The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially opened the application portal for the UGC NET December 2026 Examination. Conducted on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC), this national-level test determines eligibility for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as Assistant Professor, and admissions into Ph.D. programmes across Indian universities.
As per the latest notification, the examination will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode across 87 subjects. If you are looking to build a career in academics or research, make sure to submit your application form before the deadline.
Before applying, take a moment to review the official information bulletin to double-check your subject code, eligibility criteria, and examination details.
UGC NET December 2026
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination Name | UGC NET December 2026 |
| Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Conducted On Behalf Of | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
| Examination Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Subjects | 87 |
| Examination Level | National Level |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Start Date | 8 October 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 28 October 2026 |
| Last Date with Late Fee | 31 October 2026 |
| Correction Window | 2 November to 4 November 2026 |
| Examination Dates | 14 December to 19 December 2026 |
| Exam City Intimation | To be announced |
| Admit Card Release | To be announced |
Important Dates for UGC NET December 2026
Candidates should keep track of the following dates to ensure that they complete the application process on time.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online Application Begins | 8 October 2026 |
| Last Date for Online Application | 28 October 2026, up to 11:50 PM |
| Last Date for Examination Fee Payment | 28 October 2026, up to 11:50 PM |
| Application with Late Fee | 29 October to 31 October 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment with Late Fee | 31 October 2026, up to 11:50 PM |
| Application Correction Window | 2 November to 4 November 2026 |
| Exam City Intimation Slip | To be announced later |
| Admit Card | To be announced later |
| UGC NET Examination | 14 December to 19 December 2026 |
| Recorded Responses and Answer Key | To be announced later |
Application Fee
Candidates must pay the prescribed examination fee according to their category.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved | ₹1,150 |
| General-EWS | ₹600 |
| OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC | ₹325 |
| ST | ₹325 |
| PwD | ₹325 |
| Third Gender | ₹325 |
The examination fee can be paid through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking or UPI. Candidates should ensure that the payment is completed successfully before the deadline.
Eligibility and Purpose of UGC NET
1. Educational Qualification:
Candidates must fulfil the following educational qualification requirements to apply for UGC NET December 2026:
• General / Unreserved / General-EWS: Candidates must have secured at least 55% marks in a Master's degree or equivalent examination from a UGC-recognized university or institution.
• OBC-NCL / SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third Gender: Candidates must have secured at least 50% marks in a Master's degree or equivalent examination.
• Final-Year Students: Candidates who are pursuing their Master's degree, have appeared in their final-year examination, or are awaiting results may also apply provisionally, subject to the conditions specified in the official Information Bulletin.
• Four-Year Bachelor's Degree: Candidates who have completed a four-year/eight-semester bachelor's degree with at least 75% aggregate marks, or equivalent grade, may apply under the prescribed conditions. A relaxation of 5% is available for the specified categories. Candidates qualifying through this route are eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission but are not eligible for appointment as Assistant Professor on the basis of this qualification alone.
2. Age Limit:
For Junior Research Fellowship (JRF):
• Maximum age: 30 years as on 1 December 2026.
• Relaxation of up to 5 years is available for eligible categories, including OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, Third Gender candidates and women applicants, subject to the official rules.
• Additional age-relaxation provisions apply in certain cases, as specified in the Information Bulletin.
For Assistant Professor and Ph.D. Admission:
• There is no upper age limit.
( Note: Candidates should read the official Information Bulletin for complete eligibility conditions, relaxations and applicable rules before applying. )
Subjects Available for UGC NET December 2026
• The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the UGC NET December 2026 examination for 87 subjects in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.
• Candidates should select the subject related to their postgraduate qualification, as prescribed in the official Information Bulletin. If their postgraduate subject is not included in the list, they may choose a related subject where permitted under the official guidelines.
