CSIR NET December 2026: Apply by 5 Nov, Exam 19–27 Dec

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is taking applications for CSIR NET December 2026 (Joint CSIR-UGC NET) on csirnet.nta.nic.in. The last date is 5 November 2026, and the exam is on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026. Miss the date and you can still apply till 9 November, but with ₹500 extra.

If you have (or are finishing) an MSc in chemistry, physics, maths, life sciences or earth sciences, this is the exam for JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission. Here’s everything from the official information bulletin.

CSIR NET December 2026: key details

Detail	Information
Conducted by	National Testing Agency (NTA) for CSIR and UGC
Apply online	7 October to 5 November 2026 (till 11:50 PM)
Late application (₹500 extra)	6 to 9 November 2026
Correction window	10 to 12 November 2026
Exam dates	19, 22 and 27 December 2026
Shifts	9 AM–12 noon and 3 PM–6 PM
Mode	Computer Based Test (CBT), 3 hours, MCQs
Medium	English and Hindi
Subjects	Chemical, Earth/Atmospheric/Ocean/Planetary, Life Sciences and Biotech, Mathematical, Physical Sciences
Fee	₹1,150 (General), ₹600 (EWS/OBC-NCL), ₹325 (SC/ST/PwD/third gender)
JRF stipend	₹37,000 per month (₹42,000 as SRF)
City slip, admit card, result	To be announced
Official site	csirnet.nta.nic.in

The bulletin says the dates are tentative. NTA moved the UGC NET December 2026 exam dates once already this cycle, so keep checking the site.

What you qualify for after CSIR NET

The result puts you in one of three categories. Which one you land in depends on your marks and on the cut-offs set by the results committee.

Qualified for	JRF	Assistant Professor	PhD admission
JRF and Assistant Professor	Yes	Yes	Yes
Assistant Professor and PhD	No	Yes	Yes
PhD admission only	No	No	Yes

For the second and third categories, your NET marks count for 70% at PhD admission and the university’s interview counts for 30%. These marks stay valid for PhD admission for one year. The Assistant Professor eligibility certificate has no expiry.

Eligibility for CSIR NET December 2026

Educational qualification

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) with at least 55% marks for General and EWS, or 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and third gender. No rounding off: 54.9% is not 55%.
• Final-year students can apply. If you’re in your Master’s or waiting for your result, you’re admitted provisionally. You must pass with the required percentage within two years of the CSIR NET result (one year if you qualify for PhD only).
• Four-year bachelor’s degree holders can apply with at least 75% marks (5% relaxation for reserved categories). They can get JRF and PhD admission, but not Assistant Professor eligibility. Students in the last year of a 4-year degree can also apply provisionally.
• With a 4-year degree, you can choose any CSIR NET subject you want to do a PhD in, even if your degree was in a different discipline.

Age limit

Category	Upper age limit
JRF	30 years on 1 December 2026
JRF: OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, third gender, women	Up to 5 years relaxation (35)
JRF: research experience	Relaxation equal to research period, max 5 years
Assistant Professor	No upper age limit
PhD admission only	No upper age limit

So if you’re above 30 (or 35 with relaxation), you can still write the exam. You just won’t be considered for JRF.

JRF stipend and fellowship

According to the bulletin, a JRF through CSIR NET gets ₹37,000 per month for the first two years, plus a contingency grant of ₹20,000 a year. After two years, if you’re registered for a PhD and a committee approves your progress, the fellowship moves to SRF at ₹42,000 per month.

The number of fellowships per subject is limited and changes every cycle. For Life Sciences, some fellowships are funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT-JRF) through this same exam.

Photo: Belikov Maxim / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0

CSIR NET exam pattern 2026

One 3-hour CBT paper with three parts and no break. Part A (general aptitude: reasoning, graphs, numerical ability, puzzles) is common to all subjects. Part B has standard subject MCQs. Part C has harder, analytical questions. Every subject is out of 200 marks.

Subject	Questions (A+B+C)	You attempt	Marks per correct (A/B/C)	Negative marking
Chemical Sciences	20+40+60 = 120	15+35+25	2 / 2 / 4	25% in all parts
Earth Sciences	20+50+80 = 150	15+35+25	2 / 2 / 4	25% in A, B; 33% in C
Life Sciences	20+50+75 = 145	15+35+25	2 / 2 / 4	25% in all parts
Mathematical Sciences	20+40+60 = 120	15+25+20	2 / 3 / 4.75	25% in A, B; none in C
Physical Sciences	20+25+30 = 75	15+20+20	2 / 3.5 / 5	25% in all parts

Don’t answer more than the limit. If you attempt more questions than allowed in a part, only the first ones you answered (up to the limit) are checked. Extra answers don’t help, and a wrong one among the first can cost you.

In Maths Part C, a question can have more than one correct option, and you get marks only if you mark all of them. There’s no negative marking there, so attempt what you can.

How to apply for CSIR NET December 2026

1. Go to csirnet.nta.nic.in and click “Online Application for Joint CSIR UGC-NET December 2026”. You can also sign in through MeriPehchaan (DigiLocker/Aadhaar single sign-on).
2. Register with your own email ID and mobile number. Note down the application number and password.
3. Fill in personal details, subject, education details and exam city choices.
4. Take the live photo (webcam or phone via QR code), and upload a passport photo (10–200 KB, JPG, white background, ears visible, no mask) and signature (10–50 KB, JPG).
5. Upload a category certificate or Result Awaited Attestation Form if it applies to you (PDF, 50–300 KB).
6. Pay the fee by UPI, card or net banking before 5 November, 11:50 PM.
7. Download and save the confirmation page.

If no confirmation page appears after payment, check with your bank first. If the money was deducted, contact NTA so they can regenerate the page. Don’t keep paying again.

Fill only one form. NTA keeps only the first form for a subject, and appearing under two application numbers is treated as unfair means.

Helpline: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700, csirnet@nta.ac.in

Should you apply?

If you’re an MSc student or graduate in one of the five subjects, yes, even if you feel underprepared. ₹1,150 is small, and many people clear JRF on their second or third try. The first attempt teaches you the exam’s pace and the Part C traps.

Honestly, with about 7 weeks left, focus on Part A first. It’s 30 marks of aptitude that most science students ignore, and it’s the easiest way to push your score past the cut-off. Then do the last 5 years’ Part B papers for your subject.

If you’re above 35, you can’t get JRF, but Assistant Professor eligibility is still worth it if you want to teach.

Apply before 5 November to save the ₹500 late fee. Then watch for the city slip, which NTA says it will announce later.