Access UGC NET Law previous year papers with direct PDF links. Learn which 4 units contribute 50% of questions and prepare strategically with limited time. This article is written by Urvi Shah, Senior Associate at LawSikho.

Let’s cut to the chase: you’re short on time, you’ve got a UGC NET Law exam coming up, and you need results fast.

Here’s what you actually need: direct access to previous year papers, and one game changing insight: just four units contribute nearly 50% of your Paper II questions.

That’s right. Half your score comes from strategic focus, not from trying to master everything in the syllabus. This guide shows you exactly which topics matter, where to find authentic previous year papers, and how to practice efficiently when time isn’t on your side.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Why UGC NET Law Previous Year Papers Are Your Best Preparation Tool?

Previous year papers are not just practice material; they are your window into how NTA thinks about testing Law aspirants. The official syllabus lists 10 units covering everything from Jurisprudence to Comparative Public Law, but the exam does not treat these units equally. 

Some topics appear with clockwork regularity while others barely get attention. Understanding these patterns transforms your preparation from scattered effort into focused strategy.

The Pattern Recognition Advantage Every Aspirant Needs

When you analyze even three years of UGC NET Law papers systematically, clear patterns emerge that textbook study alone cannot reveal. 

Fundamental Rights questions under Constitutional Law appear in every single exam session. Schools of Jurisprudence distinctions show up without fail. General principles of criminal liability form a reliable question source. 

These are not random observations; they reflect NTA’s consistent testing preferences that have remained stable across exam cycles.

The practical implication is significant: if you master these recurring topics thoroughly, you secure a baseline score regardless of what specific questions appear in your exam. 

Candidates who prepare without pattern awareness often spread themselves thin across all topics, achieving mediocre knowledge everywhere instead of strong command over high frequency areas. 

Pattern recognition through previous year question analysis prevents this common mistake.

How to Use PYQs to Prioritize UGC NET Law Syllabus?

The UGC NET Law syllabus is genuinely overwhelming if you approach it as a checklist requiring equal attention everywhere. 

Constitutional Law alone covers everything from Preamble interpretation to emergency provisions. Jurisprudence spans ancient natural law theory to contemporary legal realism. Criminal Law includes both IPC/BNS provisions and the procedural framework under CrPC/BNSS. Attempting comprehensive coverage of everything is a recipe for burnout without corresponding exam success.

Previous year papers solve this problem by showing you where to focus. 

Constitutional Law’s 15 to 18 questions per exam justify spending significantly more time on it than Comparative Public Law’s 4 to 6 questions. Within Constitutional Law, Fundamental Rights and Basic Structure Doctrine appear far more frequently than detailed emergency provisions. 

This granular insight allows you to prioritize ruthlessly, covering high frequency sub topics thoroughly while maintaining only basic familiarity with peripheral areas.

Download UGC NET Law Previous Year Papers

Accessing authentic previous year papers should be your first preparation step. The links below provide direct access to papers organized by year, allowing you to download what you need without navigating complex websites. 

Use official NTA sources when possible, supplemented by trusted third party platforms for older papers.

Visit the official UGC NET website and look for the “Previous Year Question Papers” or “Downloads” section on the homepage. The interface may change periodically, but the download section typically remains accessible from the main navigation menu. Papers are usually available in PDF format, organized by exam cycle and subject.

Alternative Sources for Previous Year Questions

While official NTA sources should be your primary resource, there are third party platforms that provide organized collections of previous year papers with added features like solutions and topic wise sorting.

When using third party sources, verify paper authenticity by cross checking a few questions against official NTA releases. 

Recent Papers 

Recent papers from 2020 onwards follow the current exam pattern and provide the most relevant practice material. These papers reflect contemporary question framing styles and topic emphasis that you can expect in upcoming exams.

June 2025: Available on the official NTA website under the previous year papers section, while the December 2025: Exam scheduled for 31 December 2025 to 7 January 2026; papers will be available post exam.

Both June 2024 and December 2024 sessions are accessible on the NTA portal with answer keys for Shift 1 and Shift 2. 

