UGC NET 2026 - December Session Application form (Released), Exam Dates

UGC NET 2026 – Overview

UGC NET Exam Dates 2026

The NTA announced the exam dates in the official notification at ugcnet.nta.nic.in. To ensure they do not miss any important information regarding the UGC NET 2026 exam dates, candidates can frequently check the NTA website. The UGC NET exam dates are listed in the table below.

UGC NET 2026 Exam Dates

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026

The conducting agency specified the UGC NET eligibility criteria in the official notification. Candidates must ensure that they meet the UGC NET 2026 eligibility criteria before applying for the exam. Candidates can refer to the steps below to learn more about the UGC NET eligibility criteria 2026.

• Candidates must hold a master’s degree with at least 55% marks from a recognised university.

• The age of the candidates who are applying for the exam must be below 30 years.

UGC NET Application Form 2026

The UGC NET 2026 application form has been released online on October 8, 2026. The last date to fill out the UGC NET application form 2026 was October 31, 2026. If any candidate wants to edit or make any corrections in the UGC NET application form can do so from November 2 to 4, 2026. Candidates can check the application start and end dates on the official website.

Interested candidates can fill out the UGC NET application form 2026 using the apply link. Candidates are required to fill out the application form with all their basic details, such as name, date of birth, educational qualifications, gender, nationality, and others. After filling out the application form and paying the fee, candidates take a screenshot of the application fee page for future reference.

UGC NET Exam Pattern 2026

In the official notification, the NTA offers complete details regarding the UGC NET 2026 exam pattern. The exam paper consists of two sections of objective-type questions. As per the UGC NET exam pattern 2026, the paper includes a total of 150 questions. Paper 1 is for 100 marks, and Paper 2 is for 200 marks.

The UGC NET exam paper will be only in English and Hindi, except for language papers. There is no negative marking for wrong answers. Candidates can check the table below to get an idea of the UGC NET 2026 exam pattern.

UGC NET Syllabus 2026

The NTA provides details of the UGC NET 2026 syllabus on the official website. Candidates who are preparing for the UGC NET are required to focus on the syllabus of the NET exams. The UGC NET syllabus includes, for Paper 1, topics such as reasoning ability, reading comprehension, and general awareness; this paper is common to all candidates. Whereas Paper 2 is completely subjective that are chosen by the candidates.

UGC NET Admit Card 2026

Candidates can access the UGC NET admit card on its official website. The UGC NET city intimation slip will be released on November 23, 2026. Candidates can download the admit card by using their credentials. The UGC NET 2026 Admit Card will be issued on December 7, 2026.

On the day of the exam, candidates are advised to take the admit card along with a valid ID (Aadhaar or Voter ID) to the examination centres for verification purposes. Candidates can check the steps below to download the UGC NET admit card.

Steps to download the UGC NET admit card

• Log on to the NTA official website.

• Click on the admit card on the home page.

• Select the UGC NET admit card link and click on it.

• Enter your registration number or user ID, and then enter the password.

• Then, the admit card will be displayed on the screen.

• Download the admit card and take a screenshot or printout for future reference.

UGC NET Answer Key 2026

Appeared candidates can only access the UGC NET answer key 2026 by entering their credentials. If candidates find any wrong answer, they can raise objections using the UGC NET answer key challenge window. This procedure may incur other charges for the candidate. The candidates are required to pay an amount of Rs 200 to challenge the wrong answer.

The UGC NET challenging window is activated for one to two days. After scrutinising the provisional answer key, the final answer key is released later. Using the UGC NET answer key, candidates can estimate their exam score.

UGC NET Result 2026

Candidates can access the UGC NET result at ugcnet.nta.nic.in. The category-wise cutoff is released along with the UGC NET results. The UGC NET results 2026 contain the candidate’s name, roll number, application number, paper 1 total marks, paper 2 total marks, and category-wise cutoff. The UGC NET results also provide information about the candidate's qualifying status, whether he or she was selected for JRF, Assistant Professor, or both.

UGC NET Cutoff 2026

The UGC NET 2026 cutoff is the minimum marks scored by the student to get qualified for the Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship. The cutoff marks list is released online in a PDF format. The UGC NET cutoff will be released separately for each category. Generally, the UGC NET cutoff 2026 for the general category will be around 40%, while for the reserved category, it is up to 35% of the total marks.

UGC NET Fellowship

Candidates who clear the UGC NET exam can avail the benefits of a fellowship amount. As a junior research fellow, candidates will receive the amount of Rs. 37,000 for the first two years. Whereas the senior research fellow will receive Rs. 42,000 for the next three years.