The National Testing Agency (NTA) has opened applications for UGC-NET December 2026. Candidates can apply online from 8 to 28 October, and the computer-based test will run from 14 to 19 December across 87 subjects.
The dates come from the NTA public notice of 8 October 2026, issued on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The test decides eligibility for three things: Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) along with appointment as Assistant Professor, appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D., or admission to Ph.D. only, in Indian universities and colleges.
Dates to note
The application form is open from 8 October to 28 October, up to 11:50 PM. The last day to pay the exam fee is also 28 October, up to 11:50 PM, through credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI.
There is a grace period with a late fee of Rs 500. Forms can be submitted late from 29 to 31 October, up to 11:50 PM, and the last successful fee transaction with the late fee is 31 October.
Then comes the correction window, from 2 to 4 November, up to 11:50 PM. After final submission no change is allowed outside this window, so it is the only chance to fix a spelling error in a name or a wrongly picked category.
The exam city announcement and the admit card date are "to be intimated later". The same goes for the display of recorded responses and answer keys. The exam itself is on 14 to 19 December 2026, and each candidate's centre, date and shift will be printed on the admit card.
Fee for each category
General or unreserved candidates pay Rs 1,150. General-EWS and OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates pay Rs 600. SC, ST, PwD and third gender candidates pay Rs 325. These are the amounts in the public notice; the Information Bulletin on the NTA site carries the full terms.
How to apply
Applications are accepted only online, through ugcnet.nta.nic.in. A form sent in any other way will not be accepted, and a candidate may submit only one application.
Registration has been enabled through Meri Pehchan, the single sign-on service of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to make sign-up easier. NTA also advises candidates to use Aadhaar verification where possible. It says this speeds up registration and the checks at the exam centre, and also the processing of the JRF.
The email address and mobile number entered must belong to the candidate or a parent or guardian, and must be working, because NTA will send all communication to them only. The notice asks candidates to read the Information Bulletin closely. Those who do not follow its instructions can be disqualified summarily.
Help is available on 011-40759000 and 011-69227700, and by email at ugcnet@nta.ac.in. NTA also warns that the dates are tentative and that applicants will be told of any change.
Is this the same as CSIR NET?
No. The Joint CSIR-UGC NET for science subjects has a separate application window that closes on 5 November, with exams on 19, 22 and 27 December. Our report on CSIR NET December 2026 has those dates. A candidate who applies for both should compare the two schedules, because 19 December appears in each.
Anyone who wants a teaching career should also read our explainer on UGC's rules on one-year PG degrees through distance or online mode, since the qualifying degree decides who can sit the test.
Because the late-fee window and the correction window are short, the safest plan is to finish the form well before 28 October, pay the fee the same day, and keep the confirmation page.
