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UGC NET December 2026 applications close Oct 28; reports flag gap in completed submissions
UGC NET December 2026 applications close on Oct 28 at 11:50 PM IST. Reports say over 5.5 lakh registered by Oct 25, but 3.73 lakh completed fee payment. Exams are scheduled from Dec 14 to 18 and Dec 21.
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The application window for the UGC National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December 2026 cycle is set to close October 28, 2026, 11:50 PM (IST), leaving candidates with less than a day to complete registration, upload documents and pay the examination fee.
The test is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is used to determine eligibility for Assistant Professor appointments, Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and, in many cases, Ph.D. admissions in Indian universities and colleges.
Reports on Tuesday also flagged a large gap between registrations and completed submissions. As of October 25, more than 5.5 lakh candidates had registered, but only 3.73 lakh had completed the application process and paid the fee.
Candidates who miss the main deadline may still get a short late window, with reports indicating late applications can be submitted from October 29 to October 31 with an additional ₹500 charge.
Registration rush as deadline nears
With the portal expected to see peak traffic on the final day, applicants have been advised to finish the form and payment process well before the cut-off time. Incomplete submissions can happen for small reasons: an image that fails the upload rules, a missing category certificate, or a fee payment that does not go through.
Figures reported for October 25 show where many applications are getting stuck. A total of 1,36,993 candidates had not uploaded their photograph and signature, and their fee payment was also pending. Another 31,580 applicants had uploaded the required documents but had not paid the examination fee.
The NTA’s UGC NET portal is the official route for the application. Candidates typically need a recent photograph, signature, an identity document and, where applicable, category certificates ready before starting the form.
The December 2026 cycle opened on October 8. The test is held twice a year, with June and December cycles, in computer-based test (CBT) mode.
A correction window is scheduled for November 2 to November 4, 2026, allowing candidates to fix certain errors after submission.
Exam dates, pattern and eligibility
For the December 2026 cycle, the UGC NET examination is scheduled across multiple days in mid-December. The published schedule places the test between December 14 and December 18, with December 21 also listed as an exam date.
UGC NET is held in CBT mode and consists of two papers in a single continuous session. Paper 1 is a common paper that tests teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension and general awareness. Paper 2 is subject-specific and is based on the candidate’s chosen subject.
The marking scheme is straightforward: candidates receive +2 marks for every correct answer, and there is no negative marking for incorrect responses.
The exam is offered across 83 subjects.
Eligibility hinges mainly on postgraduate marks and, for JRF, an age cap. Candidates with a master’s degree need at least 55% marks in the General category. The threshold is 50% for SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates.
For Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission, there is no upper age limit. For JRF, the age limit is generally 30 years, measured as of June 1, with relaxations applying in certain cases.
The NTA has also issued an updated examination calendar for national-level entrance and eligibility tests covering December 2026 to April 2027, citing administrative reasons for the revision and asking candidates to follow the updated schedule for UGC NET and other exams.
For applicants still in the process, the immediate task is simple: complete the form, upload the required images and documents, and make the fee payment before the portal closes on October 28 at 11:50 PM. Those who submit successfully can then use the correction window in early November to address any allowable changes before the admit card and city intimation steps that typically precede the exam dates.
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