UGC NET December 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the detailed Information Bulletin for the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) December 2026 on 8 October 2026. Candidates interested in UGC-NET can submit their applications online, for which an application window is open from 8 October to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
The examination determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as Assistant Professor, and admission to Ph.D. in Indian universities and colleges. The selected candidates will be awarded JRF, be eligible for Assistant Professor, and/or admission to Ph.D. as per their category.
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UGC NET December 2026 Notification Out
The detailed notification for the UGC-NET December 2026 has been issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The notification contains the eligibility conditions, age limit, application dates, fee, examination stages, qualifying marks, examination centres, reservation provisions and other important instructions.
UGC NET December 2026 Official PDF – Click to Download
UGC NET December 2026: Overview
The UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for ‘award of Junior Research Fellowship and appointment as Assistant Professor’, ‘appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D.’ and ‘admission to Ph.D. only’ in Indian universities and colleges. This examination is very important for candidates who are looking for a career in teaching and research.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of University Grants Commission (UGC) |
| Exam Name | UGC-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) December 2026 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Registration Dates | 8 October to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Educational Qualification | Master’s Degree or equivalent |
| Age Limit | JRF: Not more than 30 years; Assistant Professor/PhD: No upper age limit |
| Selection Process | (i) Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| (ii) Display of Provisional Answer Key | |
| (iii) Declaration of Result | |
| Exam Date | 14 December to 19 December 2026 |
| Job Location | All India |
| Official Website | https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/ |
UGC NET December 2026 Important Dates
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the online registration has been started on 8 October 2026 and the last date to apply is 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM). The examination is scheduled to be held from 14 December to 19 December 2026.
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| UGC NET December 2026 Notification | 8 October 2026 |
| Application Process Begins | 8 October 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Last Date for Successful Transaction of Examination Fee | 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Late Submission of Online Application Form with Late Fee Rs. 500/- | 29 October to 31 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Last Date of Successful Transaction with Late Fee | 31 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Correction in the Particulars of Application Form | 2 November to 4 November 2026 (up to 11:50 PM) |
| Intimation of Cities of Exam Centres | To be Intimated later |
| Downloading of Admit Card | To be Intimated later |
| Dates of Examination | 14 December to 19 December 2026 |
| Duration of Examination | 180 minutes (03 hours) |
| Display of Recorded Responses and Provisional Answer Keys | To be announced later |
| Declaration of Result | To be announced later |
UGC NET December 2026 Vacancy 2026
The UGC-NET is not a recruitment examination for a specific number of vacancies. It determines the eligibility of candidates for the award of JRF, appointment as Assistant Professor, and admission to Ph.D. The number of candidates to be qualified for eligibility for Assistant Professor shall be equal to 6% of the candidates appeared in NET (in both the papers).
Eligibility Categories
| Qualified for | Eligible for JRF | Eligible for Assistant Professor | Eligible for Ph.D. admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category-1: Award of JRF and appointment as Assistant Professor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Category-2: Appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D. | No | Yes | Yes |
| Category-3: Admission to Ph.D. only | No | No | Yes |
UGC NET December 2026 Eligibility Criteria 2026
Candidates must fulfil all the eligibility conditions prescribed by the NTA. The final eligibility conditions should be checked from the detailed notification before applying.
Educational Qualification
| Category | Minimum Marks in Master’s Degree |
|---|---|
| General/Unreserved/General-EWS | At least 55% marks (without rounding off) |
| OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third gender | At least 50% marks (without rounding off) |
Note: Candidates who are pursuing their Master’s degree or equivalent course or candidates who have appeared for their qualifying Master’s degree (final year) examination and whose result is still awaited may also apply. Such candidates will be admitted provisionally and shall be considered eligible for award of JRF/eligibility for Assistant Professor only after they have passed their Master’s Degree with the required percentage of marks.
