut-off for that category for all candidates (i.e. all shifts).
For Example: In the examination held in two shifts, if the 40% marks correspond to a Percentile score of 78 in Shift 1 and 79 in Shift 2, then all those equal to or above 78 percentiles (Percentile score of 100 to 78) in both shifts will become eligible in General Category. Similar method will be adopted for the other categories to determine eligibility cut-offs. In case the examination is held in a greater number of shifts the same principle shall apply.
18.3 Re-Evaluation/Re-Checking of result
There shall be no re-evaluation/re-checking of result. No correspondence in this regard shall be entertained.
19. Test Practice Centres (TPCs)
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Education NTA has set up, established and created a network of Test Practice Centres for candidates, especially in remote and rural areas to enable them to practice and be comfortable in taking a Computer Based Test (CBT).
20. National Abhyas Test
The National Testing Agency (NTA), India’s premier autonomous testing organisation for conducting entrance examinations for admission in higher education institutions, launched a mobile app called the “National Test Abhyas” - to enable candidates to take mock tests for various competitive exams such as JEE Main, NEET, UGC-NET, and other exams under the NTA’s purview. The app had been launched to facilitate candidates’ access to high quality mock tests in the safety and comfort of their homes, since NTA’s Test-Practice Centers (TPCs) were closed during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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With this facility for the candidates, India has taken the lead in restoring a semblance of normalcy in one more crucial area – education – even as we tackle these unprecedented times that have led to significant changes in life around the world.
Candidates across the country can use the App to access high quality tests, free of cost, in a bid to be fully prepared for the upcoming JEE (Main), NEET (UG) and other competitive exams. The tests can be easily downloaded and taken off-line, thus accommodating candidates with low bandwidth internet connections.
The app works on Android-based and iOS smartphones and tablets and can be downloaded from Google Play Store or App Store. Once candidates download the app, they simply need to sign-up or register with some basic details, create a free account, and then start accessing mock tests free of cost for their selected examination(s).
In addition to that NTA has developed an extensive support system at http://nta.ac.in/abhyas/help with live help available every day between 12:00 am and 09:00 am.
The National Test Abhyas is available on website: https://www.nta.ac.in/Abhyas and Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.abhyas.nta.com
21. Query Redressal System
National Testing Agency (NTA) has established a Query Redressal System (QRS), an online web-enabled system developed by NTA. QRS is the platform based on web technology that primarily aims to enable submission of queries/grievances by the Registered Candidate(s) of December Cycle (May 2021) of UGC-NET Examination with (24x7) facility for speedy and favorable redressal of the queries / grievances. A Unique Registration Number will be generated for tracking the status of the queries/grievances.
The Registered Candidate(s) are advised to use the online facility for the speedy response.
22. Correspondence with NTA
All the correspondence should preferably be addressed by e-mail. The email query shall be addressed only if it is not anonymous and contains the name, postal address and contact number of the sender. An email containing vague or general queries and other queries as contained in the Information Bulletin shall not be entertained. Queries shall not be entertained from person claiming to be representatives, associates or officiates of the applicant candidate. The following information shall not be revealed by phone or email:
a. Internal documentation/status.
b. Internal decision-making process of NTA. Any claim/counter claim thereof. c. Dates & venue of internal meetings or name of the staff/officers dealing with it. d. Any information which in the opinion of NTA cannot be revealed.
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23. Common Services Centres/Facilitation Centres (Annexure-XIV)
23.1 Candidates who are not well conversant to submit the online application due to various constraints, can use the services of Common Services Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology,GovernmentofIndiaundertheDigital India initiatives of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The Common Services Centre (CSC) scheme is a part of the ambitious National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of Government of India and is managed at each village panchayat level by a Village level Entrepreneur (VLE).
23.2 There are more than 1.5 lakhs Common Services Centres (CSC) across the country which will provide the desired support to candidates from urban as well as rural areas in online submission of Application Form and payment of fee throughe-wallet.ThelistoftheCommonServicesCentreis available on website: www.csc.gov.in.
24. Weeding Out Rules
The record of December 2020 cycle (May 2021) of University Grant Commission - National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) would be preserved upto 90 days from the date of declaration of result.
25. Legal Jurisdiction
25.1 All disputes pertaining to the conduct of December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC-NET Examination including Results shall fall within the jurisdiction of Delhi/New Delhi only. Further, any legal question arising out of the Examination shall be entertained only when raised within 30 days from the declaration of result.
