How many attempts are there in CSIR NET?
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Eligibility Test (NET) is conducted twice a year in June and December to determine eligibility for lectureship and award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges. There is no limit on the number of attempts a candidate can take for the CSIR NET exam.
Candidates can appear for the test any number of times for lectureship and JRF. This provides multiple opportunities for candidates to clear the exam. However, specific eligibility criteria about age, educational qualification, etc., need to be fulfilled.
Age Limit
For a lectureship, there is no upper age limit. Candidates with postgraduate degrees in science subjects can take the test irrespective of age and number of attempts.
However, the Junior Research Fellowship has an upper age limit of 28 years. The upper age limit is relaxed up to 5 years in case of candidates belonging to Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribes/Persons with benchmark disability/female – widowed or divorced (no child)/female – married (no child).
Recently, in June 2022, the upper age limit for JRF has been relaxed to 32 years for all candidates, irrespective of their category, to offset the loss of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, while lectureship has unlimited attempts, JRF has age limit restrictions, implying limited attempts for candidates aspiring for research careers.
UGC JRF NET Sociology Exam Preparation Coaching
Educational Qualifications
The minimum educational qualifications to appear for lectureship and JRF are:
M.Sc or equivalent degree/ Integrated BS-MS/B.Sc (Hons) or equivalent degree with minimum 55% marks for general/OBC-NCL (50% for SC/ST/PwBD) candidates.
Candidates enrolled for M.Sc or having completed 10+2+3 years of the Integrated BS-MS or B.Sc (Hons) program before June 1 of the screening year is also eligible to apply for the previous year’s exam.
So all candidates with postgraduate degrees in science subjects or are pursuing the same can appear any number of times until they attain the qualifying marks, keeping other eligibility criteria in mind.
Attempts for JRF
For the award of JRF, apart from fulfilling the age criteria, the candidate should qualify by scoring the minimum cutoff in the test (that varies every year).
As per the JRF award policy, if a qualified candidate has not opted for admission/joined for research within two years from the date of award of JRF, then the candidate has to re-qualify in the CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) to be eligible for Junior Research Fellowship in future.
So, a candidate can keep on attempting CSIR NET for a lectureship. For JRF, if availed after a stipulated period from clearing the exam, the candidate has to reappear and secure qualifying marks again whenever JRF aspires later on.
Relaxation in Qualifying Criteria
To motivate candidates to build a career in academics and research through this exam, a one-time relaxation of 5% in the qualifying criteria for eligibility of lecturers and JRF is given to SC/ST/Physically disabled/visually handicapped candidates.
This one-time relaxation further allows candidates multiple chances to meet the relaxed qualifying criteria. This holds for lectureship, while for the JRF award, age criteria will still need to be completed.
UGC NET Paper I Exam Coaching In Chandigarh
Conclusion
To summarize, the CSIR UGC NET exam does not limit the number of attempts for candidates. They can keep attempting the test until they attain the lectureship eligibility criteria.
For JRF, the upper age limit restricts the number of attempts. Further, the scored validity is only for a fixed period, implying that candidates must clear the exam again to aspire for JRF later in their careers.
The educational qualifications remain consistent; implying graduates/postgraduates in the science stream can attempt CSIR NET multiple times while pursuing or after finishing their education.
Overall, the exam offers good flexibility to candidates in attempting any number of times for lectureship, while JRF aspirants have relatively limited room, primarily stemming from the upper age limit.
Thanks for visiting our website Mantram Study Group
CHECK OUR OTHER LINKS: –
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no limit to the number of times you can attempt the CSIR NET exam as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. The exam is conducted twice a year, in June and December.
The CSIR NET Lectureship (LS) certificate is valid for a lifetime. Once qualified, you can use it indefinitely unless it is declared invalid by the competent authority.
Starting from the 2024-25 academic session, National Eligibility Test (NET) scores will be valid for PhD admissions, eliminating the need for multiple entrance exams. While NET scores are significant, other assessments like interviews and viva voce will also play a role.