The 2023 papers (June and December) show increased emphasis on recent legal reforms including consumer protection updates; the 2022 papers mark the post COVID exam resumption when the pattern stabilized after pandemic-related disruptions. 

While 2021 papers were limited due to pandemic sessions, they remain useful for pattern understanding, and the 2020 papers serve as a good baseline for understanding established question patterns as they were the last pre-pandemic papers following the current format.

For all recent papers, visit the official NTA UGC NET portal and navigate to the downloads section. Select Law as your subject, choose the specific year and session and download both Paper I and Paper II PDFs.

Older Papers for Comprehensive Practice

Papers from 2015 to June 2018 followed the old three paper format, which included separate subject specific Paper II (50 questions) and Paper III (75 questions) alongside Paper I, but the major shift to the current two paper structure merging the old Paper II and III into a single 100 question Paper II, began with the July 2018 exam. 

Despite these format differences, papers from this period remain highly valuable for practicing conceptual questions, as the core legal principles tested have not changed substantially.

The 2019 papers mark the full transition to the current combined structure and are directly comparable, while 2018 introduced the initial merged format, making it key for understanding the pattern evolution, and pre 2018 papers follow the old three paper system (with separate subject components) but are easily accessible via platforms like JRF Adda (often with Google Drive links).

For older papers, third party platforms like Testbook and JRF Adda maintain organized archives going back to 2009. While these platforms are reliable, cross check a few questions against any available official sources to verify authenticity.

UGC NET Law Paper: Important Units Preparation

Not all 10 units of UGC NET Law Paper II deserve equal preparation time. Analysis of previous year papers reveals that four units consistently contribute nearly half of all questions. 

Focusing your limited time on these high weightage units maximizes your scoring potential without requiring exhaustive coverage of every syllabus corner.

Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence: The Scoring Foundation

Constitutional and Administrative Law stands as the undisputed heavyweight, contributing 15 to 18 questions in virtually every exam session. This single unit can yield 30 to 36 marks from Paper II’s total of 200. 

Jurisprudence follows closely with 8 to 12 questions per exam. Together, these two units represent approximately 25 to 30 questions, making them your non negotiable preparation priorities.

Within Constitutional Law, certain topics repeat with remarkable consistency. Fundamental Rights interpretation, particularly the judicial expansion of Article 21 from mere right to life toward encompassing dignity, privacy, and livelihood, generates multiple questions per exam. 

The Basic Structure Doctrine established in Kesavananda Bharati and refined through subsequent cases appears without exception. Administrative law principles, especially natural justice requirements and judicial review grounds, complete the Constitutional Law core.

Jurisprudence questions predictably test Schools of Jurisprudence distinctions. Can you explain how Natural Law theory differs from Legal Positivism? Do you understand Austin’s Command Theory, Hart’s Rule of Recognition, and Kelsen’s Pure Theory? These foundational contrasts appear in every exam. Hohfeld’s analytical framework distinguishing rights, duties, privileges, and powers generates reliable questions testing whether you understand correlative legal relations.

The strategic implication is clear: if you master Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence thoroughly, you establish a scoring foundation of potentially 50 to 60 marks before touching other units. For time pressed candidates, this focus delivers maximum return on preparation investment.

Criminal Law and Family Law: Consistent Contributors

Criminal Law contributes 10 to 14 questions per exam, while Family Law adds another 8 to 12 questions. These two units together represent approximately 20 to 25 questions, making them your second tier priorities after Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence.

Criminal Law questions focus heavily on general principles rather than specific offence definitions. Actus reus and mens rea requirements, the stages of crime from intention through preparation and attempt to commission, and general exceptions under IPC Chapter IV appear consistently. Joint liability under Section 34 IPC (common intention) versus Section 149  IPC (unlawful assembly) distinctions appear consistently, testing whether you understand when each provision applies.

With the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing the Indian Penal Code from July 2024, familiarize yourself with corresponding BNS section numbers for core principles. While underlying concepts remain unchanged, questions may reference new section numbers. The introduction of terrorism as a specific offence under BNS Section 113 represents one substantive change worth noting.