25.2 The Director (Administration) of the NTA shall be the official by whose designation the NTA may sue or be sued.
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ANNEXURE-I
Payment of Exam Fee - Procedure/ Mode / Service Provider(s) and Services Charges
1. Prescribed Examination Fee (please see the Information at a Glance) can be paid through any Bank/Payment Gateway in any Payment Mode mentioned below. The service/processing charges per transaction & GST applicable @ 18 % are to be paid by the candidate, except for payment made through debit card (Visa/Master):
2. Helplines:
(a) If Paying through State Bank of India (SBI):
(b) If Paying through Canara Bank:
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(c) If Paying through HDFC Bank:
(d) If Paying through ICICI Bank:
(e) If Paying through PAYTM:
(f) NTA Helpdesk Contact details (in case the payment related issues are not resolved through the above mentioned Helplines of the concerned Bank/Payment Gateway Integrator):
Email: ugcnet@nta.ac.in
Phone No.: 0120-6895200
3. Procedure to raise payment related Grievance:
After (successful completion of Step-4, Confirmation Page of the Application Form, should be downloaded and a printout of the same may be retained for future reference. The Confirmation Page of the online Application Form could be generated only after successful payment by the Candidate.
In case the Confirmation Page is not generated after payment of prescribed Fee, then the candidate should approach the concerned Bank/Payment Gateway integrator (in the helpline number and email given in Annexure- I of the Information Bulletin), for ensuring the successful payment. Inspite of above, if successful transaction is not reflected on the Portal, the candidate may contact NTA Helpline. If the payment issue is still not resolved, the candidate may pay second time.
However, any duplicate payment received from the candidate by NTA in course of said transactions will be refunded through the same payment mode through which the duplicate payment is received, after fee reconciliation by NTA.
4. Information to be provided by the Candidate while raising any payment related query/grievance through QRS/email/Helplines: -
a. Name of the Bank and /or payment Gateway.
b. Date and time of the transaction
c. Transaction Number
d. Bank Reference Number
e. Proof of transaction
f. Screenshot from the payment portal (in case of payment failure).
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ANNEXURE-II
List of NET Subjects and their Codes
Note: Syllabi for all NET Subjects can be downloaded from the UGC website: https://www.ugcnetonline.in/syllabus-new.php
National Testing Agency will not send the syllabus to individual candidates.
‘*’ The candidates with Master’s Degree in Geography (with specialization in Population Studies) or Mathematics/ Statistics are also eligible to appear in the subject “Population Studies” (Code 015). ‘**’ The candidates with Master’s Degree in Humanities (including languages) and Social Sciences are eligible
to appear in subject “Women Studies” (Code 074).
ANNEXURE-III
Note: General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude (Paper-I) is compulsory for all.
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ANNEXURE-III
List of Cities for Centres of UGC-NET December 2020 cycle (May 2021) Examination will be held at the following cities, provided there are sufficient numbers of candidates in the city.
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ANNEXURE -VI
Certificate regarding physical limitation to write in an examination
Certificate No. ____________________________ Dated _________________________
This is to certify that Mr./Ms. ________________________________________________________ Aged__________ Years, Son/Daughter of Mr./Mrs. ______________________________________ R/o _____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________,
Affix Passport size Photograph of the candidate (same as uploaded on the
Online Application Form) duly attested by the issuing authority
with December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET Application No. ______________________ and December 2020 Cycle (May 2021) of UGC NET Roll No. _______________________________________,has the following Disability (name of the Specified Disability) ___________________ in (percentage) of _____________________________________________ (in words) __________________________ (in Figures).
• Please tick on the “Specified Disability”
(Assessment may be done on the basis of Gazette of India. Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3 Sub-section (ii), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment)
This is to further certify that he/she has physical limitation which hampers his/her writing capabilities to write the Examination owing to his/her disability.
Signature
Name: ____________________
Chief Medical Officer/ Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent
Government Health Care Institution with Seal
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ANNEXURE-VII
Letter of Undertaking for Using Own Scribe
I ____________________________, a candidate with __________________ (name of the disability) appearing for the _______________________ (name of the examination) bearing Roll No. ____________________ at ________________ (name of the centre) in the District _____________________________, _______________________ (name of the State). My qualification is ________________________.
