UGC NET 2026 Exam Date: June Schedule and Official Notification Details

The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the UGC NET exam biannually (June and December sessions) to certify candidates for Assistant Professorship and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) roles in Indian higher education institutions. The UGC NET June 2026 examination will be held from 22nd to 30th June 2026. The assessment covers 87 subjects via a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format with a duration of 180 minutes. Refer to this guide for comprehensive exam details. 

UGC NET 2026 Exam- Highlights

Candidates who possess a master's degree and satisfy the specified eligibility requirements were required to submit their UGC NET 2026 application form through the official National Testing Agency (NTA) portal.

UGC NET Exam Date 2026 Out

Alongside the official notification PDF, the NTA has confirmed the specific dates for the UGC NET June 2026 session. The examination is scheduled for 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th June 2026 for all registered applicants. Exam-specific updates were released on 10th June 2026, with admit card availability expected by 15th June 2026. 

Important Dates

We have compiled all vital dates for the UGC NET 2026 June session below. The UGC NET 2026 exam for the June cycle will take place from 22nd to 30th June 2026. Consult the table below for a complete schedule. 

Notification PDF

The National Testing Agency (NTA) published the UGC NET 2026 information brochure and registration schedule on its official website, www.ugcnet.nta.nic.in, on 29th April 2026. This PDF contains essential details regarding eligibility criteria, the application process, and the updated exam pattern. 

UGC NET June 2026 Notification Released - Click to Download

• Is the UGC NET exam difficult?
  The UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) is generally regarded as a high-stakes competitive exam requiring both subject-specific mastery and strong general aptitude.
• What is NFOBC?
  The National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) provides financial assistance to OBC students pursuing higher studies, such as M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs.
• What is the NFSC scheme?
  The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste (NFSC) students is an initiative offering financial support for post-graduate research (M.Phil./Ph.D.) to eligible SC category scholars.

What is the UGC NET Exam?

UGC NET is a national-level qualification exam for Indian citizens seeking positions as Junior Research Fellows or Assistant Professors. Qualifying this exam allows candidates to pursue Ph.D. admissions and teaching roles in universities and colleges across India. The test qualifies candidates for:

• Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) to pursue research with financial aid
• Assistant Professor roles to teach in universities/colleges
• PhD Admission Eligibility – 70% weightage given to NET score, 30% to university interview

Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the UGC NET 2026 exam, candidates must carefully review the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria. Key requirements include:

Educational Qualification

- Candidates must hold a master's degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognized university.
- Applicants with a 4-year bachelor's degree must have secured at least 75% aggregate marks. A 5% relaxation is applicable for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer), PwD, and EWS candidates.
- Candidates currently in the final semester of their post-graduate degree are eligible to apply.
- Qualifying degrees must be in Humanities, Social Sciences, Computer Science, or Electronic Science.
- Candidates generally require 55% marks (50% for reserved categories) in their master's degree.
- 5% mark relaxation is provided to Ph.D. holders who completed their Master's degree by 19th September 1991.

• Who can give the UGC NET Exam?
  The Indian candidates holding a Master's degree with at least 55% aggregate marks (or 50% for SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Third Gender) and candidates who are appearing for their final Master's degree can apply and appear for the UGC NET exam.
• How Many Attempts for UGC NET?
  There is no specific age limit on the number of attempts for the UGC NET exam, but there is an upper age limit of 30 years to apply for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).

Age Limit 

Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Age Limit: Candidates must not exceed 30 years of age. 

- A 5-year age relaxation applies to OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD candidates.
- LL.M. degree holders are granted a 3-year relaxation. Armed forces personnel may receive up to 5 years of relaxation, depending on their duration of service.
- Total age relaxation cannot exceed five years in any scenario.

Application Fee 

The UGC NET 2026 application fee is category-dependent and non-refundable. Payments can be processed via debit/credit card or e-Challan (cash payment at banks). Category-specific fee details are provided below.

1. General/ Unreserved- Rs. 1150/-
2. General-EWS/OBC-NCL- Rs. 600/-
3. SC/ST/PwD & Third Gender- Rs. 325/-

Candidates are responsible for all applicable processing fees and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Assistant Professor: There is no upper age limit for the Assistant Professor category.

