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UGC NET English Syllabus 2025: Download PDF Now!
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A wide range of subjects are included in the UGC NET English Syllabus, which is one of the most popular elective subjects in the UGC NET Exam. Candidates who wish to choose English as their subject for the UGC NET exam must be familiar with the UGC NET English syllabus in order to plan their studies effectively. Understanding the UGC NET English syllabus will help candidates identify important topics and devise appropriate strategies for preparation.
- As per the UGC NET exam pattern, there will be two papers in the exam – Paper I, which is a general paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude, and Paper II, which focuses on a specific subject, that is English.
- For candidates preparing for the UGC NET English exam, Paper II covers English literature and comprehension.
- Some of the most important topics covered include British and post-colonial literature, American literature, Indian writing in English, literary criticism and theory, linguistics and English language teaching. In addition, candidates will be examined on grammar, vocabulary and communication skills.
- It is crucial for candidates who have chosen English as their Paper II subject to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire UGC NET English syllabus, including developments in literature and language.
- Apart from this, the UGC NET JRF Syllabus for English also includes a component of Reading Comprehension to assess the candidates analytical ability and critical thinking skills.
- The UGC NET Syllabus for English consists of ten modules, each of which does not have any subtopics associated with it.
The classification of these modules is provided in this article for your reference as per the official NTA UGC NET English syllabus.
Check out expert UGC NET Preparation Tips before kickstarting your exam preparation.
Download 8 Week Study Plan for UGC NET Examination
UGC NET English Syllabus 2025: Overview
The purpose of the UGC NET English Syllabus 2025 is to assess your critical thinking, language, and literature skills in English. Drama, poetry, fiction, non-fiction prose, literary criticism, and cultural studies are among the subjects covered. The test consists of two papers: Paper 1 evaluates your overall teaching and research skills, while Paper 2 gauges your command of English language and literature.
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UGC NET English Paper 1 Syllabus 2025
Ten units make up the UGC NET English Paper 2 syllabus, and each unit covers a distinct aspect of English, such as language, poetry, drama, and novels. Students gain an understanding of English literature, well-known authors, and the English language through these topics. The UGC NET Paper 1 English syllabus constitutes the general subjects constituting Teaching and Research Aptitude and related subjects, knowledge of which is required to become teachers at the University level. The following are important sections of the UGC NET English syllabus Paper 1 –
- Research Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
- Communication
- Reasoning
- Logical Reasoning
- Data Interpretation
- Information and Communication Technology
- People and Environment
- Higher Education System: Governance, Polity and Administration
Also read UGC NET Important Topics for English and Paper 1.
UGC NET English Paper 2 Syllabus: Unit Wise
As per the official NTA website, the following are the key modules included in the English NET exam syllabus. The UGC NET English syllabus paper 2 has been stated below.
| UGC NET English Syllabus – Unit Wise Modules | |
| UGC NET English Syllabus Units | Module Name |
| Unit I | Drama |
| Unit II | Poetry |
| Unit III | Fiction and Short Story |
| Unit IV | Non-Fiction Prose |
| Unit V | Language: Basic Concepts, Theories and Pedagogy, English in Use |
| Unit VI | English in India: History, Evolution, and Future |
| Unit VII | Cultural Studies |
| Unit VIII | Literary Criticism |
| Unit IX | Literary Theory Post World War II |
| Unit X | Research Methods and Materials in English |
Note – For the first four units, comprehension passages must also be used to measure students' reading, writing, and critical-thinking abilities. All English literature will be covered in these four courses.
UGC NET English Syllabus PDF
The UGC NET English Syllabus PDF has been released on the official website. Candidates can visit the official website @ugcnetonline.in/syllabus-new.php or click on the direct link given below to view and download the syllabus.
Download UGC NET English Syllabus PDF
UGC NET English Exam Pattern
As per the UGC NET English exam pattern, the exam is conducted in the form of a Computer Based Test in a single session of 3 hours. The following will be the pattern of the examination –
| UGC NET English Paper | Number of Questions | Marks |
| Paper-I Teaching & Research Aptitude | 50 | 100 |
| Paper-II English | 100 | 200 |
| Total Weightage | 150 | 300 |
Go through the complete UGC NET Exam Pattern in detail.