I do hereby state that __________________ (name of the scribe) will provide the service of scribe/reader/lab assistant for the undersigned for taking the aforesaid examination. I do hereby undertake that his/her qualification is _______________.
I further certify that the scribe whose photograph and particulars are mentioned below, is not COVID-19 + and a certificate to this effect from Competent Authority is enclosed to this letter.
(Signature of the candidate with Disability)
Place:
Date:
Photograph of
scribe
(Self- Attested Photograph)
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ANNEXURE-VIII
List of States/ Union Territories and their Codes
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ANNEXURE- IX
Replica of Application Form
Click on ‘New Registration tab’ to register as a new candidate. Once registered, candidates can sign in using the credentials registered with.
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On registering this page opens up. Please go through the details carefully before proceeding to the next step.
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Fill out the details carefully as particulars submitted once for candidate registration cannot be changed.
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Please review your details before pressing the ‘final submit’ button.
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This message will be sent via SMS on the registered mobile number after successful registration (Step-1).
The following screen appears on completion of Step-1. Click ‘Complete Application Form’ to move to Step-2.
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Fill out all the details carefully on the ‘Application Form’.
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Please review your details of ‘Application Form’ before pressing the ‘final submit’ button.
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The following screen appears on completion of Step-2. Click ‘Upload Images’ to move to Step 3.
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Upload the Photograph and Signature as per specification mentioned in Step-3. Click ‘submit and preview’ button to move to the verification step.
Verify the Photograph and Signature before uploading them.
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The following screen appears on completion of Step-3. Click ‘Pay Examination Fee’ to move to Step-4. The Application Form and the uploaded documents can be edited before moving to the payment gateway.
Proceed for online fee payment.
Select the payment provider for online fee payment.
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Snapshot of the Confirmation Page with details as filled on the Application Form.49
This message will be sent via SMS on the registered mobile number after successful payment and generation of Confirmation Page (Step-4).
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Annexure -X
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Annexure -XI
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ANNEXURE-XII
Computer Based Test (CBT)
A CBT requires candidate to sit in front of a computer terminal (node) allocated to him/her by the Exam Cemtre against his/her Roll number and Admit card. After logging the candidate will get detailed instructions for the examination. At the designated time of start of examination, the candidate will be able to proceed and see the questions on the computer screen using the computer mouse. Candidate will have the option to change / modify/ edit / answers already entered any time during the examination.
Procedure for appearing in Computer Based Test (CBT):
(Sample/mock test will be available on NTA website: www.nta.ac.in for hands on practice)
(a) A computer terminal (node) indicating roll number will be allocated to each candidate. The Candidate has to sit before his /her allocated computer only. Any candidate found to have changed room/hall or the computer on their own other than the one allotted would lead to cancellation of candidature and no plea in this regard would be entertained.
(b) For login, the candidate will have to enter login-ID and password. The computer terminal allotted to the candidate will display WELCOME login screen, Candidate’s photograph and subject opted by the candidate.
Candidate Login Page
Candidate Welcome Screen
(c) After login, the candidate shall be able to see the detailed instructions for the examination. Candidate is advised to go through the instructions carefully regarding the type of
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questions and marking scheme. At the designated time of start of the examination, the candidate will be able to proceed and see the questions on the computer screen.
General Instruction Page
Please read the Instructions carefully
General Instructions:
1. Total duration of Examination is 60 minutes.
2. The clock will be set at the server. The countdown timer in the top right corner of screen will display the remaining time available for you to complete the examination. When the timer reaches zero, the Examination will end by itself. You will not be required to end or submit your examination.
3. The Questions Palette displayed on the right side of screen will show the status of each question using one of the following symbols:
You have not visited the question yet.
You have not answered the question.
You have answered the question.
You have NOT answered the question but have marked the question for review.
The question(s) "Answered and Marked for Review" will be considered for evaluation.
4. You can click on the ">" arrow which appears to the left of question palette to collapse the question palette thereby maximizing the question window. To view the question palette again, you can click on "<" which appears on the right side of question window.
5. You can click on your "Profile" image on top right corner of your screen to change the language during the exam for entire question paper. On clicking of Profile image you will get a drop-down to change the question content to the desired language.
