UGC NET December 2026: Apply by 28 Oct, Exam from 14 Dec

Update (24 Oct): NTA issued a corrigendum on 16 October with an updated Information Bulletin. The exam is now on 14 to 18 December and 21 December 2026 (earlier 14 to 19 December). The exam city slip comes from 23 November and the admit card from 7 December. A few exam-day rules changed too. See what changed.

UGC NET December 2026 registration is open till 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM). The exam is on 14 to 18 and 21 December 2026 in 87 subjects, as a computer-based test. If you have a Master’s degree with 55% (50% for reserved categories), or you’re in the final year of one, you can apply.

These dates and rules are from NTA’s public notice dated 8 October, the corrigendum of 16 October and the updated Information Bulletin for UGC NET December 2026. I’ve added what the bulletin doesn’t say plainly: which category to aim for and how to use the 2 months you have left.

Detail	Information
Exam	UGC NET December 2026
Conducted by	National Testing Agency (NTA), for UGC
Subjects	87
Apply online	8 October to 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM)
Late application	29 to 31 October 2026, with ₹500 late fee
Correction window	2 to 4 November 2026
Exam dates	14 to 18 and 21 December 2026
City slip / admit card	To be announced
Mode	Computer-based test, 3 hours, no break
Fee	₹1,150 General, ₹600 EWS/OBC-NCL, ₹325 SC/ST/PwD/third gender
JRF age limit	30 years as on 1 December 2026 (relaxation below)
Negative marking	None
Official website	ugcnet.nta.nic.in

UGC NET December 2026 registration: important dates

Event	Date
Online application and fee payment	8 to 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM)
Late application with ₹500 extra	29 to 31 October 2026 (11:50 PM)
Correction in application form	2 to 4 November 2026 (11:50 PM)
Exam city intimation	From 23 November 2026
Admit card	From 7 December 2026
Exam	14 to 18 and 21 December 2026 (subject-wise schedule later)
Answer key and result	To be announced

NTA says all dates are tentative. The late-fee window is a backup, not a plan. Apply before 28 October and save ₹500.

What the 16 October corrigendum changed

NTA’s corrigendum and updated bulletin says the updated bulletin wins wherever the two differ. The changes that matter most:

What	Earlier bulletin	Now
Exam dates	14–19 Dec, buffer 20–21 Dec	14–18 Dec and 21 Dec; subject-wise schedule later
City slip / admit card	“To be intimated later”	City slip from 23 Nov, admit card from 7 Dec
Pen	Listed as a barred item	Pen given at the centre; don’t bring one
Marked for review	Got no marks	Answered questions marked for review are evaluated; unanswered ones aren’t
Watches	Only electronic watches with a calculator barred	All watches barred
Gate closing	Not stated	Gates close 30 minutes before the exam
Exam cities	Only your state	If your state has fewer than 4 exam cities, pick from the ones shown; you can revise cities in the correction window
Late fee	₹500	₹500 on top of your category fee

The disability (scribe) certificate rules were also rewritten. If you’re applying as PwBD, read Annexure-A of the corrigendum before you fill the form.

What UGC NET qualifies you for

Your result puts you in one of three categories, based on your marks:

Category	JRF (fellowship)	Assistant Professor	PhD admission
Category 1: JRF + Assistant Professor	Yes	Yes	Yes
Category 2: Assistant Professor + PhD	No	Yes	Yes
Category 3: PhD admission only	No	No	Yes

JRF is the one most people want, because it comes with a monthly fellowship for PhD research. It’s also the hardest, and it’s the only one with an age limit.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the subject, from a UGC-recognised university, with at least 55% marks. For OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender candidates, it’s 50%. No rounding off: 54.9% is not 55%.
• Final-year PG students and those waiting for results can apply. You’ll be admitted provisionally, and you must pass your Master’s with the required marks within 2 years of the NET result (within 1 year if you qualify only for PhD admission). Otherwise you’re disqualified.
• 4-year bachelor’s degree holders need 75% (5% relaxation for reserved categories). You can apply for JRF and PhD admission, but not for Assistant Professor. You can choose any subject you want to do a PhD in, whatever your degree was in.
• PhD holders whose Master’s was completed by 19 September 1991 get a 5% relaxation (55% to 50%).

Write the exam in your PG subject. If your subject isn’t in NTA’s list of 87, pick the closest related one.

