UGC NET December 2026
Applications for UGC NET December 2026 are open till 31 October 2026 (11:50 PM IST), extended by the NTA notice dated 27 October 2026 without any late fee; correction 2â4 November. The 16 October corrigendum revises the exam to 14â18 and 21 December 2026; city slip from 23 November and admit card from 7 December (scheduled). Eligibility test for JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD admission in 87 subjects; no vacancy count.
Apply Online Now âComplete Details
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online application opens | 8 October 2026 | Done |
| Corrigendum and updated Information Bulletin | 16 October 2026 | Done |
| NTA notice: last date extended without late fee | 27 October 2026 | Done |
| Last date for application and fee (extended, till 11:50 PM, no late fee) | 31 October 2026 | Open |
| Correction window (till 11:50 PM) | 2 November 2026 to 4 November 2026 | Upcoming |
| City intimation slip (scheduled) | 23 November 2026 | Upcoming |
| Admit card (scheduled) | 7 December 2026 | Upcoming |
| Exam (revised) | 14 December 2026 to 18 December 2026 | Upcoming |
| Exam (revised) | 21 December 2026 | Upcoming |
| Answer key and result | To be announced | Tba |
Master’s degree route
General/Unreserved and General-EWS candidates need at least 55% in the recognized master’s degree or equivalent, without rounding. OBC Non-Creamy Layer, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and Third Gender candidates need at least 50%, without rounding. EWS status does not reduce the threshold to 50%. OBC-NCL benefits require the Central List.
Candidates pursuing a master’s degree, awaiting final results or affected by delayed qualifying examinations may apply provisionally. For JRF/Assistant Professor eligibility, the master’s examination and required marks must be completed within two years of the NET result; for PhD admission only, within one year. PhD holders who completed their master’s-level examination by 19 September 1991 receive a five-percentage-point relaxation.
Four-year undergraduate route
A four-year/eight-semester bachelor’s degree requires at least 75% aggregate or equivalent grade. A relaxation of five percentage points may apply to SC, ST, OBC-NCL, differently abled, EWS and other categories under the cited UGC provisions. This route supports JRF and PhD admission, not Assistant Professor appointment. Final-year/final-semester candidates may apply provisionally and must fulfil the UGC requirements within two years if JRF-qualified, or one year if qualified for PhD admission only.
Applicants with foreign qualifications should obtain UGC equivalence; Indian postgraduate diploma holders should ascertain master’s equivalence from AIU. Application acceptance is provisional and does not establish eligibility.
Age limit
For JRF, the maximum is 30 years as on 1 December 2026. Up to five years’ relaxation is provided to OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, Third Gender candidates and women. Relevant certified research experience may qualify for relaxation up to five years. An LLM degree permits three years’ relaxation. Armed-forces service permits relaxation up to five years subject to service length. Total relaxation on these grounds cannot exceed five years. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or PhD admission.
| Category | Examination fee |
|---|---|
| General/Unreserved | Rs. 1,150 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL (Central List) | Rs. 600 |
| SC / ST / Third Gender / PwD / PwBD | Rs. 325 |
Applicable service/processing charges and GST are additional. Pay online through the integrated gateway (net banking, debit/credit card or UPI). Registration alone is not successful submission: keep the confirmation page generated after successful payment.
Computer-based test: Paper I (50 questions, 100 marks) and Paper II (100 questions, 200 marks) in 180 minutes without a break. Two marks per correct answer; no negative marking.
Minimum aggregate for consideration: 40% (General/Unreserved and General-EWS) and 35% (reserved categories). Final qualification follows subject/category cutoffs and allocation rules. Answer-key challenges cost Rs. 200 per question challenged (non-refundable); NTA prepares results from the final answer key.
- Open the December 2026 application link from ugcnet.nta.nic.in. Use your own email and mobile number.
- Choose the correct qualification route, subject, category and exam-city preferences. City allocation is not guaranteed.
- Capture the live photograph and upload the photograph (10–200 KB), signature (10–50 KB) and applicable disability/UDID certificate PDF (50–300 KB). Keep the application number.
- Pay the category fee by 31 October 2026, 11:50 PM IST (extended deadline; no late fee).
- Download the confirmation page and payment evidence. Do not mail the form to NTA.
- During 2–4 November, correct only the permitted fields through the official online facility.
Full Details
CURRENT STATUS: Applications open – Last date extended to 31 October 2026 (11:50 PM IST), no late fee | Correction 2–4 November | Exam 14–18 and 21 December 2026 (revised)
NTA is accepting applications for UGC NET December 2026. Under the NTA public notice dated 27 October 2026, the last date for submitting the online application form and for successful fee payment is extended to 31 October 2026 at 11:50 PM IST, without any late fee. All other terms in the Information Bulletin and earlier notices remain unchanged. Correction is scheduled from 2 to 4 November, subject to the fields permitted by NTA.
The 16 October corrigendum revises the examination window to 14–18 December and 21 December 2026. City-intimation slips are scheduled from 23 November and admit-card downloads from 7 December. These are future announced events, not releases. Subject-wise dates are to be announced separately. This is an eligibility and research-admission examination, not a recruitment advertisement with a vacancy count.
