CSIR NET 2025: December City Slip (Out), Exam, Syllabus, Pattern

CSIR NET (CSIR UGC NET) is a national exam conducted by NTA. It is held to check the eligibility of JRFs, lecturers, and Assistant Professors in Science & Technology subjects.

The CSIR NET Exam 2025 will be held on 18 December 2025 in two shifts. The NTA relased the CSIR NET exam City slip on 8 Decemeber at its official website. Further, CSIR NET Admit Card will be issued a few days before the exam at csirnet.nta.nic.in. 

For the December session, registration began on 25 September to 27 October, while the last date to pay fees was 28 October. The correction window for applicants was available from 30 October to 01 November, and the official notification of the December session of 2025 for CSIR NET was issued on 25 September 2025. Candidates are advised to check their eligibility before applying. Check the table below for subjects for which the CSIR UGC NET is conducted:

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a national-level exam conducted by the NTA to determine whether applicants are eligible for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) or to serve as Assistant Professors (Lecturers) in Indian universities and colleges. Check the table below for CSIR NET 2025 exam highlights:

Below is the complete schedule for the CSIR NET 2025 exam, including upcoming and past events.

CSIR UGC NET December 2025 Admit Card will be published by NTA at the official website. This will contain important information such as the exam date, shift timing, and exam center. Candidates can check the steps below to download CSIR NET admit card 2025:

1. Visit csirnet.nta.nic.in
2. Click on the CSIR UGC NET Admit Card link
3. Enter your application number and date of birth
4. View the displayed admit card
5. Download and print it for future reference

CSIR NET city intimation slip for the December 2025 session was officially released on December 9, 2025, allowing candidates to view their allotted exam city in advance. This early update helps students prepare their travel and scheduling plans smoothly. The CSIR NET exam is set to be conducted on January 6, 7, and 8, 2026. Applicants should note that the city slip is only a pre-exam update, and the admit card will be issued separately. Candidates can check their exam city using the steps below:

1. Visit csirnet.nta.nic.in
2. Click Download CSIR UGC NET Exam City Intimation Slip
3. Enter application number and date of birth
4. Check your assigned exam city under ‘City of Examination’
5. Download and take a printout

CSIR NET 2025 Exam Date

According to the official website of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the CSIR NET exam will take place on December 18, 2025. During this time, an examination will be conducted in two different sessions: 

• Shift 1: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Shift 2: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

The CSIR NET exam date provides important events such as application form release, admit card availability, exam schedule, and result announcements. Candidates must stay updated with these dates to avoid missing any important deadlines.

CSIR NET 2025 December Exam Schedule

The NTA has announced the exam date, while the detailed schedule will be updated soon.

Joint CSIR UGC NET syllabus covers five subjects, which include Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean & Planetary Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. The exam is divided into Part A, Part B, and Part C.

CSIR NET Syllabus: Part A (Common for All Subjects)

Part A tests General Aptitude and includes:

• Numerical Ability: Number systems, simplification, averages, quadratic equations, sequences, logarithms, percentages, SI & CI, profit-loss, LCM-HCF, probability, mensuration.
• Reasoning: Series, ranking, puzzles, coding-decoding, direction sense, calendar & clock.
• Data Interpretation: Mean, median, mode, dispersion, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, tables.

CSIR NET Syllabus: Part B & C (Subject-Specific)

These sections test subject knowledge in the chosen discipline.

• Chemical Sciences: Inorganic, Organic, Physical Chemistry, interdisciplinary topics.
• Earth Sciences: Geology, geography, geophysics, meteorology, ocean sciences.
• Life Sciences: Molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, ecology, diversity of life, cell communication.
• Mathematical Sciences: Algebra, analysis, topology, ODEs, PDEs, numerical analysis, calculus of variations, mechanics, statistics.
• Physical Sciences: Mathematical methods, classical mechanics, EM theory, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, electronics, atomic & molecular physics, nuclear physics.

CSIR NET exam has three parts:

• Part A: General Aptitude (common for all)
• Part B & C: Subject-based questions
• Total Marks: 200
• Negative Marking: Generally 25% (varies in some subjects)

Life Sciences Exam Pattern

Chemical Sciences Exam Pattern

Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean & Planetary Sciences Exam Pattern

Mathematical Sciences Exam Pattern

Physical Sciences Exam Pattern

Note: Negative marking is applicable in all sections except Part C of Mathematical Sciences, where no marks are deducted for incorrect answers.

CSIR NET December 2025 application form has been released on the official website csirnet.nta.nic.in. Candidates must follow the steps below to complete the CSIR NET 2025 application process:

• Register online by creating a new account.
• Log in using the credentials generated during registration.
• Access the application form using the application number and password sent to your registered email ID and mobile number.
• Upload all required scanned documents as per the specified guidelines.
• Submit the form and pay the application fee through any available online payment gateway.

CSIR NET 2025 Application Fees

Candidates are required to pay the application fee online to successfully submit the CSIR UGC NET 2025 form. The category-wise fee details are given below:

CSIR NET 2025 Notification Out

CSIR NET Notification for the December Session is out, released on September 25. The June Session notification was issued June 3 2025. This notification contains all of the information you need to know regarding registration, eligibility, exam dates, syllabus, exam pattern, admit card as well as any other important guidelines. The CSIR NET December 2025 notification contains the following details:

• Application Procedure
• Exam Dates
• Eligibility Criteria
• Exam Structure/Syllabus

To be eligible to apply for the CSIR NET exam, candidates are required to fulfil the criteria set by the conducting body. Candidates must follow the eligibility norms before filling out the application form. Check the below table for CSIR NET 2025 eligibility criteria:

Below are several recommended preparation techniques for candidates to prepare to take the CSIR NET Examination with confidence and success:

• The first step in preparing to take the examination should be to take a CSIR NET Mock Test so that you know what level your knowledge is currently at.
• Next, you should create a study schedule that includes revising and reviewing the areas you struggle with most, while you also continue to review the areas you're familiar with.
• Study the basic concepts first, before you move on to the advanced chapters.
• Whenever possible, take concise notes for subjects that are review topics.
• Make sure to fully review the previous year's CSIR NET question papers before attempting the exam so that you are familiar with how questions are usually formatted and which topics are frequently asked about.
• You should decide for yourself what study materials work for you, and do not feel that you need to read every single book available.