UGC NET English Marking Scheme
The UGC NET English test evaluates applicants' knowledge and comprehension of English literature, language, and related subjects using a precise grading system. Paper 1 (General Aptitude) and Paper 2 (English, a subject-specific paper) make up the exam. The marking scheme makes it easier to comprehend how points are assigned to the various exam components.
| Paper | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks | Duration |
| Paper 1 | 50 questions | 2 marks each | 100 marks | 3 hours (combined with Paper 2) |
| Paper 2 | 100 questions | 2 marks each | 200 marks | 3 hours (combined with Paper 1) |
Important Novels List for UGC NET English Literature Syllabus
Apart from reading the above mentioned books, students preparing for the English Literature syllabus for UGC NET exam must read the following important novels and plays, questions from which are frequently asked in the exam –
| Important Novels List for UGC NET English Literature Syllabus | ||
| S.No. | Novel/Plays | Author |
| 1. | Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen |
| 2. | Silas Marner | George Eliot |
| 3. | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Oscar Wilde |
| 4. | Great Expectations | Charles Dickens |
| 5. | Mrs. Dalloway | Virginia Woolf |
| 6. | To the Lighthouse | Virginia Woolf |
| 7. | A Passage to India | E. M. Forster |
| 8. | Animal Farm | George Orwell |
| 9. | Lord of the Flies | William Golding |
| 10. | Brave New World | Aldous Huxley |
| 11. | The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood |
| 12. | Midnight's Children | Salman Rushdie |
| 13. | Wide Sargasso Sea | Jean Rhys |
| 14. | The Canterbury Tales | Geoffrey Chaucer |
| 15. | Macbeth | William Shakespeare |
| 16. | Othello | William Shakespeare |
| 17. | Dr. Faustus | Christopher Marlowe |
Go through more UGC NET Books for the English paper to enhance your preparation.
UGC NET English Drama Syllabus
The UGC NET Exam English syllabus in Drama has been stated below.
| S.No. | Category | Key Readings |
| 1. | British Drama | William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth |
| Restoration Drama – William Wycherley, William Congreve, John Dryden | ||
| English Renaissance Drama – Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson | ||
| Victorian Drama – Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw | ||
| 2. | Indian English Drama | Vijay Tendulkar – Silence! The Court Is in Session, Kamala |
| Mahesh Elkunchwar – Garbo | ||
| 3. | American Drama | Eugene O'Neill – Desire Under the Elms, Long Day's Journey Into Night |
| Tennessee Williams – A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | ||
| Arthur Miller – Death of a Salesman, The Crucible | ||
| 4. | Postcolonial Drama | Wole Soyinka – Death and the King's Horseman, The Trials of Brother Jero |
| Girish Karnad – Tughlaq, Hayavadana | ||
| August Wilson – Fences, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | ||
| 5. | Drama Theories and Criticism | Aristotle's Poetics |
| Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty | ||
| Bertolt Brecht's Epic Theatre |
How to Prepare for the UGC NET English Exam?
This is a straightforward, bullet-pointed approach to help you get ready for the UGC NET English Exam:
- Recognize the syllabus: To determine which subjects to concentrate on, go over the curriculum (e.g., Poetry, Drama, Fiction, Literary Criticism).
- Use Trusted Books: Read reputable books like: Edward Albert's A History of English Literature, M.S. Nagarajan's Literary Theory and Criticism, Arihant's UGC NET/JRF/SET English
- Make a Study Schedule: Make a study plan and ensure that you have studied every unit before the test.
- Prioritize Understanding: Pay attention to the themes and meaning of works rather than merely learning information by heart.
- Solve Previous Year Papers: To familiarize yourself with the format and question types, practice answering previous year's question papers.
- Take Mock Exams: Frequent mock exams might help you pinpoint your weak points and increase your speed.
- Examine Significant Writers and Works: Pay particular attention to influential authors such as Milton, Shakespeare, and contemporary Indian writers.
- Take Notes: For speedy rewriting, jot down significant quotes, concepts, and points.
- Join Study Groups/Classes: For support and encouragement, study alongside classmates or enroll in online courses.
- Rest and Take rests: To maintain mental clarity, make sure you receive adequate sleep and take rests.
