UGC NET Dec 2026: Apply by 28 Oct, Exam 14-21 Dec

The calendar dates were only the first draft

When NTA published its examination calendar, UGC NET December 2026 sat at 14–19 December with 20–21 December held as buffer dates. That calendar entry has now been overtaken by the real thing. NTA released the December 2026 notification on 8 October 2026, opened applications the same day, and issued a revised notification on 16 October 2026 that reshaped the exam window. The exam will now be held on 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 21 December 2026 — not 19 December, and not as a straight six-day run. If you're still working from the calendar dates, update your plan now.

UGC NET, conducted by the National Testing Agency on behalf of the University Grants Commission, determines eligibility for three things: Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor positions, and admission to PhD programmes. It's held twice a year — June and December — as a computer-based test across India.

The dates that matter now

The application window is short and the late window costs an extra ₹500 — the obvious advice is to file well before 28 October rather than gamble on the late facility.

Application fee

Bank charges and GST are extra. Pay only through the portal's integrated payment gateway and download the confirmation page afterwards — it's your proof of application.

Who is eligible

• Education: a master's degree with at least 55% marks for General and EWS candidates, and 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, and third-gender candidates. Final-year postgraduate students may also apply. Under the current rules, holders of a four-year bachelor's degree with 75% marks are eligible for JRF and PhD admission routes as specified in the bulletin.
• Age: for JRF, the upper age limit is 30 years as of 1 December 2026, with relaxations for reserved categories, women candidates, and LL.M. holders as per the bulletin. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or PhD admission.
• One application per candidate — multiple forms lead to rejection.

Exam pattern

The paper is a single three-hour computer-based test combining both papers, in two shifts (9:00 am–12:00 pm and 3:00–6:00 pm) depending on your subject:

• Paper I: 50 questions, 100 marks — teaching and research aptitude, common to all candidates
• Paper II: 100 questions, 200 marks — your chosen subject
• Total: 150 questions, 300 marks, +2 per correct answer, no negative marking
• Medium: English and Hindi — chosen at application and not changeable later, so choose deliberately

How to apply, step by step

• Go to ugcnet.nta.ac.in and download the Information Bulletin. Read the eligibility chapter before touching the form.
• Register with your own email ID and mobile number; NTA supports sign-in through Meri Pehchaan, and Aadhaar verification is advised because it eases later JRF processing.
• Fill in personal, academic, and communication details, and note your application number.
• This cycle requires a live photograph capture (webcam or phone) in addition to uploads: a recent photograph (10–200 KB, light/white background, face clearly visible) and signature (10–50 KB). UDID details are auto-verified where applicable; otherwise upload your disability certificate.
• Choose your subject, medium, and four preferred exam cities.
• Pay the fee by card, net banking, or UPI before 28 October (11:50 pm), submit, and save the confirmation page.

What qualifying gets you

Assistant Professor eligibility is the baseline outcome. JRF qualifiers additionally receive fellowship funding when they pursue research — ₹37,000 per month for the first two years as JRF, rising to ₹42,000 as SRF thereafter under the UGC scheme. NET scores are also used for PhD admissions as per each university's rules.

Common mistakes

• Applying on the calendar dates. The revised schedule (14–18 and 21 December) is the operative one.
• Waiting for the late window. It costs ₹500 extra and leaves no margin for a failed payment; if a payment fails, contact your bank and then the NTA helpline (011-40759000 / 011-69227700) before paying again, to avoid a double debit.
• Indistinct photo uploads. NTA has warned that mismatched or unclear photographs can block admit cards; the live-photo requirement makes this stricter this cycle.
• Choosing the wrong medium. English/Hindi choice is locked at application.
• Missing the correction window. 2–4 November is your only chance to fix errors in the submitted form.

Prepare from the official syllabus for your subject on NTA's portal, keep your confirmation page and fee receipt safe, and check for the city slip on 23 November and admit card on 7 December — those two documents convert your application into an exam-day plan.

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