UGC NET December 2026: exam pattern, syllabus, dates and preparation
UGC NET December 2026 is on 14 to 19 December 2026, and applications close on 28 October 2026. Here is the pattern, the Paper 1 syllabus, eligibility and how qualifying works, from the official NTA bulletin.
UGC NET (National Eligibility Test) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC). It is held twice a year, in June and December. This guide is based on the December 2026 Information Bulletin; the June 2027 cycle has not been announced.
TestGuru is not affiliated with NTA or UGC. The official site, ugcnet.nta.nic.in, is the authority.
What does UGC NET qualify you for?
Your result places you in one of three categories:
- JRF and Assistant Professor: eligible for the Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment as Assistant Professor and for Ph.D. admission.
- Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission: eligible to be appointed Assistant Professor and for Ph.D. admission.
- Ph.D. admission only.
Which category you reach depends on your marks, your category and, for JRF, your age.
UGC NET December 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | NTA, on behalf of UGC |
| Mode | Computer-based test |
| Exam dates | 14 to 19 December 2026 |
| Papers | Paper 1 (common) + Paper 2 (your subject), in one sitting |
| Questions | 150 (50 + 100), all compulsory, all MCQ |
| Marks | 300 (100 + 200) |
| Duration | 3 hours, with no break between papers |
| Negative marking | None |
| Subjects | 87 |
| Medium | English and Hindi, except language papers |
When is UGC NET December 2026?
The exam is from 14 to 19 December 2026. Applications are open from 8 October to 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM). A late window with a ₹500 late fee runs from 29 to 31 October, and the correction window from 2 to 4 November. The city slip and admit card dates will be announced later. All dates are on the important dates page.
What is the UGC NET exam pattern?
Paper 1 has 50 questions for 100 marks and tests teaching and research aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness. Paper 2 has 100 questions for 200 marks on your chosen subject. Both are taken together in 3 hours. Each correct answer earns 2 marks, and there is no negative marking. Details are on the exam pattern page.
Who can apply?
You need a Master’s degree with at least 55% (General/EWS) or 50% (OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender). Final-year and result-awaited students can apply provisionally. Graduates of a four-year bachelor’s degree with 75% can apply too, but they qualify for JRF and Ph.D. admission only, not Assistant Professor.
For JRF, you must be 30 or under on 1 December 2026, with relaxation for some groups. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or Ph.D. admission. The full rules are on the eligibility page.
How does qualifying work? The 6% rule
You first need 40% aggregate across both papers (35% for OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender) just to be considered. Of those, only 6% of the candidates who appeared in both papers qualify for Assistant Professor. Those places are divided by category and then by subject, so the final cutoff is different for every subject and category. The cutoff page explains the method and where NTA publishes the numbers.
What is the application fee?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved | ₹1,150 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC / ST / PwD / Third gender | ₹325 |
How should I prepare?
Paper 1 is common to every subject and is worth a third of the total, and with no negative marking you should answer every question. The syllabus page lists the ten Paper 1 units, and the preparation strategy page has a plan for the weeks before December.
Does TestGuru have UGC NET mock tests?
Not yet. UGC NET mock tests are on the waitlist. When they open, each test will come with a report that names the idea behind every wrong answer and builds a practice set from your own mistakes. See what the UGC NET mock tests will cover.
Everything about UGC NET
Exam pattern
UGC NET December 2026 exam pattern: Paper 1 and Paper 2, 150 questions for 300 marks in 3 hours, +2 per correct answer, no negative marking, normalisation.
Read →Syllabus
UGC NET syllabus: all 10 Paper 1 units, from Teaching Aptitude to Higher Education System, the 87 Paper 2 subjects for December 2026 and official PDFs.
Read →Dates
UGC NET December 2026 dates: apply 8 to 28 Oct 2026, late fee window 29 to 31 Oct, correction 2 to 4 Nov, exam 14 to 19 Dec. June 2027 not yet announced.
Read →Eligibility
UGC NET December 2026 eligibility: Master's with 55% (50% reserved), the four-year UG route, JRF age limit of 30 on 1 Dec 2026 and the three result types.
Read →Cutoff
How the UGC NET cutoff works: 40% minimum aggregate (35% reserved), the 6% rule for Assistant Professor, subject-wise cutoffs and where NTA publishes them.
Read →Strategy
UGC NET December 2026 preparation strategy: a nine-week plan, how to treat Paper 1, why to answer every question, and timing 150 questions in 3 hours.
Read →