Current Status at a Glance
- Conducting body: National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- Reference: NTA notices dated 8 October 2026 (registration), 16 October 2026 (corrigendum and updated Information Bulletin) and 27 October 2026 (extension of the last date). In case of any inconsistency, the updated bulletin prevails.
- Vacancies: not applicable – eligibility examination; the updated bulletin lists 87 subjects in Annexure II.
- Last date: 31 October 2026, 11:50 PM IST, for the online form and fee payment (extended by the NTA public notice dated 27 October 2026, without any late fee).
- Last verified: 28 October 2026. Sources: NTA notices dated 8, 16 and 27 October 2026 on ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
- Candidate action: apply through the official NTA application link and save the confirmation page after successful payment.
Important Dates
| Event | Official schedule and status |
|---|---|
| Application and fee payment (extended) | 8 October to 31 October 2026, ending 11:50 PM IST; no late fee |
| Correction period | 2–4 November 2026, ending 11:50 PM IST |
| City intimation | 23 November 2026 – scheduled |
| Admit card | 7 December 2026 – scheduled |
| Examination | 14–18 December and 21 December 2026 |
| Subject-wise date and shift | Separately announced schedule/admit card |
| Answer key, objection period and result | Dates to be announced |
What UGC NET Qualifies You For
UGC NET determines eligibility across three outcome categories. Category 1 covers JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission; Category 2 covers Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission without JRF; Category 3 covers PhD admission only. Candidates qualifying on a four-year undergraduate degree are eligible for JRF and PhD admission, but not Assistant Professor appointment through that route.
Clearing NET does not guarantee a faculty post, fellowship placement or admission. For Category 2 and 3 PhD admissions, NET marks carry 70% weight and the institution’s interview or viva carries 30%; these NET marks are valid for one year from result declaration for that purpose. A JRF offer has a separate three-year validity from the date of the JRF award letter, subject to the bulletin’s conditions.
Subjects
There is no vacancy total or post-wise allocation for this examination. The updated bulletin lists 87 subjects in Annexure II. Master’s-degree applicants should normally choose their postgraduate subject, or a related subject when it is not listed. Four-year degree applicants may choose the subject in which they intend to pursue a PhD, irrespective of their undergraduate discipline. Subject syllabuses are on ugcnetonline.in.
Exam Pattern
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | 50 | 100 | Teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, reading comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness |
| Paper II | 100 | 200 | Selected subject domain knowledge |
The combined duration is 180 minutes with no break between the papers. All questions are compulsory. Each correct answer carries two marks, with no negative marking. Answered questions are evaluated even when marked for review; unanswered questions are not evaluated. Papers are bilingual in English and Hindi except language papers. The English version governs translation ambiguity.
Qualifying minimum is not the final cutoff
Candidates must appear in both papers. The minimum aggregate for consideration is 40% for General/Unreserved and General-EWS and 35% for the reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC-NCL, PwD/PwBD and Third Gender). Subject/category cutoffs and allocation rules also apply, so reaching the minimum does not guarantee qualification or JRF. For a subject held in multiple shifts, qualifying minimums and cutoffs apply to normalised marks; a percentile is not the percentage of marks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not confuse this December cycle with June 2026 results or certificates.
- Use the revised examination dates (14–18 and 21 December 2026).
- Use the extended deadline: 31 October 2026, 11:50 PM IST, with no late fee.
- Check the correct EWS and OBC-NCL (Central List) conditions.
- Do not assume a four-year degree gives Assistant Professor eligibility.
UGC NET vs CSIR NET December 2026
Joint CSIR UGC NET December 2026 is a separate examination for five science subjects with its own dates (last date 5 November 2026).
Source
Official sources: NTA registration notice dated 8 October 2026, the corrigendum with the updated Information Bulletin dated 16 October 2026 and the public notice dated 27 October 2026 (extension) on ugcnet.nta.nic.in. Last verified 28 October 2026. NTA UGC NET helpdesk: ugcnet@nta.ac.in; 011-40759000 / 011-69227700.
SarkariResultAlertInfo.com is an independent information portal, not affiliated with NTA or UGC. Use the official authority-linked services for applications, payments and personal information.
Related: Latest updates · Exam Calendar
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Under the NTA notice dated 27 October 2026, the application and fee payment deadline is extended to 31 October 2026 at 11:50 PM IST, without any late fee.
Yes, until 31 October 2026 at 11:50 PM IST. NTA extended the last date without any late fee; pay the normal category fee and applicable charges.
14â18 December and 21 December 2026. Subject-wise dates will be announced separately.
Correction is scheduled for 2â4 November 2026 until 11:50 PM IST, limited to fields permitted by NTA.
No release is confirmed in the official notices. Downloading is scheduled from 7 December 2026.
Qualifying through the four-year undergraduate route supports JRF and PhD admission, not Assistant Professor appointment.
No vacancy count applies. NET eligibility does not guarantee a job, fellowship placement or PhD admission.