UGC NET Criminology exam-day guide
UGC NET Criminology · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket printout
Download the admit card from the official NTA/UGC NET portal once released and carry a clear printout. The exact number of copies and colour requirements can change between cycles - confirm with the provider (the exam-conducting body named on your admit card).
Original photo ID matching the admit card
Carry the original government photo ID whose number you entered in the application (Aadhaar, passport, PAN, driving licence, voter ID, or similar). Photocopies and expired documents are usually rejected. The list of accepted IDs varies by cycle - confirm with the provider.
Passport-size photographs
Keep two or three recent photographs matching the one uploaded in the application. Some centres ask for one for the attendance sheet; the exact requirement is cycle-specific - confirm with the provider.
Transparent water bottle and simple stationery
Carry a clear water bottle and a black/blue ballpoint pen. Do not bring pencil cases, geometry boxes, or loose paper; most centres disallow them. Check the admit card instructions for what is permitted at your centre.
Know your reporting time and centre route
Reporting time is printed on the admit card and is usually well before the start. Do a dry run or map the route, note transport delays, and plan to arrive early; late entry is commonly refused after a cutoff printed on the admit card.
Leave prohibited items at home
Do not bring phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, calculators, study notes, or metal accessories. Many centres have no secure storage, so anything you carry may be confiscated or cause you to be turned away.
Read the information bulletin for your cycle
The bulletin sets paper pattern, marking, and conduct rules. Confirm the current pattern (for example, whether both Paper I and Paper II are attempted in one session) and the marking scheme from the official notification, not from memory or coaching material.
Practise the on-screen interface if computer-based
Use the official mock test or demo link if one is provided for your cycle to get comfortable with navigation, the question palette, and the mark-for-review feature. If the mode is pen-and-paper, practise OMR bubbling instead.
Confirm the exam mode, shift, and duration
Re-check whether your exam is CBT or OMR-based, your shift timing, and the total duration. These have changed across cycles - verify on the admit card and official notification rather than relying on older information.
Plan for biometric/verification time
Expect photograph capture, biometric or signature verification, and frisking at entry. This adds time; arrive at the reporting time, not the exam start time.
Medical or accessibility needs
If you need a scribe, extra time, or a specific facility, confirm the approval process and carry any required certificate. Scribe and compensatory-time rules are set by the provider and vary - confirm with the provider well before the exam.
Backup plan for travel and documents
Keep digital copies of the admit card and ID on a trusted person's phone or email in case of loss, and identify a nearby landmark or contact number for the centre. Do not rely on your own phone inside the centre.
Plan the day
Download and print the admit card; verify name, roll number, centre address, shift, and reporting time. If any detail is wrong, contact the provider's helpdesk immediately. Read the instructions page of the admit card and the information bulletin once, end to end.
Do a route check to the centre: travel time, mode, and a fallback route. Note the nearest landmark. If the centre is far, arrange accommodation or an early departure so you are not dependent on a single train or bus.
Switch from new-topic study to consolidation: revise your own summary sheets, formulae, key definitions, and lists (theorists, landmark studies, committees, and acts relevant to criminology). Do not start a fresh textbook at this stage.
Take one or two timed full-length mocks under exam conditions, then review errors by topic rather than score. For CBT, use the official mock interface if available to rehearse navigation and the on-screen calculator or rough-sheet rules.
Rehearse the paper strategy: how many minutes per section, when to skip and mark for review, and how much time to reserve for final checks. Decide your order of attempting sections based on your mock performance.
Pack the bag: admit card printout, original ID, photographs, pen, transparent bottle, and any approved medical documents. Lay out clothes without metal (belts, jewellery, watches) to speed security checks.
Confirm the reporting time and set two alarms. Check the weather and any transport disruptions. Eat a normal meal and sleep at your usual time; avoid last-minute cramming that costs sleep.
Do a light revision only: skim your summary sheets and the instructions on the admit card. Stop studying by early evening. Re-read the list of prohibited items so nothing slips into your bag.
Eat a proper breakfast, carry water, and leave with buffer time. Arrive at or before the reporting time; entry usually closes at a cutoff printed on the admit card. Keep the admit card and ID in an easily reachable pocket for repeated checks.
At the centre, follow staff instructions for verification, biometrics, and seating. Use the washroom before entry. Do not borrow stationery or talk to other candidates; keep to your seat and read the on-screen or OMR instructions.
First minute: confirm your name, roll number, and question paper code on screen or booklet. Read the instructions and note the total number of questions and marks per question before starting.
Work in passes: answer confident questions first, mark uncertain ones for review, and return to them. Watch the clock against your planned per-section budget and leave the last few minutes for transferring answers or checking the OMR.
For CBT, save or confirm each answer as required by the interface and check the question palette for unanswered items before submitting. For OMR, fill bubbles fully and dark, and check that question numbers align with the answer sheet.
If a technical glitch occurs on a computer, raise your hand and inform the invigilator immediately; do not attempt to fix the machine yourself. Note the time of the incident. Do not guess at compensation or re-exam rules - those are set by the provider.
Keep the admit card and any receipt until results are declared. Note your responses if the paper allows rough work, so you can estimate your score. Do not discuss or circulate question content during the exam window.
Rules to check
Carry only the original photo ID that matches your application details; photocopies, expired IDs, and a different ID than the one declared are commonly grounds for refusal. The accepted-ID list is cycle-specific - confirm with the provider.
Reach the centre by the reporting time on the admit card. Entry after the cutoff printed on the admit card is generally refused, and no extra time is given for late arrival. The exact cutoff and grace period are set by the provider - confirm on your admit card.
Electronic devices, smartwatches, calculators, Bluetooth earpieces, study material, and unauthorised metal items are prohibited inside the exam hall. Possession, even if switched off, can lead to disqualification. Follow the frisking and deposit instructions of centre staff.
Follow invigilator instructions and maintain silence. Impersonation, exchanging materials, talking, or attempting to access unauthorised help is treated as unfair means and can lead to cancellation of candidature and debarment; the penalties are defined by the provider.
Breaks are generally not permitted during the test; use the washroom before entry. If you must leave the hall, you may not receive compensatory time, and re-entry rules are centre-specific - ask the invigilator and confirm with the provider.
Scoring: there is typically no negative marking for wrong answers in UGC NET, but the marking scheme and any section-wise cutoff have changed across cycles. Verify the current scheme from the official notification before relying on it in your strategy.
Do not carry the question paper, OMR sheet, rough sheets, or any exam material out of the hall unless staff explicitly permit it. Return all sheets as instructed before leaving.
If you face a technical or medical emergency, inform the invigilator at once and follow their direction. Do not assume a re-test or extra time will be granted; any remedy is decided by the provider under its own rules.