UGC-NET December 2026
Applications openYour photo, signature, dates and exam day — step by step
On Android, Google Calendar adds a subscription only from its website — the link opens it for you.
📸 Your photo and signature — the two files NTA asks for
JPG · 10–200 KB · colour or black and white · white background · your face (no mask) filling 80% of it, with your ears showing
JPG · 10–50 KB · your usual signature, on plain white paper
🎥 The form also takes a live photo — how to get it right
- A light-coloured background behind you, and good light on your face
- Your face filling 80% of the picture, with both ears showing and no mask
- No webcam? Scan the QR code on the form's screen and take it with your phone
At a glance
Apply only on ugcnet.nta.nic.in, and only once. The fee is lower for EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, third gender and PwD/PwBD candidates — see Fees.
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You haven't opened this step yet. It has what you need to get it right.
Besides the live photo the form takes, NTA asks you to upload two files: a recent photograph of 10–200 KB and your signature of 10–50 KB.
The photograph can be in colour or black and white. It needs a white background, and your face — without a mask — must fill 80% of it, with both ears showing. Take it close up, looking straight at the camera.
For the signature, sign on plain white paper and take a clear photo of it.
Add both in the boxes at the top of this page. We crop each one and save it as a JPG within NTA's limits.
Upload only your own photo and signature — never anyone else's. Keep a print of this same photo: you carry one on exam day, and it must be the same as the one you upload.
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With PwD/PwBD, you upload a scan of your disability or UDID certificate as a PDF between 50 KB and 300 KB, clearly readable. Add a photo or a PDF of it here and we make a PDF within those limits.
NTA checks the certificate through the UDID portal. If something does not match, it can be corrected only in the correction window (2 November 2026 to 4 November 2026); once that closes, no PwD/PwBD claim is accepted.
Your fee is ₹325. Need a scribe or extra time in the exam? The certificate for it is in the exam-day steps.
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If you are studying for your Master's, or have taken its final exam and are waiting for the result, you can apply. You are admitted provisionally.
You count as eligible for JRF or Assistant Professor only after you pass your Master's with at least 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender), within two years of the NET result — or one year if you qualify for Ph.D. admission only. Miss it and you are disqualified.
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A four-year (8-semester) bachelor's degree with at least 75% in aggregate, or the equivalent grade, lets you take NET for JRF and Ph.D. admission — but not for Assistant Professor. SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer), differently-abled, EWS and some other candidates may get 5% relaxation.
You can take NET in the subject you want to do your Ph.D. in, whatever your degree was in.
In the last semester or year of the degree? You can apply too, provisionally.
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OBC-NCL means the central list of OBCs (on ncbc.nic.in). If your caste is only on your state's OBC list, you must choose General / Unreserved in the form.
The OBC-NCL fee is ₹600, and OBC-NCL candidates get the lower Master's marks (50%) and up to 5 more years in the JRF age limit.
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Registration runs through Meri Pehchaan, the government's single sign-on, which works with DigiLocker, Jan Parichay and e-Pramaan. You verify yourself by eKYC with Aadhaar, PAN, a driving licence or APAAR — NTA advises Aadhaar.
Give your own email address and mobile number, not someone else's.
Submit only one application.
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Log in on ugcnet.nta.nic.in and fill in the form. Note down the application number it gives you.
Apply For. Choose one: JRF and Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission; or Ph.D. admission only. It decides what your result can make you eligible for — see What each choice leads to.
Subject and language. Paper 2 is on the subject you choose. Question papers are in English and Hindi; language papers are in their own language.
Exam cities. Choose four cities in order of preference, all in the state of your permanent or present address. You can change them in the correction window.
Photo and files. The form takes your photo live with your webcam — no webcam? Scan the QR code on the screen and take it with your phone. Then upload the photo and signature files you made above.
The form closes at 11:50 pm on 28 October 2026. Stuck? NTA's helpline: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or ugcnet@nta.ac.in.
PwD/PwBD: give your disability details and upload the certificate PDF you made above.
closes 28 October 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar -
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Pay straight after the form, online through the SBI, Canara Bank or Union Bank of India gateway — by debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI. The bank's service or processing charges and GST are on top of the fee.
How much: General ₹1,150; EWS and OBC-NCL ₹600; SC, ST, third gender and PwD/PwBD ₹325.
A form without the fee is incomplete and is rejected. The confirmation page appears only after the payment goes through: download it, save it and print a copy.
A fee once paid is not refunded. A failed or double payment goes through NTA's refund procedure.