6. You can click on to navigate to the bottom and to navigate to top of the question are, without scrolling.
Navigating a Question:
7. To answer a question, do the following:
a. Click on the question number in the Question Palette at the right of your screen to go to that numbered question directly. Note that using this option does NOT save your answer to the current question.
b. Click on Save & Next to save your answer for the current question and then go to the next question.
c. Click on Mark for Review & Next to save your answer for the current question, mark it for review, and then go to the next question.
Answering a Question:
8. Procedure for answering a multiple-choice type question:
a. To select you answer, click on the button of one of the options.
b. To deselect your chosen answer, click on the button of the chosen option again or click on the Clear Response button
c. To change your chosen answer, click on the button of another option d. To save your answer, you MUST click on the Save & Next button.
e. To mark the question for review, click on the Mark for Review & Next button.
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9. To change your answer to a question that has already been answered, first select that question for answering and then follow the procedure for answering that type of question.
Navigating through Sections:
10. Sections in this question paper are displayed on the top bar of the screen. Questions in a section can be viewed by click on the section name. The section you are currently viewing is highlighted.
11. After click the Save & Next button on the last question for a section, you will automatically be taken to the first question of the next section.
12. You can shuffle between sections and questions anything during the Examination as per your convenience only during the time stipulated.
13. Candidate can view the corresponding section summery as part of the legend that appears in every section above the question palette.
The keyboard attached to the computer, if any, will be disabled during the entire duration of the examination. Depending on the type of question, the answers to questions can either be entered by clicking on the virtual on-screen keyboard (numeric or otherwise) using the computer mouse or by clicking the chosen option(s) using the computer mouse. Candidates will have the option to change/modify answers already entered anytime during the entire duration of the examination.
In case the computer/mouse allotted to any candidate malfunctions anytime during the test, he/she will be immediately allotted another computer system and the time lost due to this will be adjusted in the server so as to give the candidate the full allotted time.
The on-screen computer clock counter of every candidate will be set at the server. The countdown timer in the top right side of computer screen will display the time remaining (in minutes) available for the candidate to complete the examination. When the timer reaches zero, the Examination will end by itself. Candidate will not be required to end or submit the examination.
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(d) The Question Palette displayed on the right side of screen will show the status of each question using one of the following symbols:
The question(s) “Answered and Marked for Review” status for a question indicates that candidate would like to have a relook at that question again. A candidate has the option of answering a question and simultaneously “Marked for Review”, these answers will be considered for evaluation. However, if a candidate has simply put “Marked for Review” for a question without answering it, the corresponding question marked for review without an answer will not be considered for evaluation. It may be noted that a candidate can return to any “Marked for Review” question any time during the Examination by clicking on the corresponding question number icon displayed on the Question Palette of the corresponding section.
(e) Candidate can click on the “>” arrow which appears to the left of question palette to collapse the question palette thereby maximizing the question viewing window. To view the question palette again, candidate can click on “<” which appears on the right side of question window.
(f) Candidate can click on to navigate to the bottom and to navigate to the top of the question area, without scrolling. Using the computer mouse the candidate can scroll up and down the question viewing area for viewing the entire question.
(g) The full paper can be viewed by clicking the “Question Paper” icon on the top right corner of the screen.
(h) Blank Sheets for doing rough work/calculations shall be provided to the candidates. The Blanks Sheets would have a Header page for the candidates to write down his/her Name and Roll Number. All calculations/writing work are to be done only in the Blank Sheets provided at the centre in the Examination Room/Hall and on completion of the test candidates must hand over the rough sheets to the invigilator on duty in the Room/Hall.
(i) Navigating a Question To navigate between questions within a Paper, candidate needs to do the following:
(a) Click on the question number in the Question Palette at the right of the screen to go to that numbered question directly. Note that using this option does NOT save the answer to the currently displayed question.
(b) Click on “Save & Next” to save the answer of any question. Clicking on “Save & Next” will save the answer for the current question and the next question will be displayed on the candidate’s computer screen.
(c) Click on “Mark for Review & Next” to mark a question for review (without answering it) and proceed to the next question.
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(j) Answering a Question
To navigate between questions within a Paper, candidate needs to do the following: (i) Procedure for answering a multiple-choice type question:
(a) To select the option(s), click on the corresponding button(s) of the option(s). (b) To deselect the chosen answer, click on the button of the chosen option again or click on the “Clear Response” button.
(c) To save the answer, the candidate MUST click on the “Save & Next” button. (d) To mark the question for review (without answering it), click on the “Mark for Review & Next” button.
