UGC NET Paper 1 exam pattern
UGC NET Paper 1 has 50 compulsory multiple-choice questions of 2 marks each, 100 marks in all, with no negative marking. It is a computer-based test in English or Hindi, taken with Paper 2 in one three-hour sitting without a break. The questions come from ten syllabus units, five from each.
The real paper at a glance
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice questions, all compulsory |
|---|---|
| Marks | 2 per correct answer, 100 in all |
| Negative marking | None. A question left unanswered or only marked for review scores 0 |
| Time | Paper 1 and Paper 2 (100 questions, 200 marks) are taken in one sitting of 3 hours with no break. The bulletin sets no separate time for Paper 1 |
| Medium | English and Hindi |
| Mode | Computer-based test (CBT) |
| Units | 10. The syllabus notes that five questions of 2 marks are set from each unit |
What our practice papers copy
Each of our 8 papers has 50 questions with 4 options and one correct answer, 2 marks each, 100 in all, with no negative marking. Each takes 5 questions from each of the 10 units, as the syllabus notes for the real paper: Comprehension comes as one passage with five questions and Data Interpretation as one table with five questions.
The screen works like a computer-based test: one question at a time, a question palette that shows the state of every question, Save & Next, Clear Response, Mark for Review & Next, and a clock that counts down and submits the paper at zero.
What they do not copy
The clock. The real exam gives one 3-hour sitting for both papers, so there is no official time for Paper 1 alone. We chose 60 minutes so that Paper 1 can be practised on its own; that hour is our choice, not NTA's.
The questions. Every question is our own, written to the published pattern and syllabus. No official question is reproduced, and nothing here comes from a past paper.
The language and the result. Every practice paper here is in English and Hindi; you can switch between them at any time during the test. Your score is our marking of our own questions; it says nothing official about a NET result. NTA runs its own free mock test for the official screen.
Start a free UGC NET Paper 1 practice paper
Questions people ask
How many questions are there in UGC NET Paper 1?
Fifty multiple-choice questions, all compulsory. Each carries 2 marks, so Paper 1 is worth 100 marks. Paper 2 has 100 questions worth 200 marks.
Is there negative marking in UGC NET Paper 1?
No. A wrong answer scores 0, and so does a question left unanswered or only marked for review. It is always worth answering every question.
How much time is given for Paper 1?
The bulletin sets no separate time: Paper 1 and Paper 2 are taken together in one sitting of 3 hours with no break. Our practice papers give 60 minutes for Paper 1 alone, which is our choice.
How many questions come from each unit?
The UGC syllabus notes that five questions of 2 marks are set from each of the ten units, which makes the 50 questions. Our practice papers follow that split.
In which languages can I take UGC NET Paper 1?
In English or Hindi; the bulletin names those two as the medium of the paper. Every practice paper here is in English and Hindi; you can switch between them at any time during the test.
Is UGC NET a computer-based test?
Yes. The bulletin gives the mode as a computer-based test (CBT); NTA's free mock at nta.ac.in/Quiz shows the official screen. Our papers use a similar screen.
Are these official NTA papers?
No. Every question is our own, written to the published pattern and syllabus, and this site is not affiliated with NTA or UGC. For the official screen, NTA runs a free mock test at nta.ac.in/Quiz.
Sources
- NTA, UGC-NET December 2026 Information Bulletin (PDF), read 25 Oct 2026.
- UGC NET Bureau, Paper-I syllabus, General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude (PDF), read 26 Oct 2026.
- NTA free mock test, read 25 Oct 2026.
More
Practice papers in the pattern of UGC NET Paper 1. Not affiliated with NTA or UGC.