CSIR NET 2026 Exam Date & Official Schedule | NTA Exam Pattern Updates

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test (CSIR NET), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), determines the eligibility of Indian candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor positions, and PhD admissions across prestigious universities. The Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2026 exam is officially scheduled for July 17th and 18th, 2026. The assessment will take place in two shifts at designated centers nationwide.

CSIR NET Exam Date 2026 Out

NTA has officially released the CSIR NET June 2026 exam dates alongside the comprehensive notification PDF. The computer-based test (CBT) will be held on July 17th and 18th, 2026, in two sessions: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Further details regarding exam center allocations and specific reporting times will be provided in the upcoming admit card release.

CSIR NET 2026 Overview

Organized biannually in June and December, the CSIR NET is a critical benchmark for academic excellence in scientific research. Review the key highlights of the CSIR NET 2026 exam in the summary table below to better navigate the requirements of this prestigious eligibility test.

CSIR UGC NET 2026- Exam Summary
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Name	CSIR UGC NET June 2026
Full-Form	CSIR NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test)
Exam Level	National
Exam Frequency	Twice a year (June & December)
CSIR NET Exam Date 2026	17th and 18th July 2026
Mode of Exam	Online - CBT (Computer-Based Test)
Language/Medium of Exam	English and Hindi
No. of Test Cities	225
Official Website	https://csirnet.nta.ac.in/ https://nta.ac.in/

CSIR NET 2026- Important Dates

The National Testing Agency has unveiled the full schedule for the June session within the official CSIR NET Notification PDF. The CSIR NET 2026 June exam is confirmed for July 17th and 18th, 2026. Please refer to the table below for a complete timeline of important examination dates.

Events	Dates
CSIR NET December Notification 2026	27th May 2026
CSIR NET Application Form 206 Starts	27th May 2026
Last Date to apply online	19th June 2026
Last Date to pay application fee	20th June 2026
CSIR NET Correction Dates	22nd and 23rd June 2026
CSIR NET Admit Card 2026	July 2026
CSIR NET Exam Date 2026	17th and 18th July 2026

CSIR NET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

For JRF applicants, the upper age limit is 30 years as of the notification date. There is no maximum age restriction for candidates applying specifically for Assistant Professor or PhD positions through the CSIR NET exam.

Parameters	Eligibility
Nationality	Indian citizen
Upper Age Limit	JRF- 30 years  Assistant Professor & Ph.D. Admission- No age limit
Education Qualification	General/Unreserved/EWS Candidates must have at least 55% marks (no rounding off) in their Master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university. OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)/SC/ST/PwD/Third Gender Candidates must have at least 50% marks. Students who are in the final year of their Master's degree, or awaiting results, can also apply. Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree Holders must have at least 75% marks or equivalent grade.

CSIR NET 2026 Application Fee

Application fees for the CSIR NET must be paid online via credit card, debit card, or internet banking. Refer to the official fee structure categorized by applicant type below.

Category	CSIR NET Application Fee
General	Rs. 1150/-
EWS/ OBC – Non-creamy layer	Rs. 600/-
SC/ST/PwD/Third Gender	Rs. 325/-
PwD	NIL

Steps to Apply for CSIR NET June 2026

Candidates can easily submit their applications for the CSIR NET June session by following these streamlined steps.

PART I: Candidate Registration

1. Register on the official website to get your Application Number.
2. Enter basic details as per your Class 10 certificate:
3. Full Name (No prefixes like Mr./Ms..), Mother’s and Father’s Name, Date of Birth (Format: dd/mm/yyyy), Use your own mobile number and email ID (only one per application).
4. Email and phone number can’t be changed later, so be careful.

PART II: Completing the Application Form

1. You can edit your form before final submission.
2. The form can be filled in multiple steps, you can save it as a draft and complete it later before the last date.
3. Upload documents, pay the fee, and print the Confirmation Page.
4. Form is considered submitted only after fee payment is successful.
5. OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) should refer to the central list on www.ncbc.nic.in
6. Enter gender, address with PIN Code, subject of the exam, and preferred exam cities carefully these cannot be changed later.

PART III: Uploading Required Documents

Ensure all uploaded files are high-resolution, scanned correctly, and adhere strictly to the specified dimensions and formats.

Candidate Passport Photograph

1. Clear face, no cap/goggles, white background, 80% face visible.
2. JPG/JPEG format only, 10 kb to 200 kb.
3. Spectacles allowed if worn regularly.
4. No computer-generated or altered photos.

