The UGC NET December 2026 application last date is 28 October 2026, until 11:50 pm, if you want to apply without a late fee. Applications are also allowed from 29 to 31 October, but this window adds ₹500 to your category’s examination fee.
Checked: 25 October 2026. Apply through the official UGC NET website. Read the application notice together with the updated information bulletin linked as a corrigendum.
Application and correction deadlines
- Normal registration and fee payment: 8–28 October 2026.
- Late application and fee payment: 29–31 October 2026.
- Application correction: 2–4 November 2026.
The closing time for these windows is 11:50 pm IST. Set your own reminder earlier in the day so there is time to resolve an upload or payment problem.
How much is the UGC NET application fee?
- General/Unreserved: ₹1,150.
- General-EWS or OBC-NCL: ₹600.
- SC, ST, PwD/PwBD or third gender: ₹325.
The ₹500 late fee is additional, not a replacement for the category fee. For example, a General applicant using the late window would pay ₹1,650 before any applicable payment processing charges. Check the final payment screen against your selected category.
Check the updated exam schedule
Use the updated bulletin when planning for the exam. It lists 14–18 December and 21 December 2026, replacing the 14–19 December range in the original registration notice.
The updated schedule also lists city intimation on 23 November and admit cards on 7 December. Check later NTA notices and your own admit card before booking travel.
Eligibility checks before starting
The usual master’s-degree route requires 55% for General/General-EWS applicants and 50% for the specified reserved categories. Provisional applicants and four-year bachelor’s-degree holders have separate conditions. The JRF upper age is normally 30 as on 1 December 2026, with prescribed relaxations. Read the eligibility chapter for your route rather than treating this summary as a complete eligibility decision.
How to complete the online application
- Open the December 2026 application link on the official site and follow the registration/sign-in instructions.
- Keep access to your own or your parent/guardian’s registered mobile and email.
- Complete qualification, category and subject details using the bulletin’s codes.
- Upload the documents requested by the form. Preview each uploaded file.
- Review the completed form, pay the applicable fee and retain the confirmation page.
Before paying, recheck your subject, category and qualification details. After paying, return to the application and check its status.
If money has been debited but the status is unclear, keep the transaction reference and contact the official helpdesk. A bank debit and a completed application are different things to verify.
Use our application checklist as a final review aid. NTA’s listed support numbers are 011-40759000 and 011-69227700; the email is ugcnet@nta.ac.in. Do not create a second application merely to work around a login issue: the notice permits one application per candidate.
A three-part check before the deadline
First, compare the subject and qualification details with your records. Second, open the uploaded files and check that they are readable. Third, return to the application after payment and save its confirmation. Keeping these checks separate makes it easier to find the missing step if the process stops midway.
Put the normal deadline, late-fee deadline and correction dates in separate reminders. The correction window is for permitted changes to an existing application; it should not be treated as another opportunity to start a fresh application after registration closes. Follow NTA’s later correction instructions for the fields that can actually be changed.