(k) Navigating through sections:
(i) Sections in the question paper are displayed on the top bar of the screen. Questions in a section can be viewed by clicking on the section name. The section in which candidate is currently viewing will be highlighted.
(ii) After clicking the “Save & Next” button on the last question for a section, candidate will automatically be taken to the first question of the next section. (iii) Candidate can shuffle between sections and questions within sections anytime during the Examination as per the convenience only during the time stipulated. (iv) Candidate can view the corresponding section summary as part of the legend that appears in every section above the question palette.
Question Panel
Respective Option
Navigation Panel
Question Palette
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(l) Procedure for answering questions that require inputs from on-screen virtual key board (numeric or otherwise):
(a) Candidate will have to use the on-screen virtual keyboard (that would be displayed just below the question statement of these types of questions) and the attached computer mouse to enter his/her answer in the space provided for answer. On Screen Virtual Keyboard
(b) The answer can be changed, if required, anytime during the test. To save the answer, the candidate MUST click on the “Save & Next” button.
(c) To mark the question for review (without answering it), click on the “Mark for Review & Next” button.
Candidate will have the option to change previously saved answer of any question, anytime during the entire duration of the test. To change the answer to a question that has already been answered, first select the corresponding question from the Question Palette, then click on “Clear Response” to clear the previously entered answer and subsequently follow the procedure for answering that type of question.
(m)ROUGH WORK:
All calculations/writing work are to be done only in the rough sheet provided at the Centre in the Examination Room/Hall and on completion of the test candidates must hand over the rough sheets to the invigilator on duty in the Room/Hall.
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Annexure – XIII
Procedure to be adopted for compilation of NTA scores for multi session Papers (Normalization procedure based on PERCENTILE SCORE)
NTA may conduct examinations on multiple dates, generally in two sessions per day. The candidates will be given different sets of questions per session and it is quite possible that in spite of all efforts of maintaining equivalence among various question papers, the difficulty level of these question papers administered in different sessions may not be exactly the same. Some of the candidates may end up attempting a relatively tougher set of questions when compared to other sets. The candidates who attempt the comparatively tougher examination are likely to get lower marks as compared to those who attempt the easier one. In order to overcome such a situation, “Normalization procedure based on Percentile Score” will be used for ensuring that candidates are neither benefitted nor disadvantaged due to the difficulty level of the examination. With the objective of ensuring that a candidate’s true merit is identified, and that a level playing field is created in the above context, the Normalization Procedure, set out below shall be adopted, for compiling the NTA scores for multi session papers.
The process of Normalization is an established practice for comparing candidate scores across multi session papers and is similar to those being adopted in other large educational selection tests conducted in India. For normalization across sections, NTA shall use the percentile equivalence.
Percentile Scores: Percentile scores are scores based on the relative performance of all those who appear for the examination. Basically the marks obtained are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session of examinees.
The Percentile Score indicates the percentage of candidates that have scored EQUAL TO OR BELOW (same or lower raw scores) that particular Percentile in that examination. Therefore the topper (highest score) of each session will get the same Percentile of 100 which is desirable. The marks obtained in between the highest and lowest scores are also converted to appropriate Percentiles.
The Percentile score will be the Normalized Score for the examination (instead of the raw marks of the candidate) and shall be used for preparation of the merit lists.
The Percentile Scores will be calculated up to 7 decimal places to avoid bunching effect and reduce ties.
The Percentile score of a Candidate is calculated as follows:
100 X Number of candidates appeared in the ‘Session’ with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than the candidate Total number of the candidates appeared in the ’Session’
Note: The Percentile of the Total shall NOT be an aggregate or average of the Percentile of individual subject. Percentile score is not the same as percentage of marks obtained.
Example: Suppose a test was held in 4 sessions of examinees as per details given below: -
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(Allocation of Days and shifts were done randomly)
(a) Distribution of candidates were as follows:
Session-1: Day-1 Shift-1, Session-2: Day-1 Shift-2, Session-3: Day-2 Shift-1 and Session-4: Day-2 Shift-2
In this method of scoring the HIGHEST RAW SCORE in each paper (irrespective of the raw scores) will be the 100 Percentile indicating that 100% of candidates have scores equal to or lesser than the highest scorer/ topper for that session.
Highest Raw Score and Percentile Score: All the highest raw scores will have normalized Percentile Score of 100 for their respective session.
