National Testing Agency (NTA) — Ministry of Education
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued an official recruitment notification for UGC NET December 2026, announcing a total of multiple vacancies located in All India. The online application window opens on 08 October 2026 and closes on 28 October 2026. To be eligible, applicants must hold Master’s degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks for General/Unreserved/General-EWS and 50% marks for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender candidates. Final-year Master’s students and candidates with a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree may apply provisionally as per UGC rules. and be within the prescribed age limit of For JRF: Maximum 30 years as on 01 December 2026. Assistant Professor and PhD admission: No upper age limit., with category relaxation applicable as per government guidelines. The selection procedure comprises Computer Based Test (CBT) in two papers, minimum qualifying marks, category-wise eligibility for JRF/Assistant Professor/PhD admission, and university-level interview/viva for PhD admission where applicable.. For complete guidelines, syllabus breakdown, and official notification PDF, refer to the verified information below on ApplySarkariJob.
| Fee Payment Deadline | 28 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Exam Date | 14 Dec 2026 |
The National Testing Agency (NTA), functioning under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has released the official public notice for the UGC NET December 2026 cycle. Issued under the UGC NET December 2026 Public Notice dated 08 October 2026, this nationwide entrance test serves as the benchmark assessment for Indian nationals seeking eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as Assistant Professor, and admission to Ph.D. programmes across Indian universities and colleges.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | UGC NET December 2026 |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| On Behalf Of | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
| Purpose | JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD admission |
| Vacancies | Not applicable – eligibility test |
| Subjects | 87 |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) only |
| Application Window | 08 October 2026 to 28 October 2026 |
| Exam Dates (tentative) | 14 December 2026 to 19 December 2026 |
| Exam Location | Exam cities across India |
| Category | JRF / Assistant Professor | PhD Admission |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1: Award of JRF and appointment as Assistant Professor | JRF: Yes / Assistant Professor: Yes | Yes |
| Category 2: Appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to PhD | JRF: No / Assistant Professor: Yes | Yes |
| Category 3: Admission to PhD only | JRF: No / Assistant Professor: No | Yes |
| Candidate | Requirement |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved / General-EWS | Master’s degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks (without rounding off) from a UGC-recognised university or institution |
| OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender | Master’s degree or equivalent with at least 50% marks (without rounding off) |
| PhD holders (Master’s completed by 19 September 1991) | 5% relaxation in aggregate marks (55% to 50%) |
| 4-year / 8-semester bachelor’s degree | Minimum 75% marks in aggregate or equivalent grade (5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, Differently-Abled, EWS and other categories as per UGC) |
| Final-year Master’s students or result awaited | May apply provisionally |
| Last semester / year of a 4-year bachelor’s degree | May apply provisionally |
| Purpose | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| JRF | Not more than 30 years as on 01 December 2026 |
| Assistant Professor | No upper age limit |
| PhD admission | No upper age limit |
| Ground | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL (Central list), SC, ST, PwD, PwBD and Third gender | Up to 5 years |
| Women applicants | Up to 5 years |
| Research experience in the relevant subject (certificate required) | Period spent on research, maximum 5 years |
| LL.M. degree holders | 3 years |
| Service in the armed forces (up to 01 December 2026) | Up to 5 years |
| Paper | Questions / Marks | What It Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | 50 / 100 | Teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, reading comprehension, divergent thinking, general awareness |
| Paper II | 100 / 200 | Your chosen subject (domain knowledge) |
| Total | 150 / 300 | 3 hours, no break |
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum marks | 40% aggregate in both papers for General / General-EWS; 35% for all reserved categories |
| Assistant Professor slots | 6% of candidates who appeared in both papers, allotted by category as per reservation policy |
| JRF slots | Allotted as per the Government of India reservation policy |
| PhD-only qualifiers | Number decided by the results committee |
| Result format | Percentile with marks / normalised marks |
| PhD admission (Categories 2 and 3) | 70% weightage to NET marks + 30% to interview / viva voce by the university |
| PhD admission (JRF) | Interview as per UGC PhD Regulations, 2022 |
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Visit the official UGC NET application portal (link in Essential Links below) |
| 2 | Register with your own email ID and mobile number (registration runs through the Meri Pehchaan single sign-on) |
| 3 | Fill the application form, note your Application Number, capture a live photograph, and upload your photo (10 KB–200 KB), signature (10 KB–50 KB) and, if applicable, Disability / UDID certificate (PDF, 50 KB–300 KB) |
| 4 | Pay the fee online through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking or UPI, and keep proof of payment |
| 5 | Submit, then download and print the Confirmation Page |
| Condition | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Not following the Information Bulletin | You shall be summarily disqualified |
| Ineligibility found at any stage | Candidature cancelled, and you may face legal action |
| Admit card issued | Issue of an admit card does not necessarily mean acceptance of eligibility — it is scrutinised again at admission |
| No valid admit card and authorised photo ID at the centre | You shall not be permitted to take the examination under any circumstances |
| Changes to particulars or uploaded scanned images after the correction window | Requests will not be considered |
| Email ID and mobile number not your own | NTA is not responsible for any non-communication or miscommunication |
| PwD/PwBD claims after the correction window | Not entertained once the window closes |
| Appearing in more than one shift using false information | Candidature cancelled and result not declared |
| Unable to appear on your scheduled date | No re-test under any circumstances |
| Unfair means | Result cancelled; debarment from public examinations for up to 3 years and criminal action |
| Writing from a centre other than the allotted one | Result cancelled |
| Answer key challenges | ₹200 per answer key challenged (non-refundable); only paid challenges made in time through the prescribed link are considered |
Conducted across multiple test centers nationwide, qualifying the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) opens pathways toward academic professorship and funded research fellowships. Candidates preparing for national eligibility assessments may also review the CSIR NET December 2026 Notification Out by NTA recruitment details to understand parallel research eligibility opportunities administered by the agency.
Applicants must satisfy strict academic qualification criteria determined by the University Grants Commission:
The upper age restrictions and category concessions vary significantly depending on the eligibility category selected during registration:
The UGC NET is a national eligibility certification test rather than a direct job placement examination. As such, it does not carry an initial pay scale, salary matrix level, or grade pay at the application stage. Instead, candidates who qualify for the award of Junior Research Fellowship become eligible for monthly financial research stipends and contingency grants upon joining research programmes. Those who qualify for Assistant Professorship become eligible for UGC-regulated 7th CPC academic pay scales (Academic Level 10) upon appointment in universities and colleges.
The evaluation framework consists of a multi-stage assessment strictly monitored by the NTA:
| Paper | Focus & Syllabus Coverage | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Teaching & Research Aptitude, Reasoning, Comprehension, General Awareness | 50 | 100 | 3 Hours (180 Minutes) No break between papers |
| Paper II | Subject chosen by the candidate (Domain Knowledge) | 100 | 200 | |
| Total | Comprehensive Computer Based Test | 150 Questions | 300 Marks | 180 Minutes |
Candidates must strictly adhere to the schedule announced in the official notification to ensure timely completion of registration:
The examination registration fee varies according to social category and submission date. Payment must be processed through online channels including Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI:
Registrations are managed entirely online through the authorized NTA exam engine. Follow these steps to register correctly:
Ensure that all required personal and academic documentation is verified and ready for upload during the submission process:
Review every entry in the application form carefully prior to final submission. Verify spelling of candidate and parental names against secondary school certificates. Once the payment deadline passes, requests for changes in the chosen subject, examination center, or category designation will not be entertained outside designated correction periods.
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