Family Law questions concentrate on Hindu Marriage Act provisions and Muslim Personal Law essentials. Valid marriage conditions under Section 5, divorce grounds under Section 13, and the distinction between mutual consent divorce and contested divorce form Hindu Law core topics. 

Hindu Succession Act questions focus on the 2005 Amendment granting daughters equal coparcenary rights in joint family property. The distinction between the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga schools and their succession implications, though less practically relevant post amendment, continues appearing in exam questions testing historical understanding.

For Muslim Law, understand talaq forms and their current validity following the 2019 Act criminalizing triple talaq. Succession basics under both systems, particularly the 2005 Amendment granting daughters equal coparcenary rights, complete essential Family Law preparation.

Across personal law systems, certain topics appear with high frequency. Maintenance provisions under Section 125  CrPC (now BNSS) versus personal law maintenance rights, particularly for Muslim women post the Shah Bano controversy and subsequent legislation, generate regular questions. 

Guardianship and custody principles, including the welfare of the child doctrine and distinctions between natural and testamentary guardianship, complete high frequency Family Law topics.

Contract Law Fundamentals

Offer, acceptance, consideration, and capacity as formation elements require a thorough understanding. Free consent vitiating factors under Sections 13 to 22 of the Contract Act, particularly coercion, undue influence, and misrepresentation distinctions, generate regular questions. Discharge of contracts and remedies for breach, especially damages calculation principles, complete Contract Law essentials.

Environmental Law Principles

The Environment Protection Act 1986 is umbrella legislation, and its relationship with specific pollution control Acts requires understanding. 

The precautionary principle, polluter pays principle, and sustainable development, as recognized in Indian jurisprudence, form the conceptual core. Public trust doctrine and its application in environmental cases represent an additional important area.

IPR Basics

Copyright subsistence and duration, patent validity criteria and exclusions under Sections 3 and 4 of the Patents Act 1970, and trademark registration and infringement basics represent the IPR core. The distinction between copyright, economic rights, and moral rights, and passing off action elements, is completely essential. Avoid excessive detail on procedural aspects.

Comparative Public Law

Indian Constitution comparisons with the US and UK systems, particularly regarding judicial review, federalism, and fundamental rights, form the tested core. Presidential versus parliamentary system distinctions and separation of powers implementation across jurisdictions complete Comparative Law essentials. Focus on broad structural comparisons rather than detailed foreign law provisions.

Smart Strategy to Crack UGC NET Law Using Previous Year Papers

Having papers is one thing; using them effectively is another. The strategies below are designed specifically for candidates balancing preparation with other responsibilities. These approaches maximize learning from each practice session without requiring unlimited study hours.

Time Saving Approach for Working Professionals

If you are juggling preparation with a job or final semester coursework, you cannot afford the luxury of solving papers randomly and hoping insights emerge. Instead, adopt a targeted approach that extracts maximum value from limited practice time.

Start with topic wise practice rather than full papers. Gather all Constitutional Law questions from the last three years and solve them in a single focused session. This concentrated approach reveals patterns that scattered paper by paper solving misses. 

You will notice that Fundamental Rights questions follow predictable formats, Basic Structure questions use similar framing, and administrative law questions test consistent principles. Complete this topic wise practice for your four priority units before attempting full papers.

When you do attempt full papers, simulate exam conditions strictly. Allocate 180 minutes for 150 questions combined (Paper I plus Paper II), sit without breaks or distractions, and resist the temptation to check answers mid paper. 

This simulation builds exam stamina that pure content study cannot develop. Even one properly simulated paper per week provides more preparation value than five casual attempts with constant interruptions.

For daily micro practice, solve 10 to 15 questions from a single unit during commute time, lunch breaks, or evening gaps. Use mobile friendly platforms or printed question sets that allow quick practice without extensive setup. 

These brief sessions maintain preparation momentum without requiring dedicated study blocks that your schedule may not accommodate.

