How To Calculate UGC NET 2025 Cut Off Marks? Check JRF Cutoff, Assistant Professor's Cutoff and More

The UGC NET June 2025 exam is over, and candidates are now waiting for the cutoff marks. Based on paper analysis, student feedback, and past trends, we’ve prepared expected cutoffs for both Assistant Professor and JRF.

Most papers were rated Easy to Moderate, and this year saw 12 to 15% more candidates than in 2024. As a result, cutoffs in some subjects may be slightly higher. For example, the Assistant Professor cutoff is expected to be around 210-220 in Political Science, 190-200 in English, and 180-190 in Economics. This article discusses the expected scores, the percentile system, and how normalization works in UGC NET 2025.

UGC NET 2025 Expected Cutoff Scores (General Category)

Based on the difficulty level of the June 2025 papers and recent trends, the following are the projected UGC NET 2025 Cutoffs (out of 300) for General (UR) candidates across different subjects

Paper I Expected Cutoff (General category): Around 60–68 marks out of 100, varying by shift due to normalization.

UGC NET 2025 Percentile Requirements by Category

UGC NET 2025 percentile criteria vary across categories. While the official minimum is the 40th percentile for UR/EWS and the 35th percentile for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD.

In the June 2024 cycle, the Assistant Professor cutoff for UR was around 50.5 percentile, and for JRF, it was the 62.75th percentile. Similar trends are expected this year.

Factors Affecting UGC NET Cut Off 2025 Marks

A few major influencing factors directly determine the UGC NET cut-off every cycle. Knowing these enables candidates to foresee score patterns and target their preparation:

• Number of Candidates: More test-takers increase competition, often raising the cut-off percentile.
• Subject Difficulty: A tougher Paper II generally lowers raw scores but, after normalization, can shift percentile boundaries.
• Normalization Process: NTA’s percentile-based adjustment balances variations across shifts, ensuring fairness but also affecting final cut-off marks.
• Reservation Categories: Various percentage cut-offs for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, PWD and EWS groups alter the landscape of overall cut-offs.
• Available Fellowships & Posts: The number of JRF seats and Assistant Professor positions being fixed determines the maximum number of qualifiers, which in turn affects how much the cut-off needs to rise.

UGC NET 2025 Assistant Professor Cutoff (General Category)

Based on the June 2025 exam feedback and recent trends, Political Science is expected to have one of the highest cutoffs, around 210-220, due to an easier paper and high attempt accuracy. English may see a cutoff of 190-200, while Economics is likely to remain in the 180–190 range.

UGC NET Cutoff Trends: (2019–2024)

Looking at UGC NET cutoff trends from 2019 to 2024 helps in understanding how scores have shifted over time. For example, in the December 2024 session, the JRF cutoff for Economics (UR) was around 206, while for Assistant Professor, it was approximately 156. Similarly, in Political Science (UR), the Assistant Professor cutoff touched a high of 216 in December 2023. Philosophy (UR) also saw a sharp rise with an Assistant Professor cutoff of 226 in December 2022

Subjects like Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics often see cutoffs around or above 200 marks for JRF.

How To Calculate UGC NET Cut Off Marks 2025?

To calculate your UGC NET cut-off, follow these steps carefully. This method uses percentiles to adjust for differences in exam difficulty and candidate performance:

1. Obtain Raw Scores: Note your marks in Paper I and Paper II separately.
2. Convert to Percentiles: NTA converts each paper’s raw score into a percentile. This ranks you among all test-takers.
3. Compute Aggregate Percentile: Add the two percentiles and divide by two to get your combined percentile score.
4. Apply Category Threshold: Check the required minimum percentile for your category (e.g., 40% for UR, 35% for OBC/SC/ST/PwD). You must meet or exceed this.
5. Compare with JRF Line: If your combined percentile falls in the top 6% overall, you qualify for JRF. If not, but above your category cut-off, you qualify for Assistant Professor.

UGC NET Cutoff 2025:Converting Raw Scores to Aggregate Percentile

For example, a candidate scoring 75/100 in Paper I (82 percentile) and 90/150 in Paper II (76.5 percentile) will have a combined percentile of 79.25, enough to qualify for Assistant Professor if their category cutoff is met.

Also Read: UGC NET Normalisation of Marks 2025: Check Result Preparation Criteria

UGC NET Cut Off Calculation: With Example Table (Subject-Wise)

Below is a sample of subject-wise cut-off percentiles for the UGC NET 2023 cycle (UR category). This illustrates how different subjects can have varied JRF and Assistant Professor thresholds based on candidate performance and exam difficulty. Use these figures to understand target percentiles in your chosen subject.

Key Points to Remember About UGC NET Cut Off & Normalization

For setting realistic goals, understanding UGC NET cut-offs and the normalization process are key components. Here are some important areas that you must remember while preparing for the exams:

• Percentile, Not Raw Marks: Cut-offs are based on percentiles, which rank you among all test-takers after adjusting for difficulty.
• Shift-to-Shift Fairness: NTA’s normalization balances score differences across various exam shifts, so performance, not paper timing, matters.
• Category-Wise Thresholds: Reserved categories (OBC-NCL, SC/ST, PwD) have a 35th percentile cut-off, while Unreserved/EWS require a 40th percentile.
• Top 6% for JRF: Only candidates in the highest 6% (among those meeting the Assistant Professor cut-off) earn JRF.
• Fixed Fellowship & Posts: A limited number of seats means cut-offs can rise if competition is intense.
• Regular Updates: Always refer to the latest NTA notification for any changes in rules or percentile thresholds.

Final Thoughts

In UGC NET, scoring higher than the basic cutoff is important. A combined percentile above 78-80 improves your chances for JRF, while around 50 percentile may only be enough for an Assistant Professor. Since only the top 6% get JRF, it's important to understand how normalization works, track past trends, and set clear score targets. This helps you develop a general idea about the cutoff calculation, estimate your score accordingly, and understand where you stand for Assistant Professor or JRF eligibility.