Age limit

Purpose	Age limit
JRF	Not more than 30 years as on 1 December 2026
Assistant Professor	No upper age limit
PhD admission	No upper age limit

JRF age relaxation (total capped at 5 years):

• Up to 5 years: OBC-NCL (central list), SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender and women
• Up to 5 years: research experience in your PG subject (not done as part of a degree), with a certificate
• 3 years: LLM degree holders
• Up to 5 years: service in the armed forces

So a woman of any category can try for JRF up to 35. If you’re over the limit, you can still write NET for Assistant Professor or PhD.

Application fee

Category	Fee
General / Unreserved	₹1,150
General-EWS, OBC-NCL	₹600
SC, ST, PwD, third gender	₹325

Pay online by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI. The fee isn’t refunded.

Exam pattern and marking

One 3-hour sitting with no break between the two papers:

Paper	What it tests	Questions	Marks
Paper 1	Teaching and research aptitude: reasoning, comprehension, general awareness	50	100
Paper 2	Your subject	100	200
Total		150	300

• Each question carries 2 marks.
• No negative marking. Answer every question.
• Papers are bilingual, in English and Hindi (language papers are in that language). Still choose your medium carefully on the form.
• Syllabus for every subject is on the UGC site (ugcnetonline.in). NTA doesn’t send it.

How the cut-off works

NTA doesn’t publish a fixed pass mark. Only the top 6% of candidates who write both papers (on the basis of a Master’s degree) are declared eligible for Assistant Professor, and those slots are split by category and subject.

To even be considered, you need at least 40% aggregate (General and EWS) or 35% (all reserved categories) across both papers. That’s 120 or 105 out of 300. Think of it as the floor, not the target. The real cut-off is usually much higher.

Exam cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

You pick 4 cities, and only from your permanent or present address state.

• Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur, Eluru, Guntur, Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nandyal, Narasaraopet, Nellore, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram
• Telangana: Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kothagudem, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Siddipet, Warangal

The full list for every state is in Annexure III of the bulletin.

How to apply for UGC NET December 2026

1. Go to ugcnet.nta.nic.in and click “UGC-NET Dec 2026 Application form”.
2. Register with your own (or a parent’s) mobile number and email. You can also sign in through Meri Pehchan.
3. Use Aadhaar verification if you can. NTA says it makes things easier at the exam centre and later when your JRF is processed.
4. Fill in your details, PG marks, subject, medium (English or Hindi) and 4 exam cities.
5. Upload your photo and signature as per the size rules in the bulletin.
6. Pay the fee and download the confirmation page.

Submit only one application. NTA’s bulletin is at ugcnet.nta.nic.in/information-bulletin. Read the photo and signature rules there before you start, since that’s where most forms go wrong.

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

Two months is enough time to cover Paper 1 properly. Photo: LingLass / Wikimedia, CC0

How to use the 2 months before the exam

You have about 8 weeks from today. Here’s a plan that works for most people:

• Weeks 1 to 3: Paper 1. It’s 100 marks and the same for every subject. Teaching aptitude, research aptitude, comprehension, communication, reasoning, data interpretation, ICT, people and environment, and higher education system. It’s the easiest place to gain marks.
• Weeks 2 to 6: Paper 2, unit by unit from the UGC syllabus. Your PG notes cover most of it, but NET also asks about thinkers, books and dates, so make short lists as you go.
• Weeks 6 to 8: previous papers. NTA’s earlier question papers are the best guide to the level. Do them timed, 3 hours, no break, because that’s how the real exam runs.

Since there’s no negative marking, never leave a question blank. If you’re stuck, eliminate what you can and pick one.

Should you apply?

Yes, if you have a PG degree (or will finish one soon) and see yourself in teaching or research. ₹1,150 is the most you’ll pay, and even Category 3 (PhD admission only) opens doors at many universities.

Be realistic about JRF, though. Only a small part of the qualified candidates get it, so plan for more than one attempt if JRF is your goal. If you’re also looking at state-level eligibility, our TG SET answer key post covers Telangana’s own test, which many people write alongside NET.

Next step: open the bulletin, check your PG percentage against the 55%/50% rule, and apply before 28 October. I’ll update this page when the subject-wise schedule, city slip (23 November) and admit card (7 December) come out.