Which is better CSIR JRF or UGC JRF?

The full form of the CSIR JRF Exam is the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Junior Research fellowship exam. On the other side, the full form of UGC JRF is University Grants Commission Junior Research Fellowship. Both of these are national-level examination that is conducted twice a year by National Testing Agency.

These exams are conducted to select candidates for the Junior Research fellowship to appoint as lecturers in colleges and universities across India. Both these examinations are not different from each other. Thus, it depends upon the subject you choose to appear for the exam.

So, if you are looking forward to becoming a lecturer, then you can appear in any of these exams. The only difference in this examination is that candidates who belong to Science Stream can appear in CSIR JRF. Apart from that, students from other streams appear for the UGC JRF. Hence, there is no major difference between CSIR JRF and UGC NET JRF exam.

Exam Pattern for CSIR Exam

Examination Name	CSIR NET
Duration of the Exam	National Testing Agency
Exam Mode	Online
Marking Scheme	Negative Marking is Applicable
Subjects and No. of Questions	Life Sciences- 145
	Chemical Science-120
	Atmospheric, Planetary, Atmospheric, and Earth Science- 150
	Physical Science-75
	Mathematical Science-120
Total Marks	200

Who Can Appear for CSIR JRF Exam?

So now you know that if you have taken the science stream, you will have to appear for CSIR JRF Exam. This exam is held during December and June. These are the educational qualification you need to appear for the CSIR JRF examination conducted by the NTA.

You have a degree of Master in Science or another equivalent degree.
You should hold a university degree of BS, B-Tech, or B-Pharm (4 years)
You should obtain approximately 55% marks.

Hence, if you have the above educational degrees, then you can appear for the CSIR JRF exam.

Age limit to Appear for CSIR JRF Exam.

To appear for the CSIR JRF exam, the maximum age should be 28 years (for OBC and General). While for the PWD/SC/ST, the age limit is 33 years. This examination doesn’t have any upper limit of age for the lectureship.

Exam Pattern for UGC JRF Exam

Particulars	Paper 1	Paper 2
Mode of the Exam	Online	Online
Paper Type	Common questions for candidates from every stream	Specific questions related to the chosen subjects
Duration of the Exam	3 hours
Question Type	Multiple Choice Questions with 4 options	Multiple Choice Questions with 4 options
Total No. of Questions	50	100
Language	Hindi and English	Hindi and English
Marking Scheme	For Correct Answer-+2 For Wrong Answer-0	For Correct Answer-+2 For Wrong Answer-0
Total Marks of the Exam	100	200

Who Can Appear for UGC JRF Exam?

As we have already discussed those students, who have taken science can appear for the CSIR JRF exam. So, if you belong to the Humanities stream, you can definitely appear for the UGC JRF Exam. The National Testing Agency also conducts this exam. It is held twice a year, during January and July. Hence, these are the educational qualification required to appear for the UGC JRF Exam.

You should have a Master’s degree/bachelor’s degree in Humanities from any recognized university.
You should have a degree in Computer Applications and Science, Social Science, Electronic Science, etc.
You should obtain approximately 55% marks in your graduation.

Age Limit to Appear for UGC JRF Exam

If you want to apply for the UGC JRF Exam, men’s maximum age should be 31 years. Along with that, for the OBC categories, the age limit is relaxed up to 5 years. However, if you are applying for Assistant professor, then there is no upper limit for age.

Other Important Differences between UGC JRF and CSIR JRF Exam

These are some important differences between the two exams that you must know.

For CSIR Exam-

When you are appearing for the CSIR JRF Exam, you have to prepare for 3 different sections. –Part A, B, and C.
If you get qualified, you will be able to work in various Labs of CSIR Research.

For UGC JRF-

You have to prepare for two papers –Paper 1 and 2 to qualify for the UGC JRF Exam.
If you get qualified, you can work in various universities that are approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The cut-off for UGC JRF is higher than the CSIR JRF Exam.

Tips to Excel in the UGC JRF and the CSIR JRF Exam

If you are looking forward to appearing in these exams, then you must start your preparation early. As we have already shared the exam pattern of the exam, you can understand the marking scheme of both exams. The following tips will help you to score higher in the above exams easily.

Read from the correct reference books.

Whenever you are preparing for any competitive exam, it is very important to choose the right books. So, you must thoroughly research the books and guides that can help you prepare for the UGC and CSIR JRF Examination.

Solve Mock Questions Papers

Secondly, you need to regularly solve mock question papers available at BYJU’s Exam Prep. It will help you to understand the progress you are making. You can also enroll in online exams and make yourself accustomed to the system. In this way, you can understand the question pattern easily and solve them instantly.

Make Running Notes

Thirdly, whenever you are reading, it is best to make running notes. This will help you to avoid confusion during the preparation. You can easily remember it whenever you do revisions.

Make a Strong Plan

Additionally, an important and most effective tip is to make a strong and dedicated study plan. In this way, you will give equal attention to every section and subject. Along with that, you will be able to take out some time for revision before the exam date.

Hence, this is some important information about the UGC and CSIR JRF Exam. As we have thoroughly discussed above, it is clear that both examinations are equal. Thus, the only difference is the cut-off and the subjects.