CSIR NET 2025 Best Books

Check the below table for recommended subject-wise books for CSIR NET 2025:

CSIR NET will be held on December 18, 2025, and a detailed subject-wise analysis will be available here after the exam. Candidates are advised to review this analysis to see how the CSIR NET 2025 exam compares in difficulty levels (extremely easy, easy, moderate, and hard). The CSIR NET Exam Analysis shows whether the questions in each section were easy or hard. The analysis for the June 2025 session is provided below:

CSIR NET 2025 June Exam Analysis (Shift 2)

• Physical Sciences: Overall difficulty was moderate; Part C was tougher, and the paper was lengthy.
• Mathematical Sciences: The paper was moderate to difficult as per student feedback.
• Chemical Sciences: Students found the exam difficult overall.

CSIR NET 2025 Shift 1 Exam Analysis

Life Sciences: The paper was rated difficult. Part C was tougher compared to previous sessions, and some students also found Part B challenging.

NTA will release the CSIR NET Answer Key for the December session on its official website. Candidates can check the below steps to download the CSIR NET 2025 answer key PDF:

• Visit csirnet.nta.nic.in
• Click on the Answer Key link
• A login window will appear
• Enter your application number and date of birth/password
• The provisional answer key will be displayed
• Download and save it for future reference

NTA will release the CSIR UGC NET Result 2025 for the December session on csirnet.nta.ac.in. Candidates can access their results using the direct link provided. Check the below steps to check CSIR NET result 2025:

• Visit csirnet.nta.ac.in
• Click on “Joint CSIR UGC NET Dec 2025 Score Card”
• Enter your application number, date of birth, and security pin
• Click Submit
• View and download your result and scorecard

CSIR NET 2025 Certificate

CSIR has released the CSIR NET December 2024 certificate for candidates who passed their exams on February 28, March 1 and 2, 2025. Candidates who were successful in the JRF and/or Lectureship examination are eligible to download their CSIR NET certificate from the official website. Check the below steps to download CSIR NET certificate:

• Visit the official website
• Select “Joint CSIR UGC NET”, enter the captcha, and proceed
• Enter your Roll Number and Date of Birth
• Download and save the certificate PDF

CSIR NET 2025 cut-off scores for each subject will be made available on the CSIR website (csirhrdg.res.in) by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The official PDF can be accessed from that site and we will provide that link below as well. Candidates can refer to the June session and previous year cut-offs to get an idea about the expected marks.

CSIR NET 2025 Cut-Off for June Session

Check below to know the CSIR NET 2025 cut off for the June session.

Junior Research Fellowship (JRF)

Assistant Professor / Lectureship

Ph.D. Only

CSIR NET 2024 Cut Off for the December Session

Check the below table for CSIR NET 2024 Cutoff for the December Session:

Junior Research Fellowship (NET) Dec Cutoff 2024 Category 1

CSIR NET Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET) Dec Cut Off 2024 (Category 2)

Check the below table forCSIR NET Cut-Off 2024 for the Dec Session for Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET):

Admission to Ph.D only (NET) Dec Cut Off 2024 (Category-3)

CSIR NET 2024 Cut Off for the June Session

Candidates can check the CSIR NET 2024 Cutoff for the June Session in the table below. 

CSIR NET Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET) Cut-off 2024 for the June Session

In the table below, CSIR NET Cut-Off 2024 for the June Session has been mentioned for Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET).

CSIR NET Previous Year's Cut-Off 2023 for the December Session

Candidates can check the CSIR NET December Cutoff in the table below. 

CSIR NET Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET) Cut-off

In the table below, CSIR NET Cut-Off (December Session) has been mentioned for Lectureship/Assistant Professor (NET).

The CSIR NET 2025 Selection Process consists of important steps as below:

1. Application Form Submission 

Candidates must submit an application form online, along with a payment of the required application fee, before the specified deadline.

2. Exam

Candidates who successfully submitted their applications will take the NTA-CSIR NET Exam online.

3. Result Declaration: 

The results will be announced in two distinct lists, i.e., the JRF-NET Merit List for those eligible to receive a Junior Research Fellowship and the LS-NET Merit List for those who qualify for eligibility to lecture at an institution.

4. Personal Interviews

From this point forward, only candidates shortlisted (according to their personal merit) will participate in personal interviews conducted at select universities and research institutions and laboratories.

5. Fellowship Grant

The candidate receiving a fellowship will have to enroll in a PhD program at a recognized university or research institution within 24 months following the date they receive their results.

CSIR NET 2026 was conducted on July 17-18, 2026. Results are expected after the release of the final answer key.

Qualifying cutoff:

• General / EWS / OBC: minimum 33% marks
• SC / ST / PwD: minimum 25% marks

The cutoff is released separately for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) and AP (Assistant Professor/Lectureship). Subject-wise cutoffs vary depending on exam difficulty, number of candidates, and available positions.