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If you're preparing for the UGC NET Criminology 2025 exam, this comprehensive guide will help you chart your success path.
Subject Code – 68, this exam evaluates your understanding of crime causation, justice systems, victim support, and forensic applications, blending insights from sociology, law, and psychology.
Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it qualifies candidates for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) positions in criminology, law enforcement, and policy research.
🧭 UGC NET Criminology 2025 Exam Overview
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🔹 Key Highlights:
- Eligibility: Master’s in Criminology, Sociology, Law, Forensic Science, or related fields with 55% (General) or 50% (Reserved categories).Final-year students are also eligible.
- JRF Age Limit: 30 years (Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD/Women/Third Gender).
- Assistant Professor: No age limit.
- Mode: Online (CBT).
- Duration: 3 Hours (Single Session).
- Languages: English & Hindi.
💡 Clearing this exam enhances your credibility in academia, forensics, and social policy institutions.
📘 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
A clear understanding of the exam pattern helps you plan and execute an effective study schedule.
🔸 Structure:
-
Paper 1 – Teaching & Research Aptitude
- 50 MCQs → 100 Marks
- Focus: Reasoning, Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, ICT, Environment, Higher Education.
-
Paper 2 – Criminology
- 100 MCQs → 200 Marks
- Focus: Subject-specific concepts, theories, and applied criminology.
🔸 Marking System:
- +2 Marks for each correct answer
- No negative marking
- Qualifying Criteria:
- General/EWS/OBC-NCL → 40% (120/300)
- SC/ST/PwD/Transgender → 35% (105/300)
✅ Attempt all questions — the no-penalty policy rewards complete participation.
📊 UGC NET Criminology 2025 Exam Analysis
The June 25, 2025 (Shift 1) exam was rated moderate in difficulty, mixing theoretical knowledge with practical scenarios.
🔹 Paper 1 Analysis:
- Easy to Moderate level
- Logical reasoning and data interpretation sections were balanced
- Good attempts: 35–40 questions
🔹 Paper 2 Distribution:
- Crime Theories & Causes: 25–30%
- Criminal Justice & Law: 20–25%
- Victimology & Juvenile Justice: 20%
- Penology & Corrections: 15–20%
- Emerging Crimes & Research: 10–15%
🧩 Most challenging areas included ethical decision-making and policy-based situational questions.
🎯 Cut-off Insight:
- Target 125–135 marks in Paper 2 for Assistant Professor.
- Aim 145+ marks for JRF.
📚 UGC NET Criminology Syllabus 2025
Unit 1: Criminology Basics
- Definition, scope, and evolution
- Interdisciplinary links with sociology and psychology
- Crime measurement tools
Unit 2: Crime Causation Theories
- Classical and positivist schools (Beccaria, Lombroso)
- Biological, psychological, and sociological causes
Unit 3: Victimology
- Victim profiles, rights, and compensation
- Restorative justice and state intervention
Unit 4: Juvenile Delinquency
- Causes, prevention, and rehabilitation
- Juvenile Justice Act & reform programs
Unit 5: Indian Criminal Justice System
- Roles of police, judiciary, and corrections
- Key reforms and procedural aspects
Unit 6: Substantive & Procedural Laws
- IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act
- NDPS, POCSO, IT Act, and Human Rights
Unit 7: Penology & Corrections
- Theories of punishment
- Institutional and non-institutional corrections
Unit 8: Cybercrime & Forensics
- Digital offenses and forensic tools
- Data handling and investigation ethics
Unit 9: Organized & Economic Crimes
- Corporate frauds, trafficking, terrorism
- National and international control mechanisms
Unit 10: Research Methodology in Criminology
- Research design, sampling, data analysis
- Statistical tools and ethical research practices
📥 Download the detailed syllabus PDF from NTA’s official website.
🧩 Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
PYQs (2009–2024) provide valuable patterns:
- 20–25% from crime theories
- 15% from laws and policy frameworks
- Increasing focus on case-based reasoning
💡 Tips for Using PYQs:
- Solve 5–10 years’ papers in 3-hour timed sessions
- Track repeating topics (juvenile reforms, victim rights, digital crimes)
- Use mistakes for conceptual reinforcement
📘 Anss Academy recommends weekly PYQ drills to improve accuracy and speed.
🚀 Preparation Tips for UGC NET Criminology 2025
To ace the exam, follow these proven strategies:
- 📅 Plan: 4–5 month schedule, 1 unit per week
- 📖 Read:
- Vold’s Theoretical Criminology
- Paranjape’s Criminology & Penology
- NTA reference modules
- 🧠 Practice:
- 50+ MCQs daily
- 2 full mocks weekly (target 75%+ accuracy)
- 📰 Stay Updated: Track news on crime policies, justice reforms, and data protection
- 🗂️ Revise Smart: Flashcards for acts, charts for theories, and flow diagrams for procedures
🏁 Final Words
Success in UGC NET Criminology 2025 depends on conceptual clarity, regular revision, and strategic testing.
At Anss Academy, our targeted mock tests, topic notes, and PYQ analyses give you the perfect foundation for both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
🎯 Stay focused, practice consistently, and step confidently toward your goal!