Best Books to Prepare UGC NET English Syllabus
It is crucial to pick the right books while covering the syllabus of English for UGC NET Exam. The following are some of the best, expert-recommended books you can use to cover UGC NET Syllabus for English subject –
| S.No. | Books | Author/Publisher | Description |
| 1. | Objective English for Competitive Examinations | Achyut Godbole | This book covers the objective English section of the exam including grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and error detection. It includes solved examples for practice. |
| 2. | Practice Questions on English Language & Comprehension for UGC NET English | Ramesh Publishing House | This textbook contains over 1000 practice questions on English Language topics like vocabulary, error detection, sentence correction etc. with answers for self-evaluation. |
| 3. | UGC NET English Previous Years' Solved Papers | Arihant Experts | This book is a collection of 13 years' previous solved question papers from 2008-2020 to understand the exam pattern and level of questions. |
| 4. | Spotlight on UGC-NET/JRF-English Paper II | Arihant Experts | This comprehensive book overs the UGC NET syllabus for paper 2 including English language teaching, literature in English, literary criticism etc. Includes notes, solved examples and practice questions. |
| 5. | UGC NET English | Rohit Kumar | This concise book covers all parts of the English syllabus - language, literacy & translation. Includes theory, solved examples and practice questions for exam preparation. |
Did you find this article on UGC NET English Syllabus pdf for Paper 2 to be useful and informative in your exam preparation? Download the Testbook App to get access to industry-best learning resources, expert-recommended preparation tips as well as latest updates about the UGC NET & JRF Exam and other government recruitments.
UGC NET Syllabus 2025 FAQs
Q1. What is the syllabus for the UGC NET?
Ans. The UGC NET syllabus outlines the courses you must study for the test, such as social studies, science, and English.
Q2. What is the number of papers in the UGC NET exam?
Ans. Paper 1 focuses on research and teaching techniques, while Paper 2 is devoted to your subject (such as physics, English, etc.).
Q3. Which subjects are discussed in Paper 2?
Ans. According to the subject you select for the test, Paper 2 covers topics such as literature, history, or any other area of your choosing.
Q4. Does every subject have its own syllabus?
Ans. Indeed, every discipline has a syllabus with particular subjects to learn, such as physics, literature, or language.
Q5. When will the syllabus for UGC NET 2025 be accessible?
Ans. Students may already access and download the UGC NET 2025 syllabus from the official website.
Q6. Is the UGC NET syllabus available for download?
Ans. Yes, you can view all of the exam subjects by downloading the UGC NET syllabus from the official UGC NET website.
Last updated on Jun 10, 2025
-> The UGC NET Exam Schedule 2025 for June has been released on its official website.
-> The UGC NET Application Correction Window 2025 is available from 14th May to 15th May 2025.
-> The UGC NET 2025 online application form submission closed on 12th May 2025.
-> The June 2025 Exam will be conducted from 21st June to 30th June 2025
-> The UGC-NET exam takes place for 85 subjects, to determine the eligibility for 'Junior Research Fellowship’ and ‘Assistant Professor’ posts, as well as for PhD. admissions.
-> The exam is conducted bi-annually - in June and December cycles.
-> The exam comprises two papers - Paper I and Paper II. Paper I consists of 50 questions and Paper II consists of 100 questions.
-> The candidates who are preparing for the exam can check the UGC NET Previous Year Papers and UGC NET Test Series to boost their preparations.
UGC NET English Syllabus FAQs
How many units are there in the UGC NET English Syllabus?
The UGC NET English Syllabus has ten units.
Is the UGC NET English Syllabus available in Hindi?
No, the English Syllabus is not available in Hindi.
Are there subunits in UGC NET English Syllabus?
The UGC NET English Syllabus has no sub-units.
Does the UGC NET English Syllabus change every year?
No, the UGC NET English Syllabus does not change each year.
Is UGC NET English syllabus hard to cover?
No, the UGC NET English syllabus is not tough to cover, candidates can cover the whole syllabus by starting early.
What is the minimum time to cover the whole UGC NET English syllabus?
The minimum time to cover the whole UGC NET English syllabus is about 6 months.
Do we need to prepare the whole UGC NET English syllabus to crack the exam?
To crack the UGC NET English exam, it is essential to have a solid understanding of the entire UGC NET English syllabus. While prioritizing key topics like literary theory, major literary periods, authors and their works, and research methodologies, focusing on language teaching and linguistics concepts is also beneficial. By allocating time strategically, candidates can cover the essential aspects of the syllabus and increase their chances of success.