Age Limit (as on 01/12/2026)
| Post | Age Limit |
|---|---|
| JRF | Not more than 30 years |
| Assistant Professor | No upper age limit |
| Admission to Ph.D. | No upper age limit |
Age Relaxation:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third gender | Up to 5 years |
| Women applicants | Up to 5 years |
| Candidates with research experience | Up to 5 years |
| Candidates with L.L.M. degree | 3 years |
UGC NET December 2026 Online Form 2026
The UGC NET December 2026 Online Application process has started with the release of the detailed notification on 8 October 2026. The UGC NET December 2026 Online Form is accepted online only through the official website https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/. Candidates must submit their applications by 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM).
UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online 2026 Link – Click Here
How to Apply
- Visit the official UGC-NET website https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/.
- Open the UGC-NET December 2026 recruitment/application link.
- Complete the candidate registration using the Meri Pehchaan – National Single Sign-On (NSSO) platform.
- Enter personal and educational details.
- Upload the required documents, live photograph, and signature.
- Check the application form carefully.
- Pay the application fee, if applicable.
- Submit the application form.
- Download and save the final submitted application for future reference.
Application Fee
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General/Unreserved | Rs. 1150/- |
| Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL | Rs. 600/- |
| Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST)/Third Gender | Rs. 325/- |
| Person with Disability (PwD)/Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) | Rs. 325/- |
Note: Applicable service/processing charges & GST over and above the Examination Fee are to be paid by the candidate to the concerned Bank/Payment Gateway Integrator.
Documents Required
Candidates should keep the following documents/details ready:
- Valid mobile number
- Active email ID
- Master’s Degree certificate/mark sheet
- Educational qualification documents
- Recent photograph (file size 10kb-200kb, with 80% face visible including ears against white background)
- Signature (file size 10kb-50kb)
- Scanned copy of Disability/UDID certificate (PDF between 50 kb to 300 kb, clearly legible)
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/EWS), wherever applicable
- Payment details
UGC NET December 2026 Selection Process
Under the selection of candidates for UGC-NET December 2026, candidates have to undergo the following stages of the selection process:
Stage 1 → Computer Based Test (CBT)
↓
Stage 2 → Display of Recorded Responses and Provisional Answer Keys
↓
Stage 3 → Challenge of Answer Keys
↓
Stage 4 → Declaration of Result
↓
Final Selection/Merit List
The result of NET will be declared in percentile along with the marks/normalized marks (in case of multiple shifts) obtained by a candidate. In case the test for a subject(s) is conducted in two or multiple shifts, the marks will be normalized by using the Equi-percentile method.
UGC NET December 2026 Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates interested in the UGC NET December 2026 Exam must be aware of the UGC NET December 2026 Exam Pattern. The Test paper will consist of two sections, both sections will consist of objective type, multiple-choice questions. There will be no break between the papers.
| Part | Marks | Number of Questions | MCQ | Total Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 100 | 50 | The questions in Part-I intend to assess the teaching/research aptitude of the candidate. It will primarily be designed to test reasoning ability, reading comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness of the Candidate. | 03 hours (180 minutes) without any break |
| II | 200 | 100 | This is based on the subject selected by the candidate and will assess domain knowledge. | |
| Total | 300 | 150 |
Marking Scheme:
- Each question carries 02 (two) marks.
- For each correct response, the candidate will get 02 (two) marks.
- There is no negative marking for incorrect response.
- No marks will be given for questions un-answered/un-attempted/marked for Review.
Medium of Question Paper: The medium of Question Paper shall be in English & Hindi only, except language papers.
UGC NET December 2026 Salary
The UGC-NET is not a recruitment examination, so there is no salary associated with it. However, candidates who qualify for JRF will be awarded a fellowship as per UGC norms. The fellowship amount for JRF is Rs. 37,000/- per month for the initial two years and Rs. 42,000/- per month for the remaining tenure, along with a contingency grant.
UGC NET December 2026 Fellowship Benefits
- Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) as per UGC norms
- Eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor
- Eligibility for admission to Ph.D.