• The following table contains the subject names and codes listed in Annexure II of the Information Bulletin.
| Sl. No. | Subject | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adult Education / Continuing Education / Andragogy / Non-Formal Education | 46 |
| 2 | Anthropology | 07 |
| 3 | Arab Culture and Islamic Studies | 49 |
| 4 | Arabic | 29 |
| 5 | Archaeology | 67 |
| 6 | Assamese | 36 |
| 7 | Bengali | 19 |
| 8 | Bodo | 94 |
| 9 | Buddhist, Jaina, Gandhian and Peace Studies | 60 |
| 10 | Chinese | 32 |
| 11 | Commerce | 08 |
| 12 | Comparative Literature | 72 |
| 13 | Comparative Study of Religions | 62 |
| 14 | Computer Science and Applications | 87 |
| 15 | Criminology | 68 |
| 16 | Defence and Strategic Studies | 11 |
| 17 | Dogri | 33 |
| 18 | Economics / Rural Economics / Co-operation / Demography / Development Planning / Development Studies / Econometrics / Applied Economics / Development Economics / Business Economics | 01 |
| 19 | Education | 09 |
| 20 | Electronic Science | 88 |
| 21 | English | 30 |
| 22 | Environmental Sciences | 89 |
| 23 | Folk Literature | 71 |
| 24 | Forensic Science | 82 |
| 25 | French (French Version) | 39 |
| 26 | Geography | 80 |
| 27 | German | 44 |
| 28 | Gujarati | 37 |
| 29 | Hindi | 20 |
| 30 | Hindu Studies | 102 |
| 31 | History | 06 |
| 32 | Home Science | 12 |
| 33 | Human Rights and Duties | 92 |
| 34 | Indian Culture | 50 |
| 35 | Indian Knowledge System | 103 |
| 36 | Japanese | 45 |
| 37 | Kannada | 21 |
| 38 | Kashmiri | 84 |
| 39 | Konkani | 85 |
| 40 | Labour Welfare / Personnel Management / Industrial Relations / Labour and Social Welfare / Human Resource Management | 55 |
| 41 | Law | 58 |
| 42 | Library and Information Science | 59 |
| 43 | Linguistics | 31 |
| 44 | Maithili | 18 |
| 45 | Malayalam | 22 |
| 46 | Management (including Business Administration, Marketing Management, Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Financial Management and Co-operative Management) | 17 |
| 47 | Manipuri | 35 |
| 48 | Marathi | 38 |
| 49 | Mass Communication and Journalism | 63 |
| 50 | Museology and Conservation | 66 |
| 51 | Music | 16 |
| 52 | Nepali | 34 |
| 53 | Oriya | 23 |
| 54 | Pali | 83 |
| 55 | Performing Art – Dance / Drama / Theatre | 65 |
| 56 | Persian | 42 |
| 57 | Philosophy | 03 |
| 58 | Physical Education | 47 |
| 59 | Political Science | 02 |
| 60 | Politics including International Relations / International Studies, including Defence / Strategic Studies and regional studies | 90 |
| 61 | Population Studies | 15 |
| 62 | Prakrit | 91 |
| 63 | Psychology | 04 |
| 64 | Public Administration | 14 |
| 65 | Punjabi | 24 |
| 66 | Rajasthani | 43 |
| 67 | Russian | 41 |
| 68 | Sanskrit | 25 |
| 69 | Sanskrit Traditional Subjects | 73 |
| 70 | Santali | 95 |
| 71 | Sindhi | 101 |
| 72 | Social Medicine and Community Health | 81 |
| 73 | Social Work | 10 |
| 74 | Sociology | 05 |
| 75 | Spanish | 40 |
| 76 | Tamil | 26 |
| 77 | Telugu | 27 |
| 78 | Tourism Administration and Management | 93 |
| 79 | Tribal and Regional Language / Literature | 70 |
| 80 | Urdu | 28 |
| 81 | Visual Art (including Drawing and Painting, Sculpture, Graphics, Applied Art and History of Art) | 79 |
| 82 | Women Studies | 74 |
| 83 | Yoga | 100 |
| 84 | Disaster Management | 104 |
| 85 | Ayurveda Biology | 105 |
| 86 | Forestry | 106 |
| 87 | Statistics | 107 |
Important Notes:
• Paper I (General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude) is compulsory for all candidates.
• Candidates with a Master's degree in Geography with a specialization in Population Studies, or in Mathematics / Statistics, may also be eligible for Population Studies (Code 015).