Candidate Scanned Signature

1. Full signature in running handwriting.
2. Use blue/black pen on white paper.
3. JPG/JPEG format, 10 kb to 50 kb.

PART IV: Examination Fee Payment

1. Pay via Net Banking / Credit Card / Debit Card / UPI.
2. Save a copy of the payment receipt for future reference.

CSIR NET 2026 Exam Pattern

The CSIR UGC NET 2026 is a computer-based objective test consisting of multiple-choice questions tailored to your chosen subject. Shift 1 is conducted from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while Shift 2 runs from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The exam includes five core subjects: Chemical Sciences, Earth/Atmospheric/Ocean/Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences, available in both English and Hindi. Refer to the overview table below for the full exam pattern.

Particulars	Exam Pattern Highlights
Exam mode	Online (Computer-Based Test)
Exam duration	180 minutes (3 hours)
Number of sections/parts	3 in each paper
No. of questions	Total Questions- 610 To be attempted- 310
Type of questions	MCQs: 4 options with only 1 correct option
Total marks	200 for each paper
Negative marking	Yes
Language of paper	English and Hindi

Each subject paper is divided into three distinct parts; detailed information on the exam scheme can be found below.

1. Each exam will be conducted for a total of 200 marks.
2. There will be three sections - Part A, Part B and Part C in each exam.
3. The marking system for each exam differs. We have provided the exam pattern for each exam below.

CSIR UGC NET Subject-wise Scheme
Subjects	No. of Questions	To be attempted	Marking Scheme	Negative Marking
Chemical Sciences	120 Part A- 20 Part B- 40 Part C- 60	75 Part A- 15 Part B- 35 Part C- 25	200 Part A- 2  Part B- 2 Part C- 4	Part A- 0.5 Part B- 0.5 Part C- 1
Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences	150 Part A- 20 Part B- 50 Part C- 80	75 Part A- 15 Part B- 35 Part C- 25	200 Part A- 2 Part B- 2 Part C- 4	Part A- 0.5 Part B- 0.5 Part C- 1.32
Life Sciences	145 Part A- 20 Part B- 50 Part C- 75	45 Part A- 15 Part B- 35 Part C- 25	200 Part A- 2 Part B- 2 Part C- 4	Part A- 0.5 Part B- 0.5 Part C- 1
Mathematical Sciences	120 Part A- 20 Part B- 40 Part C- 60	60 Part A- 15 Part B- 25 Part C- 20	200 Part A- 2  Part B- 3 Part C- 4.75	Part A- 0.5 Part B- 0.75 Part C- 0
Physical Sciences	75 Part A- 20 Part B- 25 Part C- 30	55 Part A- 15 Part B- 20 Part C- 20	200 Part A- 2  Part B- 3.5 Part C- 5	Part A- 0.5 Part B- 0.875 Part C- 1.25

View CSIR NET Syllabus 2026 - Click Here

View CSIR NET Exam Pattern 2026 - Click Here

CSIR NET 2026 Answer Key

Following the examination, NTA will release a provisional answer key. Candidates may challenge any response for a fee of Rs. 1000 per question. Once challenges are reviewed, the final answer key will be published, which remains conclusive and is not subject to further challenge or re-evaluation.

CSIR NET 2026 Result

Fellowships are awarded based on the CSIR merit list. Only candidates meeting the minimum cut-off criteria are eligible. Two distinct merit lists—one for JRF and one for Lectureship—will be published. Note that qualifying for JRF also grants eligibility for Assistant Professor roles. There is no provision for result re-evaluation.

CSIR UGC NET Cut Off 2026

The CSIR NET 2026 cut-off will be released alongside the final results, categorized by subject and applicant criteria. Review the expected cut-off trends for JRF and Lectureship in the section below.

CSIR NET June 2026 JUNE Cut Off 

Subject	Junior Research Fellowship (NET)
	UR (%)	EWS (%)	OBC (%)	SC (%)	ST (%)	PWD (%)
Chemical Science	50.750	44.50	43.75	93.25	28.00	25.50
Earth Science	61.29	53.97	53.13	44.99	43,38	26.70
Life Science*	51.50	44.00	43.75	37.25	35.75	25.00
Mathematical Science	53.375	46.00	43.375	35.375	30.75	25.125
Physical Science	51.188	42.375	43.375	31.625	29.188	25.125

Subject	Lectureship/Assistant professor (NET)
	UR (%)	EWS (%)	OBC (%)	SC (%)	ST (%)	PWD (%)
Chemical Science	45.675	40.05	39.375	29.925	25.200	25.000
Earth Science	55.161	48.573	47.817	40.491	39.042	25.000
Life Science*	46.250	39.60	39.375	33.525	32.175	25.000
Mathematical Science	48.038	41.40	39.038	31.838	27.675	25.000
Physical Science	46.069	38.138	39.038	28.463	26.269	25.000

CSIR NET 2026 Exam Centres

Consult the list of designated examination centers across all states and union territories to plan your venue selection for the 2026 cycle.

