The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the Information Bulletin and started the online application process for the UGC-NET December 2026 Examination. Eligible candidates interested in Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor positions, or Ph.D. admissions across Indian universities can submit their forms online at the official portal.
Below are the complete details regarding important dates, eligibility requirements, application fees, exam pattern, and direct official links.
Key Information & Important Dates
Application Fee & Payment Mode
Fee can be paid online via Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI. Applicable bank transaction charges and GST will be extra.
Eligibility Criteria
1. Educational Qualification
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Master’s Degree Candidates: Master’s degree or equivalent examination from a UGC-recognized university with at least 55% marks (without rounding off) for General/Unreserved/General-EWS candidates. Reserved categories (OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, Third Gender) require at least 50% marks.
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Result Awaited / Final Year: Candidates pursuing their Master’s degree or awaiting final year results can apply provisionally. Master’s degrees must be completed within 2 years from the date of the NET result (or within 1 year for candidates qualifying for Ph.D. admission only).
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Four-Year Undergraduate Degree Holders: Candidates with a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate (relaxation of 5% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD/EWS) are eligible to appear.
(Note: Four-year UG candidates qualifying NET are eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission only, not for Assistant Professor).
2. Age Limit (as on 01.12.2026)
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Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): Maximum 30 years as of December 1, 2026.
Age relaxation: Up to 5 years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, Third Gender, and Women candidates. Up to 3 years for LL.M. degree holders.
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Assistant Professor: No upper age limit.
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Admission to Ph.D.: No upper age limit.
Three Award Categories
Candidates qualify under one of three categories based on aggregate cutoff merit:
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Category 1: Award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and appointment as Assistant Professor (also eligible for Ph.D. admission).
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Category 2: Appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D. (not eligible for JRF).
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Category 3: Admission to Ph.D. only (valid for Ph.D. admissions for 1 year from the result date; NET marks carry 70% weightage, and university viva carries 30%).
Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The examination is conducted in a single 3-hour session (180 minutes) with no break between papers.
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Marking Scheme: Each question carries +2 marks.
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Negative Marking: No negative marking for incorrect answers.
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Medium of Paper: English and Hindi (except specific language subjects).
How to Apply for UGC NET December 2026
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Register using your Email ID and Mobile Number via the Meri Pehchaan (NSSO) / DigiLocker single sign-on platform.
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Fill out the application form with personal, educational, and exam city preferences.
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Capture the live photograph with proper lighting and upload the scanned signature (10 kb–50 kb) and category/UDID certificates if applicable.
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Pay the application fee through Net Banking, Debit/Credit Card, or UPI.
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Download and print the confirmation page for your records.
Quick Links
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