• Candidates with a postgraduate degree in Humanities (including languages) and Social Sciences may be eligible for Women Studies (Code 074).
• Candidates should verify the subject code and applicable subject-selection rules in the official Information Bulletin before applying.
UGC NET December 2026 Examination Schedule
• The NTA will conduct the examination from 14 December to 19 December 2026 in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode across 87 subjects.
• The examination centre, date and shift allotted to each candidate will be mentioned on the admit card. The exam city intimation details and admit card release date will be announced separately by the NTA.
• Candidates should download their admit cards from the official website when they become available and carefully check the details mentioned on them.
How to Apply Online for UGC NET December 2026
Eligible candidates can follow these steps to submit their applications:
1. Visit the official UGC NET website.
2. Open the UGC NET December 2026 registration or application link.
3. Complete the registration process using the prescribed details.
4. Log in and fill in the online application form carefully.
5. Enter the required personal, educational and examination-related information.
6. Upload the documents, photograph and signature wherever required by the application portal.
7. Pay the examination fee through one of the available online payment methods.
8. Review all the details before submitting the form.
9. Submit the application and download or print the confirmation page for future reference.
The official notice states that registration is enabled through the Meri Pehchaan single sign-on service. Candidates should follow the instructions displayed on the official portal.
( Note: Only online applications submitted through the official website will be accepted. Candidates must submit only one application form. )
Important Instructions for Applicants
Before applying for UGC NET December 2026, candidates should remember the following points:
• Use the official NTA website to complete the application process.
• Read the Information Bulletin carefully before filling in the form.
• Provide an active email address and mobile number belonging to yourself or your parents/guardians, as specified in the official notice.
• Check all personal and educational details before final submission.
• The notice states that changes will not be allowed after final submission, so candidates should be especially careful.
• Aadhaar verification is advised by the NTA, wherever possible, to facilitate registration and the examination process.
• Keep a copy of the submitted application form and payment confirmation for future reference.
• Regularly check the official website for the exam city slip, admit card, answer key and other announcements.
For assistance with application-related difficulties, candidates can contact the NTA through the following channels:
Helpline Numbers:011-40759000
011-69227700
Email: [email protected]
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Official Notification | Click Here |
| Information Bulletin | Check Here |
| Exam City Intimation Slip | To be announced |
| Admit Card | To be announced |
| Answer Key | To be announced |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When did UGC NET December 2026 registration start?
The online registration process started on 8 October 2026, according to the NTA public notice.
2. What is the last date to apply for UGC NET December 2026?
The last date to submit the online application form and pay the examination fee is 28 October 2026, up to 11:50 PM.
3. Can candidates apply with a late fee?
Yes. The Information Bulletin provides a late application window from 29 October to 31 October 2026, with a late fee of ₹500, subject to the prescribed payment deadline.
4. How many subjects are available for UGC NET December 2026?
The examination will be conducted for 87 subjects in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.
5. What is the educational qualification for UGC NET December 2026?
Generally, candidates need a Master's degree or equivalent qualification with at least 55% marks for General/Unreserved and General-EWS categories, and 50% marks for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and Third Gender categories, subject to the official eligibility rules.
6. What is the age limit for UGC NET JRF?
The maximum age for JRF is 30 years as on 1 December 2026, with applicable age relaxations under the Information Bulletin.
7. Is there an upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility?
No. The Information Bulletin specifies no upper age limit for applying for UGC NET for Assistant Professor eligibility.
8. What is the examination date for UGC NET December 2026?
The examination is scheduled from 14 December to 19 December 2026. Candidates should check the official website for updates.
9. What is the application fee for UGC NET December 2026?
The fee is ₹1,150 for General/Unreserved candidates, ₹600 for General-EWS and OBC-NCL candidates, and ₹325 for SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and Third Gender candidates. Applicable service charges and GST may be additional.
10. Does qualifying UGC NET guarantee a government job?
No. Qualifying UGC NET establishes eligibility for the applicable category, such as JRF, Assistant Professor or Ph.D. admission. Assistant Professor appointments require a separate recruitment and selection process.
11. Where can candidates apply for UGC NET December 2026?
Candidates can apply through the official NTA website: ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
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