- Fellowship amount: Rs. 37,000/- per month (initial two years) and Rs. 42,000/- per month (remaining tenure)
- Contingency grant as per UGC norms
- HRA as per rules
UGC NET December 2026 Reservation of Appointments
The reservation policy of the Government of India is applicable to UGC-NET. The details of the reservation to candidates belonging to various categories are given below:
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) | 27% |
| General-Economically Weaker Sections (General-EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) | 5% (horizontal reservation) |
UGC NET December 2026 Important Instructions
- Candidates must read carefully the Instructions (including how to fill up Application Form online) given in the Information Bulletin available on the NTA Website.
- Candidate can apply for UGC-NET December 2026 through “Online” mode only. The Application Form in any other mode will not be accepted.
- The final submission of Online Application Form will remain incomplete if Step-2 and Step-3 are not completed. Such forms will stand rejected and no correspondence on this account will be entertained.
- No request for refund of fee once remitted by the candidate will be entertained by NTA under any circumstances.
- The entire application process for UGC-NET December 2026 is online, including uploading of live photographs and scanned images, payment of fees, and printing of confirmation page, admit card, etc.
- Candidates must ensure that their email address and mobile number to be registered in their online Application Form are their own.
- Candidates shall appear at their own cost at the Examination Centre on the Date, Shift and time indicated on their Admit Cards issued by the NTA.
- Candidates are NOT allowed to carry Instruments, Geometry or Pencil box, Handbag, Purse, any kind of Paper/Stationery/Textual material, Eatables and Water, Mobile Phone/Earphone/Microphone/Paper, Calculator, DocuPen, Slide Rules, Log Tables, Camera, Tape Recorder, Electronic Watches with facilities of calculator, any metallic item or electronic gadgets/devices in the Examination Hall/Room.
- The candidates must carry the Admit Card along with Self Declaration (Undertaking) downloaded from the NTA Website, one passport size photograph, and any one of the authorized photo IDs.
- The NTA will display the Question Paper and attempted recorded responses by the candidates on the NTA website prior to declaration of result.
- The result of UGC-NET December 2026 will be declared on the NTA website. The candidates will not be individually intimated about their result.
- There shall be no re-evaluation/re-checking of the result. No correspondence in this regard shall be entertained.
- All disputes pertaining to the conduct of UGC-NET December 2026 Examinations including Results shall fall within the jurisdiction of Delhi/New Delhi only.
FAQs
Q1. Is UGC NET December 2026 Notification Out?
Yes, UGC NET December 2026 Notification has been finally released on 8 October 2026.
Q2. What is the selection process for UGC NET December 2026?
The candidates will be selected through a Computer Based Test (CBT), followed by the display of provisional answer keys and declaration of result.
Q3. What is the total number of vacancies for UGC NET December 2026?
UGC-NET is not a recruitment examination for a specific number of vacancies. It determines the eligibility of candidates for the award of JRF, appointment as Assistant Professor, and admission to Ph.D.
Q4. What is the last date to apply for UGC NET December 2026?
The last date to apply online is 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM).
Q5. What is the exam date for UGC NET December 2026?
The examination is scheduled to be held from 14 December to 19 December 2026.
Q6. What is the age limit for UGC NET December 2026?
The age limit is not more than 30 years for JRF. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D.
Q7. What is the educational qualification for UGC NET December 2026?
The educational qualification is a Master’s Degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks (50% for reserved categories).
Q8. Is there a negative marking in UGC NET December 2026?
No, there is no negative marking for incorrect responses.
Q9. What is the application fee for UGC NET December 2026?
The application fee is Rs. 1150/- for General/Unreserved, Rs. 600/- for Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL, and Rs. 325/- for SC/ST/Third Gender/PwD/PwBD.
Q10. What is the medium of the UGC NET December 2026 exam?
The medium of the Question Paper shall be in English & Hindi only, except language papers.