State/UTs	City
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	Port Blair
Andhra Pradesh	Anantapur Bhimavaram Chirala Chittoor Eluru Guntur Kadapa Kakinada Kurnool Nellore Ongole Rajahmundry Srikakulam Tirupati Vijayawada Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram Narasaraopet Proddatur Surampalem
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar/ Naharlagun
Assam	Dibrugarh Guwahati Jorhat Silchar Tezpur
Bihar	Bhagalpur Darbhanga Gaya Muzaffarpur Patna Purnea Arrah
Chandigarh (ut)	Chandigarh/Mohali
Chhattisgarh	Bhilai/Durg/Bhilai Nagar Bilaspur (CG) Raipur
Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu (UT)	Dadra & Nagar Haveli Daman Diu
Delhi	Delhi/New Delhi
Goa	Panaji/Madgaon
Gujarat	Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar Anand Bhavnagar Jamnagar Junagadh Mehsana Rajkot Surat Vadodara Valsad/Vapi Himatnagar
Haryana	Ambala Faridabad Gurugram Hissar Karnal Kurukshetra Panipat Sonipat Yamuna Nagar
Himachal Pradesh	Bilaspur (HP) Hamirpur Kangra/ Palampur Shimla Solan Mandi Una Kullu
Jammu & Kashmir	Baramulla Jammu Samba Srinagar
Jharkhand	Bokaro Steel City Dhanbad Jamshedpur Ranchi Hazaribagh
Karnataka	Belagavi (Belgaum) Bellary Bengaluru Bidar Davangere Gulbarga Hassan Hubli Mangaluru Mysuru Shivamogga Tumakuru Manipal/Udupi Mandya
Kerala	Alappuzha/Chengannur Ernakulam/Angamaly/Muvattupuzha Idukki Kannur Kasaragod Kollam Kottayam Kozhikode Malappuram Palakkad Pathanamthitta Thiruvananthapuram Thrissur
Ladakh	Leh
Lakshadweep (UT)	Kavaratti
Madhya Pradesh	Balaghat Betul Bhopal Chhindwara Gwalior Indore Jabalpur Rewa Sagar Satna Ujjain
Maharashtra	Ahmednagar Akola Amravati Aurangabad (MR) Chandrapur Dhule Jalgaon Kolhapur Latur Mumbai Nagpur Nanded Nasik Pune Raigad Ratnagiri Sangli Satara Solapur Thane Wardha
Manipur	Imphal Churachandpur
Meghalaya	Shillong
Mizoram	Aizawl
Nagaland	Dimapur Kohima
Odisha	Balasore Behrampur(Ganjam) Bhubaneshwar Cuttack Dhenkanal Rourkela Sambalpur
Puducherry	Puducherry/ Cuddalore
Punjab	Amritsar Bhatinda Jalandhar Ludhiana Pathankot Patiala Sangrur
Rajasthan	Ajmer Alwar Bikaner Jaipur Jodhpur Kota Sikar Sriganganagar Udaipur
Sikkim	Gangtok
Tamil Nadu	Chennai Coimbatore Cuddalore Kanchipuram Kanyakumari/ Nagercoil Madurai Namakkal Salem Thanjavur Thoothukudi Tiruchirappalli Tirunelveli Tiruvallur Vellore Virudhunagar
Telangana	Hyderabad Karimnagar Khammam Mahbubnagar Nalgonda Warangal
Tripura	Agartala
Uttar Pradesh	Agra Aligarh Allahabad Bareilly Faizabad Ghaziabad Gorakhpur Greater Noida/Noida Jhansi Kanpur Lucknow Mathura Meerut Moradabad Muzaffarnagar Sitapur Varanasi
Uttarakhand	Dehradun Haldwani Haridwar Nainital Pantnagar Roorkee
West Bengal	Asansol Bardhaman Durgapur Hooghly Howrah Kalyani Kolkata Siliguri