The UGC NET December 2026 exam last date is October 28, 2026, at 11:50 pm. If you miss this deadline, you can still apply for this exam by paying ₹500 from December 29 to 31, 2026. The UGC NET (CBT) exam date is from December 14 to 18 and on December 21, 2026. Every year, the UGC-NET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) twice a year.  

This examination decides who is eligible for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), for Assistant Professor posts, and for PhD admission. For updated details about the UGC NET exams, you can visit the official website of UGC NET at ugcnet.nta.nic.in and for more on the latest Ed-tech-related jobs, you can visit the College Vidya News Portal. 

UGC NET December 2026: Key Highlights

Particulars	Details
Exam	UGC NET December 2026
Conducted by	National Testing Agency (NTA), for the University Grants Commission (UGC)
Purpose	JRF and Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor and PhD admission; PhD admission only
Mode of exam	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Application window	8 October to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Late-fee window	29 October to 31 October 2026 (₹500 extra)
Correction window	2 November to 4 November 2026 (online only)
Exam dates	14 to 18 December 2026 and 21 December 2026
Number of subjects	87 entries listed in Annexure II of the bulletin
Official website	ugcnet.nta.nic.in
NTA helpline	011-40759000 / 69227700 (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM)

UGC NET December 2026 Important Dates

Event	Date	Status
Online registration and application	8 October to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)	Open
Last date for successful fee payment	28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)	Open
Application with late fee of ₹500	29 October to 31 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)	Upcoming
Correction in application form	2 November to 4 November 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)	Upcoming
Exam city intimation slip	23 November 2026	Upcoming
Admit card download begins	7 December 2026	Upcoming
UGC NET exam	14 to 18 December and 21 December 2026	Upcoming
Exam timing	To be intimated later (shift is printed on the admit card)	Awaited
Answer keys and recorded responses	To be announced	Awaited
Result	To be announced	Awaited

What Has Changed in the Revised UGC NET Bulletin?

Candidates who read the earlier version of the bulletin should note these points from the revised document:

• Marked-for-review questions: Questions that are answered will be evaluated on whether or not they are marked for review.
• Gate closing time: Exam centre gates will close 30 minutes before the exam begins. Reach the centre well before the reporting time on your admit card.
• Footwear: Normal shoes, slippers and low-heeled sandals are allowed. Long boots are not allowed.

Read the complete UGC NET December 2026 Information Bulletin (PDF) before you fill the form, because the bulletin is the final authority on every rule.

UGC NET December 2026 Application Fee

Category	Application fee
General / Unreserved	₹1,150
Gen-EWS / OBC-NCL	₹600
SC / ST / Third Gender	₹325
PwD / PwBD	₹325
Late fee (over and above the category fee)	₹500

Who Can Apply for UGC NET December 2026? Eligibility and Age Limit

• Educational qualification: A Master's degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks for General, Unreserved and Gen-EWS candidates, and at least 50% marks for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and Third Gender candidates. Marks are taken without rounding off.
• Final-year and result-awaited candidates: You can apply provisionally. You must secure the required marks within two years of the NET result (one year if you qualify for PhD admission only).
• Four-year bachelor's degree holders: The bulletin has a separate clause for you. Read it carefully before applying.
• Foreign or diploma qualifications: Foreign degrees need equivalence from UGC. For postgraduate diplomas from Indian institutes, check equivalence with a Master's degree through the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
• Age limit for JRF: Not more than 30 years as on 1 December 2026, with relaxation of up to 5 years for eligible categories as specified in the bulletin.
• Age limit for Assistant Professor and PhD admission: No upper age limit.

NTA does not verify eligibility at the time of registration, so your candidature remains provisional. Check every eligibility condition yourself before you pay the fee.

How to Apply for UGC NET December 2026

1. Go to ugcnet.nta.nic.in and open the registration link.
2. Log in through the Meri Pehchaan National Single Sign-On (SSO) platform using your own mobile number and email ID.
3. Fill in the application form with your personal details, category, subject and qualification.
4. Choose four exam cities from the list in Annexure III of the bulletin. NTA may allot a city other than your choice.
5. Upload your documents (see the list below) and complete the live photograph step during form filling.
6. Pay the application fee online and keep the proof of payment.
7. Download and print the confirmation page after the payment is successful.

The application is complete only after the form, the document upload and the fee payment are all done.

Documents and Image Specifications

Document	Specification
Photograph	10 KB to 200 KB, white background, face clearly visible (about 80% of the frame)
Signature	10 KB to 50 KB
Disability certificate or UDID (PwD/PwBD only)	PDF, 50 KB to 300 KB
Live photograph	Captured during form filling

UGC NET December 2026 Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT) only
Paper I	50 questions, 100 marks (teaching and research aptitude)
Paper II	100 questions, 200 marks (your chosen subject)
Total	150 questions, 300 marks
Duration	180 minutes (3 hours), with no break between the two papers
Marking scheme	2 marks for each correct answer; no negative marking
Medium	English and Hindi (except language papers)

Practise before exam day: Take a free mock test on College Vidya to get used to the computer-based format.

UGC NET December 2026 Admit Card and Exam-Day Rules

Particulars	Details
City Intimation Slip Date	November 23, 2026
Admit Card Download Date	December 7, 2026
Things to Carry	Hard Copy of Admit Card Self-declaration ID/Documents Passport-size Photographs Original & Valid Photo ID
Reporting Timing	30 minutes before the exam
Barred Items	Personal stationery (Pen/Pencil Box/Writing Pad/Calculator) Any prohibited items mentioned on the Hall Ticket.

Note: Rough sheets are provided at the centre and must be returned.

Cases fall under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and can lead to debarment and cancellation of results.

UGC NET Result and Qualifying Criteria

• About 6% of the candidates who appear are declared eligible for Assistant Professor, with seats distributed as per the reservation policy.
• The minimum aggregate across both papers is 40% for General and Gen-EWS candidates and 35% for reserved categories.
• A JRF offer is valid for three years from the date of the JRF award letter. A NET score used for PhD admission is valid for one year from the date the result is declared.
• Answer-key challenges cost ₹200 per question (non-refundable) and must be made only through the official link. Re-evaluation and re-checking are not permitted.

What Should Candidates Do Now? A 5-Day Checklist

1. Read the notification very carefully and check all the important info, like eligibility. 
2. Also, keep the things ready like photograph, signature and ID ready in the required sizes for your exam day. 
3. After that, on October 25, 2026, register and fill out your form through Meri Pehchaan SSO and pay your fees. 
4. Don’t wait until the last date to avoid any technical glitch at the very last moment. 
5. The candidates can complete the payment by October 28, 2026, at 11:50 pm. 
6. If, anyhow, you miss the registration and want to apply for the exam, then you can use the late-fee window from October 29 to 31, 2026, only as a backup option and pay the late fee of ₹500 extra. 
7. The online correction window will be open from November 2 to 4, 2026. You can check all the details carefully and make the required corrections accordingly.