UGC NET December 2026: how to apply, fee, eligibility and exam dates
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has opened registration for the UGC NET December 2026 exam, the national test for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor posts and Ph.D. admission. This page puts the dates, fee, eligibility and official links in one place.
Apply on official NTA site
Read official public notice (PDF)
Important dates
Taken from NTA’s public notice dated 8 October 2026. NTA says these dates are tentative and may change.
- 8 Oct 2026: Registration opensOnline application form goes live on the NTA portal.
- 28 Oct 2026: Last date to apply and pay the feeBoth must be completed by 11:50 PM.
- 29 to 31 Oct 2026: Late submission windowAllowed with an extra late fee of Rs 500. Last successful payment: 31 Oct, 11:50 PM.
- 2 to 4 Nov 2026: Correction windowFix mistakes in your submitted particulars.
- To be announced: Exam city slip and admit cardNTA will notify these later on its website.
- 14 to 19 Dec 2026: UGC NET exam (CBT)Your date, shift and centre will be printed on the admit card.
- After the exam: Recorded responses and answer keysTo be announced on the website.
Application fee
Pay online by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI.
Only one application per candidate is allowed. Use your own email address and mobile number (or a parent or guardian’s), since NTA sends all updates there.
Who can apply
UGC NET tests eligibility of Indian nationals for three different outcomes. You choose one while applying.
JRF + Assistant Professor
Award of the Junior Research Fellowship and eligibility to be appointed as Assistant Professor.
Assistant Professor + Ph.D.
Eligibility for Assistant Professor posts and for admission to a Ph.D. programme.
Ph.D. admission only
Eligibility for Ph.D. admission in Indian universities and colleges.
- Qualification
- A Master’s degree (or equivalent) with at least 55% marks, or 50% for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, PwD and Third Gender candidates. Final-year students can apply. Candidates with a 4-year/8-semester Bachelor’s degree and at least 75% marks (about 70% for reserved categories) can apply for JRF and Ph.D. admission.
- Age limit
- JRF: up to 30 years, with relaxation for eligible categories. Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission: no upper age limit.
- Before you pay
- These criteria follow earlier UGC NET cycles and the details reported for this cycle. NTA’s Information Bulletin is the final word, so read the eligibility section there before you submit.
Exam pattern and selection
The exam is a computer based test (CBT) held for 87 subjects, according to NTA’s public notice.
| Paper | What it covers | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, divergent thinking, general awareness | 50 | 100 |
| Paper II | The subject you choose, based on your post-graduation specialisation | 100 | 200 |
| Total | Both papers back to back in one 3-hour sitting, no break | 150 | 300 |
How results are decided
Qualifying marks have been 40% aggregate for General/EWS candidates and 35% for reserved categories in earlier cycles. Only the top 6% of candidates who appear in both papers are declared eligible for Assistant Professor, and JRF is awarded from within that group on a separate merit list, depending on available fellowships. There is no negative marking.
The complete subject list with codes is in the official Information Bulletin on the NTA site. We do not reprint it here because it is long and may change.
How to apply, step by step
- Go to ugcnet.nta.nic.in, the official NTA UGC NET website.
- Register as a new candidate. NTA has also enabled sign-in through the government’s Meri Pehchan service, and it advises using Aadhaar verification where possible.
- Fill in your personal and education details and choose one of the three categories above.
- Pick your subject and your preferred exam cities as the form asks.
- Upload your photograph and signature exactly as per the sizes given in the Information Bulletin.
- Pay the fee online before 28 October 2026 (or with the late fee by 31 October).
- Check every entry, because no changes are allowed after final submission except in the correction window. Then submit and save a printout of the confirmation page.
Official links
Every link below goes to a government or NTA website.
- Apply online / UGC NET official siteugcnet.nta.nic.in
- Official public notice (8 Oct 2026)PDF hosted on a government server
- National Testing Agencynta.ac.in
NTA helpdesk: 011-40759000 or 011-69227700, email ugcnet@nta.ac.in.
UGC NET दिसंबर 2026: जरूरी बातें (हिंदी में)
- ऑनलाइन आवेदन 8 अक्टूबर 2026 से शुरू हैं और अंतिम तारीख 28 अक्टूबर 2026 (रात 11:50 बजे तक) है।
- लेट फीस ₹500 के साथ 29 से 31 अक्टूबर तक आवेदन हो सकता है। सुधार की विंडो 2 से 4 नवंबर है।
- परीक्षा CBT मोड में 14 से 19 दिसंबर 2026 के बीच होगी।
- फीस: सामान्य ₹1150, EWS/OBC-NCL ₹600, SC/ST/PwD/थर्ड जेंडर ₹325।
- आवेदन सिर्फ ugcnet.nta.nic.in पर करें। किसी एजेंट को पैसे न दें।
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date to apply for UGC NET December 2026?
28 October 2026, up to 11:50 PM, for both the form and the fee. Late submission with a Rs 500 late fee is open from 29 to 31 October.
When is the UGC NET December 2026 exam?
The CBT is planned for 14 to 19 December 2026. The exam city slip and admit card dates will be announced later.
How much is the UGC NET application fee?
Rs 1150 for General/Unreserved, Rs 600 for General-EWS and OBC-NCL, and Rs 325 for SC, ST, PwD and Third Gender candidates.
How many subjects are there this time?
NTA’s public notice says 87 subjects. Some websites still show an older count, so rely on the official bulletin.
Is there negative marking?
No, wrong answers are not penalised in UGC NET.
Does ApnaJob.in charge anything for this?
No. ApnaJob.in is free for candidates and does not collect UGC NET applications or fees. You pay only NTA, only on the official portal.
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Disclaimer: ApnaJob.in is an independent information website and is not affiliated with the National Testing Agency, the University Grants Commission or any government body. Information is compiled from NTA’s public notice dated 8 October 2026 and earlier UGC NET guidelines, and was checked on 9 October 2026. Dates, fees and rules can change, so confirm everything on ugcnet.nta.nic.in before you apply. We never ask for money to help you apply.