Missed 28 October 2026? From 29 October 2026 to 31 October 2026 (11:50 pm) you can still apply, with a late fee of ₹500 on top of your fee — the same for everyone.
last day 28 October 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar -
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From 2 November 2026 to 4 November 2026 (11:50 pm) you can correct the particulars in your form online, and change your exam cities.
After that, NTA treats what you entered as final and accepts no request to change it.
PwD/PwBD: if the UDID check found a mismatch, this is the only time to fix it.
opens 2 November 2026–4 November 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar
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NTA announces your exam city on 23 November 2026. Your centre, date and shift are on your admit card.
The exam timings have not been announced yet; NTA will announce them later.
on 23 November 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar -
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Download your admit card from the NTA website from 7 December 2026. Print it clearly on A4 paper together with the self-declaration (undertaking), and fill that in.
Without it, you are not allowed to sit the exam.
from 7 December 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar -
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The admit card, with the self-declaration filled in.
One passport-size photo — the same as the one you uploaded.
One original photo ID, valid and not expired: college ID card, PAN card, passport, Aadhaar card with photo, e-Aadhaar with photo, or bank passbook with photo.
Without these, you are not allowed to sit the exam.
Name changed? Your marriage certificate, divorce decree or legal name-change document.
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With blindness, a locomotor disability affecting both arms, or cerebral palsy, you get a scribe if you want one. With another benchmark disability, you need a certificate that you cannot write and need a scribe, from the Chief Medical Officer, Civil Surgeon or Medical Superintendent of a government hospital.
40% disability or more, with difficulty writing: the certificate in Annexure VI of the bulletin. Below 40%, with difficulty writing: the certificate in Annexure VIII.
Only with one of these certificates do you get a scribe or extra time — at least 20 minutes for every hour of the exam.
Bringing your own scribe? Their qualification must be one step below yours, and you give their details in Annexure VII.
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Not allowed in: anything printed or written, bits of paper, a geometry or pencil box, a plastic pouch, a pen, a scale or a writing pad; a phone, earphones, a health band or any other device; a wallet, goggles, a handbag, a belt or a cap; a watch, a bracelet or a camera; ornaments or anything metallic; and food, opened or packed.
You do all rough work on the rough sheets given at the centre. There is nowhere to keep your things at the centre, so leave them at home.
Water in a transparent bottle is allowed for everyone.
Normal shoes, slippers and low-heeled sandals are fine; long boots are not.
Diabetic? You may bring sugar tablets and whole, unpacked fruit such as a banana, apple or orange.
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Report at your centre two hours before the exam starts. The gates close 30 minutes before it begins.
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are one sitting of 180 minutes, on a computer, with no break between them.
Write your name and application number at the top of every rough sheet, and hand all of them to the invigilator when the exam ends.
exam from 14 December 2026Add it to your calendar: Google Calendar iPhone / other calendar
The exam. One sitting of 180 minutes on a computer, with no break: Paper 1 has 50 questions (100 marks), mainly on reasoning ability; Paper 2 has 100 questions (200 marks) on your subject. Each question carries 2 marks, and there is no negative marking. More under The exam.
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After the exam, NTA puts the provisional answer keys, the question paper you attempted and your recorded responses on ugcnet.nta.nic.in. They stay up only for a few days — watch the website for the dates.
Think an answer is wrong? Challenge it online for ₹200 a question, not refunded. Only paid challenges made in time through the key-challenge link are considered.
Download your response sheet and keep it: NTA gives no copy after the result.
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The result is put on ugcnet.nta.nic.in. No one is told individually, so check it yourself.
To be considered, you must have taken both papers and scored at least 40% of their total marks together (35% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender). Those declared qualified for Assistant Professor are 6% of the candidates who took both papers, shared out by category and subject.
Admitted provisionally? Pass your Master's with the required marks within two years of this result (one year if you qualify for Ph.D. admission only), or you are disqualified.
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With JRF, you join a Ph.D. through an interview.
The fellowship offer is valid for three years from the date of your JRF award letter. You receive the fellowship once a university, IIT or institution takes you in.
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With "Assistant Professor and Ph.D." or "Ph.D. only", NET is the entrance test for Ph.D. admission in place of the universities' own tests.
Your NET marks count 70% and the interview 30%. The marks are valid for one year from the result.
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Full details
Can you apply?
A Master's degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks, without rounding off — or 50% if you are OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD or third gender.
Still studying, or waiting for your result? You can apply, provisionally. You must then pass your Master's with those marks within two years of the NET result — one year if you qualify for Ph.D. admission only — or you are disqualified.
