Difference Between UGC NET and SET has been the most impacting factor affecting academic careers in India. While UGC NET welcomes students to national level opportunities in teaching and research, SET limits its scope to teaching roles within a specific state. Both tests have associated parameters for testing candidates but vary in eligibility criteria, career prospects and levels of difficult tests. As an aspiring academician and researcher, knowing these differences assists you in making the right decisions for your future career.

Difference Between UGC NET and SET Overview

The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) and State Eligibility Test (SET) are two of the major tests in India. The purpose of these tests is to determine the eligibility of the candidates for lectureship and JRF roles. Despite certain similarities between the two, there are significant differences regarding scope, eligibility, examination pattern and career prospects.

UGC NET vs State Eligibility Test

Criteria	UGC NET	SET
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)	Respective State Authorities
Scope	National-level eligibility	State-level eligibility
Purpose	Qualify for Assistant Professor & JRF	Qualify for Assistant Professor only
Application	Valid across India	Himachal Pradesh State Eligibility Test, Assam State Eligibility Test, West Bengal State Eligibility Test, Maharashtra State Eligibility Test, Uttarakhand State Eligibility Test, Madhya Pradesh State Level Eligibility Test, Karnataka State Eligibility Test,  Kerala State Eligibility Test, Gujarat State Eligibility Test, Jammu and Kashmir State Eligibility Test, Andhra Pradesh State Eligibility Test, Tamil Nadu State Eligibility Test
Frequency	Twice a year	Conducted once a year by state-owned bodies
Subjects	83+ subjects	Subjects may vary by state
Job Prospects	National-level teaching & research	State-level teaching

SET Exam Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for State Eligibility Test (SET) is almost similar to UGC NET, with a little difference according to the guidelines of the state. Some of the major criteria are given below:

• Educational Qualification: Masters degree or equivalent in appropriate branch with at least 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/BC categories) from a recognized university.
• Age: Upper age limit is not provided for the post of Assistant Professor, but JRF is not available in SET.
• Reservation: The state-wise reservation of candidates is done as per state policy for SC, ST, OBC, PwD and other reserved classes.
• Domicile: Some states require a domicile, meaning candidates need to be permanent residents of that state to appear for the SET.

UGC NET Exam Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) require candidates to have a Master’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized university. The test is conducted by the NTA twice every year. Normally, this is conducted in June and December.

• Educational Qualification: Postgraduate degree with 55% (50% for SC/ST/OBC categories).

Age Limit for JRF and Assistant Professor:

• JRF: 30 years max (for reserved categories relaxable).

Assistant Professor: No age limit.

• Final Year Students: If they finish their degree before the declaration of result, then they are eligible.
• Attempts: No limit for Assistant Professor; JRF by age only.

Career Scope After UGC NET and SET

It is well established that UGC NET and SET lead to the academic and research positions available in higher education, but comparatively, the type and level of these exams differ.

Career Opportunities After UGC NET

• Assistant Professor: May apply for assistant professorships in colleges and universities of India.
• Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): Successful candidates under JRF may carry out research work leading to the award of PhD with stipend.
• Research Positions: In various government-funded organizations like ICMR, ICSSR, ICAR.
• Public Sector jobs: Certain PSUs include UGC NET scores as an eligibility criterion for recruitment positions like HR, management etc.

Career Opportunities After SET

• Assistant Professor: Candidates can apply for the assistant professor post in any university and college within the state where they qualified for SET.
• Teaching roles in State Colleges: Most state universities and colleges have a minimum requirement of qualification for recruitment that is the SET.

Exam Pattern Comparison: UGC NET vs SET

The exam pattern for both these exams differs in terms of structure, marking scheme and content.

Criteria	UGC NET	SET
Number of Papers	2 (Paper 1 & Paper 2)	2 (Paper 1 & Paper 2)
Paper 1	General aptitude, reasoning, teaching	General aptitude, reasoning, teaching
Paper 2	Subject-specific	Subject-specific
Number of Questions	50 in Paper 1, 100 in Paper 2	150 MCQs
Exam Mode	Online (Computer-based)	Online/Offline (varies by state)
Total Marks	300 (100 for Paper 1, 200 for Paper 2)	3 sections, 200 total marks
01 Negative Marking	No negative marking	Negative marking

NET and SET Exam Fees

The fee structure for the UGC NET and SET exams may differ slightly from one exam conducting body to another and also from one category of candidate to another. The general breakdown is as follows: 

Category	UGC NET Exam Fees	SET Exam Fees
General/Unreserved	₹1,150	₹1,200
Gen-EWS*/ OBC-NCL**	₹600	₹1,050
Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST)/Person with Disability (PwD)	₹325	₹1,000
OBC (Non-creamy layer)		₹1,050
General (EWS)		₹1,050
PwD		₹800

Difficulty Level of UGC NET and SET

The difficulty level of UGC NET is generally considered more challenging than that of SET because UGC NET is a national-level exam and includes JRF. Here are some key points of comparison:

• Competition: UGC NET is more competitive as it is a national-level examination and candidates are highly larger in comparison to that of SET from certain states.
• Content Depth: UGC NET has a wider syllabus that deals with the wide area of subjects for the JRF eligibility.
• Question Difficulty: The questions asked in UGC NET are generally conceptual and analytical, hence one needs deep knowledge about the subject. SET questions, however, are fundamental concept and application-based.
• Cut-off Marks: UGC NET usually has higher cut-off marks than SET because the competition is high.

Conclusion

Both the UGC NET and SET are very important exams for potential academics and researchers in India but have a vast difference in terms of scope, eligibility, difficulty and career opportunities. While UGC NET is a national-level exam that opens doors to a wide opportunity both in teaching and research areas along with the access to JRF for further studies, SET is confined to state-level eligibility for Assistant Professor positions within the concerned state.