Error Analysis and Revise Only High Weightage Topics

Every incorrect answer during practice represents a learning opportunity, but not all errors deserve equal attention. Develop a system for categorizing and addressing mistakes based on their source and the topic’s weightage.

For errors in high weightage topics like Constitutional Law or Jurisprudence, invest time in thorough remediation. Identify whether the mistake stemmed from conceptual gaps, careless reading, or unfamiliar question framing. 

Conceptual gaps require focused study of the underlying principle. Careless reading errors need awareness building through slower, more deliberate practice. Unfamiliar framing simply requires exposure to more question variations.

For errors in lower weightage topics like Comparative Public Law or IPR basics, note the correct answer and move on without deep analysis. The time spent mastering peripheral topics yields diminishing returns compared to strengthening high frequency areas. 

Accept that you may lose a few marks in low-weightage units while securing significantly more from thorough high weightage preparation.

Track your unit wise accuracy across practice sessions. If Constitutional Law accuracy remains below 70% despite focused preparation, that area needs additional attention. If Comparative Public Law accuracy is 50% but you are scoring 80% in Constitutional Law, your time is better spent reinforcing Constitutional Law strength than chasing Comparative Law improvement. 

Data driven decisions prevent emotional attachment to topics that interest you but contribute minimally to your score.

Common UGC NET Law Preparation Mistakes

Awareness of typical preparation pitfalls helps you avoid errors that undermine otherwise solid effort. These mistakes are especially common among first time UGC NET candidates and working professionals unfamiliar with competitive exam dynamics.

Treating All 10 Units as Equally Important

The most damaging preparation mistake is allocating equal time across all 10 Law units despite vastly different question contributions. Constitutional Law’s 15 to 18 questions merit significantly more preparation than Comparative Public Law’s 4 to 6 questions. Yet many candidates, following the syllabus linearly, spend similar time on each unit.

The mathematics are straightforward: if you have 300 total preparation hours, spending 30 hours per unit gives Comparative Public Law the same attention as Constitutional Law. This equal distribution ignores that Constitutional Law alone could contribute more marks than three lower-weightage units combined. 

A more strategic allocation might dedicate 60 hours to Constitutional Law, 40 hours to Criminal Law, 30 hours to Jurisprudence, and proportionally less to peripheral units.

This does not mean ignoring low weightage units entirely. Even Comparative Public Law’s 4 to 6 questions can determine borderline qualification. The goal is basic competency in peripheral areas and thorough mastery of high frequency topics, not comprehensive excellence everywhere that your available time cannot support.

Solving Without Tracking Performance Patterns

Many candidates solve previous year papers without systematic tracking, treating each practice session as isolated rather than cumulative. They complete a paper, check the score, feel good or bad about the result, and move to the next paper without extracting actionable insights.

Effective practice requires tracking unit wise accuracy, identifying recurring error patterns, and measuring improvement over time. Create a simple spreadsheet noting your score in each unit for every paper attempted. 

After five papers, clear patterns emerge: perhaps Constitutional Law accuracy is consistently strong while Family Law remains weak. Without tracking, this pattern remains invisible, and preparation efforts scatter rather than concentrate where improvement is most needed.

Similarly, track the types of errors you make. Are you losing marks primarily to conceptual gaps, careless mistakes, or time pressure? Each error type requires different remediation. Conceptual gaps need focused study. Careless mistakes need deliberate, slower practice. 

Time pressure errors suggest the need for better time management strategy rather than more content knowledge. Without tracking, you cannot diagnose which intervention your preparation actually needs.

Conclusion

Strategic previous year question practice separates candidates who qualify UGC NET Law from those who repeatedly fall short despite sincere effort. The pattern is clear: Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence together contribute approximately 25 to 30 questions, while Criminal Law and Family Law add another 20 to 25 questions. 

These four units alone determine nearly half your Paper II score. Download the papers using the links provided, focus your limited time on high weightage units, track your performance systematically, and approach each practice session with strategic intent rather than passive repetition. 

Your path to UGC NET Law qualification becomes significantly clearer when you prepare smarter, not just harder.

For a detailed guide on UGC NET Law Previous Year Papers, you can click here. 

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