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NTA UGC-NET application last date is 28 Oct: December 2026 fees, late-fee window, correction and exam dates
NTA's UGC NET December 2026 form is open until 28 October, 11:50 PM. After that you can still apply until 31 October with a ₹500 late fee. The exam runs 14 to 19 December in computer-based mode across 87 subjects. Here's every date, the fee for your category and the steps.
TL;DRThe short version
- Last date: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 11:50 PM, for both the form and the fee (NTA public notice, 8 Oct).
- Missed it? Late window 29–31 October with an extra ₹500. Corrections are allowed 2–4 November; the exam is 14–19 December (CBT, 87 subjects).
- Fee: ₹1,150 General, ₹600 EWS/OBC-NCL, ₹325 SC/ST/PwD/third gender. JRF applicants must be 30 or under on 1 December 2026 (relaxations apply), per ET.
- Apply only on NTA's official UGC NET site before 28 Oct, 11:50 PM: ugcnet.nta.nic.inForms in any other mode aren't accepted, and only one application per candidate is allowed.
Key facts
- Application window
- 8 Oct to 28 Oct 2026, up to 11:50 PM
- Fee deadline
- 28 Oct 2026, 11:50 PM (card, net banking or UPI)
- Late window
- 29–31 Oct 2026 with ₹500 late fee; payment by 31 Oct, 11:50 PM
- Correction window
- 2–4 Nov 2026, up to 11:50 PM
- Exam dates
- 14–19 Dec 2026, computer-based test
- Subjects
- 87
- Fee
- ₹1,150 General · ₹600 EWS/OBC-NCL · ₹325 SC/ST/PwD/Third gender
- City slip and admit card
- Not announced yet ("to be intimated later")
- Helpline
- 011-40759000 / 011-69227700, ugcnet@nta.ac.in
The National Testing Agency (NTA) opened the UGC NET December 2026 form on 8 October, and "last date" is now the most-searched question about it. Here's the answer, straight from NTA's public notice, with a live countdown.
Time left to apply without late fee · 28 Oct 2026, 11:50 PM IST
– days– hrs– min– sec
The regular deadline has passed. You can still apply with a ₹500 late fee until 31 October, 11:50 PM.
UGC NET December 2026: every date
8 Oct 2026
NTA public notice; online registration opens.
28 Oct 2026, 11:50 PM
Last date for the form and the regular fee.
29–31 Oct 2026
Late submission with ₹500 late fee; payment by 31 Oct, 11:50 PM.
2–4 Nov 2026
Correction window for submitted forms.
To be announced
Exam city slip, then admit card.
14–19 Dec 2026
UGC NET December 2026 exam (CBT). Centre, date and shift on the admit card.
NTA says these dates are tentative and that it will inform applicants of any change. The exam city slip and admit card dates are "to be intimated later".
Application fee by category
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved | ₹1,150 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC / ST / PwD / Third gender | ₹325 |
Pay by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI. If you apply between 29 and 31 October, add the ₹500 late fee, and make sure the payment goes through by 31 October, 11:50 PM.
Who can apply, and the JRF age limit
UGC NET decides eligibility for three things: (i) Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and appointment as Assistant Professor, (ii) appointment as Assistant Professor and PhD admission, and (iii) PhD admission only, in Indian universities and colleges. It's for Indian nationals.
For JRF, the upper age limit is 30 years as on 1 December 2026, the first day of the month in which the exam ends, according to The Economic Times. Category relaxations apply; check the Information Bulletin on the NTA site. For Assistant Professor and PhD-only eligibility, check the age and qualification conditions in the same bulletin.
How to apply, step by step
- Go to ugcnet.nta.nic.in. NTA accepts the form online only, on this site.
- Register. NTA has enabled the government's Meri Pehchan single sign-on, and advises using Aadhaar verification where possible; it helps at the exam centre and when JRF is processed.
- Use your own email and mobile number (or a parent's). NTA sends everything there.
- Fill in the form, upload the documents, and pick your subject and exam cities.
- Pay the fee and download the confirmation page.
- Check everything before final submission. Outside the 2–4 November correction window, changes aren't allowed.
Only one application per candidate. Duplicate forms can get you disqualified.
What comes next
After the correction window, NTA will put out the exam city slip, then the admit card, which shows your centre, date and shift. The exam is 14–19 December. We track admit cards and answer keys on our answer keys and admit cards page.
Stuck? NTA's helpline is 011-40759000 / 011-69227700, or email ugcnet@nta.ac.in.
Trend Monitor
UGC NET searches nearly tripled after NTA opened the form on 8 October. Daily interest in "ugc net" went from a baseline of about 23 to 42.9 on 8 Oct and 58 on 9 Oct, then eased to 39.7 on 10 Oct (Google Trends, India, 7 days). Expect another spike in the last days before 28 October.
- nta ugc-net application last date+14,250%
Google Trends, India, rising queries, 30 days