Lowest Raw Score and Percentile Score: Percentile Score of all the lowest raw scores will depend on the total number of candidates who have taken the examination for their respective session.
The following is a further explanation of the interpretation of the raw scores and Percentile Score in Session-3 (Day-2 and Shift-1) with 41326 candidates who have taken the examination.
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STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE FOR NORMALIZATION AND PREPARATION OF RESULT: Step-1: Distribution of Examinees in two shifts:
Candidates have to be distributed into two sessions randomly so that each session has approximately equal number of candidates. These two sessions would be as follows:
Session-1: Day-1 Shift-1, Session-2: Day-1 Shift-2
In the event of more number of days or less number of shifts, the candidates will be divided accordingly.
This will ensure that there is no bias in the distribution of candidates who shall take the examination. Further, with a large population of examinees spread over the entire country the possibility of such bias becomes remote.
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Step-2: Preparation of Results for each Session:
The examination results for each session would be prepared in the form of
➢ Raw Scores
➢ Percentiles Scores of Total raw scores.
The Percentiles would be calculated for each candidate in the Session as follows: Let TP1 be the Percentile Scores of Total Raw Score of that candidate.
No. of candidates appeared from the session with raw score EQUAL
Total Percentile (TP1) : 100 X
TO OR LESS than T1 score
Total No. of candidates appeared in the session
Step-3: Compilation of NTA score and Preparation of Result:
The Percentile scores for the Total Raw Score for all the sessions (Session-1: Day-1 Shift-1, Session-2: Day-1 Shift-2) as calculated in Step-2 above would be merged and shall be called the NTA scores which will then be used for compilation of result and further processing for deciding the allocation.
In the events of the percentiles for the multi-shifts being dissimilar / unequal, the lowest will be the eligibility cut-off for that category for all candidates (i.e. all shifts).
For Example: In the examination held in two shifts, if the 40% marks correspond to a Percentile score of 78 in Shift 1 and 79 in Shift 2, then all those equal to or above 78 percentiles (Percentile score of 100 to 78) in both shifts will become eligible in General Category. Similar method will be adopted for the other categories to determine eligibility cut-offs. In case the examination is held in more number of shifts the same principle shall apply.
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ANNEXURE-XIV
COMMON SERVICES CENTRES/FACILITATION CENTRES
Candidates, who are not well conversant to submit the online application due to various constraints, can use the services of Common Services Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India under the Digital India initiatives of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The Common Services Centre (CSC) scheme is a part of the ambitious national e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of Government of India and is managed at each village panchayat level by a Village level Entrepreneur (VLE)
There are more than 1.5 lakhs Common Services Centres (CSC) across the country which will provide the desired support to candidates from urban as well as rural areas in online submission of Application Form and payment of fee through e-wallet. The list of the Common Services Centre is available on website: www.csc.gov.in.
Note: To know nearest Common Services Centre, please open link
http://gis.csc.gov.in/locator/csc.aspx
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ANNEXURE-XV
Test Practice Centres (TPCs)
What is a Test Practice Centre (TPCs)?
The Ministry of Human Resource Development mandated the NTA to set up, establish and create a network of Test Practice Centres for candidates, especially in remote and rural areas to enable them to practice and be comfortable in taking a Computer Based Test (CBT). This facility is completely free of cost. Candidates can register online (on NTA website) where they are provided a convenient TPC near to their location to practice on a given computer node. This facilitates and eases the process of being able to take a Computer Based Test (CBT). The entire experience of using a computer is close to the actual experience of taking a CBT. All efforts are made to provide practice tests and questions so that candidates can familiarize themselves with logging into the system, go through the detailed instructions regarding the test, use the mouse or numeric keyboard on screen (virtual) for attempting each question, scroll down to the next question, navigate between questions, review and edit their options and submit questions.
The objective of TPCs is primarily to organize test practice for the upcoming NTA examinations.
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Help Line No. 0120-6895200
e-mail : ugcnet@nta.ac.in
National Testing Agency
(An autonomous organization under the Department of Higher Education,
Ministry of Education, Government of India)
Address for Correspondence
Block C-20/1A/8, Sector 62,
Gautam Buddh Nagar, Noida -201309 (UP)
Help Line: For Technical support, contact following
during working days between 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
www.nta.ac.in
ugcnet.nta.nic.in
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