A four-year bachelor's degree with at least 75% (or the equivalent grade; 5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, differently-abled, EWS and some other candidates) lets you take NET for JRF and Ph.D. admission, not for Assistant Professor. In its last semester or year, you can apply provisionally.
OBC means the central OBC-NCL list (ncbc.nic.in). If your caste is only on your state's list, apply as General / Unreserved. Third gender candidates get the same relaxations in fee, age and eligibility as SC, ST and PwD/PwBD candidates.
You send no certificates to NTA — but make sure you are eligible: if you are found ineligible at any stage, your candidature is cancelled.
Age limit
JRF: not more than 30 on 1 December 2026. Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission: no upper age limit. These groups get more time for JRF:
| Who | Extra years for JRF |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender and women | up to 5 |
| Research experience, with a certificate from the appropriate authority | up to 5 |
| An LL.M. degree | 3 |
| Service in the armed forces | up to 5 |
All the grounds together never add more than 5 years.
Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved | ₹1,150 |
| EWS, OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC, ST, third gender, PwD/PwBD | ₹325 |
- Applying in the late-fee days (29 October 2026 to 31 October 2026)? Add ₹500 — the same for everyone.
- The bank's service or processing charges and GST are on top.
- No refund once paid. A failed or double payment goes through NTA's refund procedure.
- Challenging an answer in the answer key costs ₹200 a question, not refunded.
The exam
| Paper | Questions | Marks | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 50 | 100 | mainly reasoning ability |
| Paper 2 | 100 | 200 | the subject you choose |
- Both papers in one sitting of 180 minutes, on a computer, with no break.
- Multiple-choice questions, 2 marks each. No negative marking — a wrong answer costs nothing.
- Questions in English and Hindi; language papers in their own language.
- To be considered, you must take both papers and score at least 40% of their total marks together (35% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender). Those declared qualified for Assistant Professor are 6% of the candidates who took both papers, shared out by category and subject.
Exam dates: 14 December 2026 to 18 December 2026, and 21 December 2026. Your own date, shift and centre are on your admit card; the timings are announced later.
What each choice leads to
In the form's "Apply For", you choose one of three. What you can qualify for depends on it:
| You apply for | JRF | Assistant Professor | Ph.D. admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| JRF and Assistant Professor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Assistant Professor and Ph.D. | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ph.D. only | — | — | ✓ |
- JRF: you join a Ph.D. through an interview. The fellowship offer is valid for three years from your JRF award letter, and is paid once a university, IIT or institution takes you in.
- Ph.D. admission with "Assistant Professor and Ph.D." or "Ph.D. only": NET is the entrance test, in place of the universities' own. Your NET marks count 70% and the interview 30%; the marks are valid for one year from the result.
- Applying on a four-year bachelor's degree? You cannot qualify for Assistant Professor.
Help from NTA
Helpline: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Email: ugcnet@nta.ac.in.
Websites: ugcnet.nta.nic.in — the form, the answer keys and the result — and NTA's own site, nta.ac.in.
Questions
Do I upload a photo if the form takes a live photo?
Yes — both. The form takes a live photo with your webcam (or your phone, through a QR code), and you also upload a recent photograph file of 10–200 KB: colour or black and white, a white background, and your face (no mask) filling 80% of it with your ears showing. The photo box at the top of this page makes that file. Carry a print of the same photo on exam day.
Can I apply in the final year of my Master's?
Yes, provisionally — even while you are still studying or waiting for the result. You must then pass with at least 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender) within two years of the NET result (one year for Ph.D. admission only), or you are disqualified.
Is there an age limit for UGC-NET?
Only for JRF: not more than 30 on 1 December 2026, with up to 5 extra years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender and women, and for some other grounds — never more than 5 in all. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or Ph.D. admission.
Is there negative marking in UGC-NET?
No. Every question carries 2 marks, and a wrong answer costs nothing.
I missed the last date. Can I still apply?
Yes, from 29 October 2026 to 31 October 2026 (11:50 pm), with a late fee of ₹500 on top of your category's fee.
Can I choose an exam city in another state?
No. You choose four cities in order of preference, all in the state of your permanent or present address. You can change them in the correction window (2 November 2026 to 4 November 2026). Your exam city is announced on 23 November 2026.
Do I need to bring a pen?
No — a pen is one of the things not allowed in. The exam is on a computer, and rough work is done on the rough sheets given at the centre, which you hand back at the end.
Which is the official UGC-NET website?
ugcnet.nta.nic.in — for the form, the answer keys and the result. NTA's own site is nta.ac.in.
Official documents: Information Bulletin, December 2026 · NTA public notice — last checked 17 October 2026