Every year, thousands of forestry aspirants appear for the UGC-NET in Environmental Science. Luckily, this year, we got the opportunity to appear for the UGC-NET in our own Forestry discipline. After the examination, we recently received the official answer key from NTA, and we are now eagerly searching for the cut-off. However, predicting the UGC-NET Forestry cut-off is not as simple as deciding that a particular number will be enough to qualify. The cut-off can change even between the June and December examinations within the same year and depends on the subject, category, candidate performance, and the distribution of available qualifying opportunities.
This blog explains how candidates can estimate the likely UGC-NET Forestry cut-off for JRF, Assistant Professor, and PhD admission while clearly distinguishing prediction from the official NTA result.
Understanding the UGC-NET three categories
UGC-NET Forestry results are reported through the following three different eligibility categories:
- JRF + Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor + PhD admission
- PhD admission only
According to the applicable examination rules. NTA publishes subject-wise and category-wise cut-offs after the examination.
Therefore, there is no single “UGC-NET Forestry cut-off.”
A candidate should know:
What is the UGC-NET Forestry cut-off for my category and desired eligibility?
For example, an EWS candidate like me interested in Assistant Professor eligibility should compare my marks with the Forestry-EWS Assistant Professor cut-off, rather than with the General category or another subject.
Why is predicting the Forestry cut-off difficult?
We are only human, and predicting the exact cut-off is not an easy task, because it can even move considerably between examination sessions.
Several factors influence the likely cut-off:
- Difficulty of the question paper
- Overall performance of candidates
- Number of candidates appearing in Forestry
- Category-wise competition
- Number of candidates qualifying in different categories
- Previous examination trends
Consequently, a score that was sufficient for JRF in the June season examination may only be sufficient for Assistant Professor in December. For example, in June 2025, the EWS JRF + Assistant Professor cut-off was 166 marks, while in December 2025 it increased to 182 marks. This shows how substantially cut-offs can move between sessions.
Previous cut-offs are the starting point
The first step in predicting the Forestry cut-off is to examine the previous UGC-NET Forestry cut-offs. NTA maintains an archive of UGC-NET examination documents, including subject/category-wise cut-off information from previous cycles. Unfortunately, this UGC-NET Forestry examination was the first of its kind, so it is not possible to study four to six previous examination cycles, as we would ideally do.
In this situation, one thought normally comes to our mind.
Can UGC-NET Environmental Sciences help to predict the UGC-NET Forestry cut-off this time?
Yes, it can be used as a benchmark, but only after a detailed analysis.
Although Environmental Sciences and Forestry are separate UGC-NET subjects, both have considerable academic overlap in areas such as ecology, biodiversity, conservation, climate change, and natural-resource management. Those who appeared for the Forestry examination this time had previously prepared for appearing in the Environmental Sciences discipline. This time, the considerable candidate load has shifted towards Forestry. Therefore, Environmental Sciences can provide useful context when predicting the competitiveness of a particular score.
How to predict the Forestry Cut-Off: My Scenario
I am already a regular Assistant Professor, but I appeared for UGC-NET Forestry to learn and teach my students, while also earning an Assistant Professor qualification certificate by selecting “Assistant Professor” only.
However, there is an important distinction:
- If you select JRF + Assistant Professor and your marks are high enough, you can be considered within the JRF merit/slot allocation.
- If you select Assistant Professor only, you are not competing for a JRF award.
- Your marks can still be part of the overall candidate performance distribution used in determining cut-offs, but simply selecting JRF does not “take away” a JRF slot from another candidate unless you actually become eligible for and are allocated a JRF slot under the applicable rules.
How to predict the Forestry Cut-Off
Practically, my cut-off prediction strategy involves three stages as given below:
1. Establishing the historical range
I collected cut-off data from at least six previous examinations (three years of June and December examinations) for Environmental Sciences and identified the highest, lowest, and average values.
For example, if previous EWS JRF cut-offs were approximately 180, 182, 185, 190, 188, and 184, the historical range would be around 180–190.
This does not mean that the next cut-off must fall within this range, but it provides a useful starting point.
2. Adjust for examination difficulty
The difficulty of the current examination is extremely important.
For me, the present Forestry paper was considerably tough, and I scored 56 out of 100. Many candidates’ scores may range between 40 and 60 in this section.
Conversely, Paper II was of moderate difficulty for me, and I scored 144. Many candidates may score between 100 and 150.
In total, my score is expected to be around 200 out of 300. Considering the difficulty of the examination, I feel this is a reasonably good score.
Surely, I will qualify for an UGC-NET Forestry Assistant Professorship.
3. Consider category-wise competition
The predicted cut-off should always be category-specific.
For example:
Forestry + EWS + JRF
is a different comparison from:
Forestry + EWS + Assistant Professor
Similarly, the General, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and EWS cut-offs should not be assumed to be identical.
Cut-offs will be given separately for:
- General/UR
- EWS
- OBC-NCL
- SC
- ST
and separately for:
- JRF + Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor + PhD
- PhD only
This gives a much clearer picture of the historical range.
Just see the variation in the UGC-NET Environmental Sciences cut-offs between the June and December examinations in 2025.
| Category | June 2025 | December 2025 | ||||
| JRF + AP | AP + PhD | PhD Only | JRF + AP | AP + PhD | PhD Only | |
| General (UR) | 174 | 156 | 140 | 192 | 166 | 146 |
| OBC-NCL | 164 | 144 | 130 | 180 | 152 | 136 |
| EWS | 166 | 144 | 130 | 182 | 152 | 134 |
| SC | 158 | 138 | 126 | 166 | 142 | 128 |
| ST | 156 | 136 | 124 | 166 | 142 | 128 |
I expect the Forestry cut-off may be lower than the corresponding Environmental Sciences cut-off, based on the available comparative evidence.
Based on available comparative data, previous UGC-NET trends in related subjects, the perceived difficulty of the Forestry examination, and the expected performance of candidates, the UGC-NET Forestry JRF cut-off may fall within an estimated range of 160–200 marks.
Note: Predictions made by individual candidates or other websites should be treated only as estimates. The official NTA subject-wise and category-wise cut-off remains the final authority.
Finally,,,
If you appeared for this year’s UGC-NET Forestry examination and want to estimate the expected cut-off, don’t rely on a single prediction. Prepare your own strategy with the help of my strategy discussed in this blog. Analyse your performance carefully, compare your answers with reliable sources, and discuss your expected score with fellow Forestry aspirants and other Forestry fraternity.
A little research and realistic assessment can help you plan your next step with greater confidence.
Best wishes to everyone who appeared for the UGC-NET examination. Stay positive, analyse wisely, and plan accordingly.
All the very best!