UGC NET Reservation Policy 

The UGC NET exam strictly adheres to the reservation policies mandated by the Government of India. Please refer to the table below for the category-wise distribution.

Important Documents for UGC NET 2026 Exam

Candidates must upload all required original documents according to the specified dimensions. The documentation list for the UGC NET June 2026 application is provided below.

Exam Pattern

The UGC NET 2026 examination will be conducted exclusively as a Computer-Based Test (CBT). The test consists of two papers, both featuring objective-type, multiple-choice questions, administered in a single continuous session.

Is there negative marking?
No, there is no negative marking in the UGC NET examination.

UGC NET Paper Details

Exam Mode: The assessment is conducted entirely in Online CBT mode.

Number of Papers: The examination consists of two papers: Paper-I and Paper-II.

Total Questions: The test comprises 150 questions in total: 50 in Paper-I and 100 in Paper-II.

Question Format: All questions follow a multiple-choice format.

Language Medium: The question papers are provided in both English and Hindi.

Time Allocation: Paper-I allows 1 hour, while Paper-II allows 2 hours of testing time.

Total Marks: Paper-I carries 100 marks; Paper-II carries 200 marks.

Marking Scheme: Each correct answer is awarded 2 marks. There is no negative marking for incorrect responses.

Click Here for Detailed UGC NET Exam Pattern (Paper I + Paper II)

Exam Syllabus

The NTA has provided the UGC NET Syllabus 2026. Candidates should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the curriculum. The exam is conducted in a single-session, two-paper Computer-Based Test (CBT) format with no breaks between papers.

Access the UGC NET Paper 1 Syllabus 2026 here

Download UGC NET Previous Year Question Papers (PDF)

UGC NET Posts

The UGC NET serves as a gateway for prestigious academic roles: the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor. Depending on their exam performance, candidates may qualify for doctoral research funding, faculty positions, or both.

1. Junior Research Fellowship (JRF)

• Purpose - For full-time Ph.D. and research
• Benefits: ₹37,000/month (1st 2 years), ₹42,000/month (from 3rd year), HRA, UGC funding

1. Assistant Professor

• Purpose - For teaching roles in colleges/universities
• Benefits - Eligible for permanent/contractual teaching job, academic promotions, and Ph.D. optional

List of Subjects and their Codes

A complete list of subject names and their corresponding codes is available in the table provided for the UGC NET 2026 session.

Selection Procedure

Qualifying candidates for the UGC NET 2026 will appear in a subject-wise and category-wise merit list. The top 6% of candidates who appeared for both papers qualify for the JRF and Assistant Professorship. Eligibility for these roles is determined by category-specific cut-offs. Additionally, the top 15% of candidates from each category are deemed eligible for the Assistant Professor position only.

Exam Centres

The National Testing Agency conducts the UGC NET 2026 across 224 cities nationwide. Candidates indicate their location preferences during the application process; a list of available centres is provided.

Admit Card & Exam City

Ahead of the examination, the NTA provides exam city intimation and official admit cards. Candidates should use the intimation details to prepare for their test location and download their admit cards 2–3 days prior to the scheduled exam date.

Answer Key & Responses

Following the conclusion of the exam, the NTA releases the official UGC NET 2026 answer keys. Candidates can download these keys to verify their responses and, if necessary, submit challenges if they disagree with any provided answers. A final, corrected answer key is subsequently published.

Result, Cut-Off & Scorecard

After the final answer key is released, official results will be declared. Candidates can view their scores online by entering their roll number and date of birth. Those meeting the required cut-off marks will then proceed to the next stages of the recruitment process.

Scorecards are released alongside results, detailing the candidate’s performance, including their name, hall ticket number, subject-specific marks, overall percentage, and qualifying rank.

UGC NET Cut Off Marks

The UGC NET 2026 cut-off will be published online. Category-wise and subject-wise merit lists will be curated based on these benchmarks. The following table illustrates previous year trends for reference.

View UGC NET Previous Year Cut-Off Marks