UGC NET December 2026 Exam Date: Revised Schedule, Admit Card & Exam Guidelines

National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the revised examination schedule for the UGC NET December 2026 cycle. Candidates searching for the UGC NET December 2026 exam date can check all officially confirmed timeline details on the official portal, ugcnet.nta.nic.in. The examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across 87 subjects.

The exam determines eligibility for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professorship, or admission to PhD programmes. Candidates must submit their application forms by October 28, 2026, till 11:50 pm. Aspirants should track official updates for subsequent releases, including advance exam city intimation slips and admit cards.

Candidates must submit their application forms by October 28, 2026, till 11:50 pm. Candidates can also check the UGC NET December 2026 exam overview for updates on registration, examination dates, admit cards and results.

Latest Update on UGC NET December 2026 Exam Date

National Testing Agency issued a clarification on October 16, announcing the revised exam dates for the UGC NET December 2026 examination. The test will now be conducted across multiple days on December 14 to 18 and on December 21, 2026.

Earlier, the examination was scheduled from December 14 to 19, 2026, with December 20 and 21 kept as buffer dates. The subject-wise schedule for all 87 subjects will be released separately by the testing authority. 

Candidates can compare the previous examination cycle's schedule through the UGC NET June 2026 exam date and schedule article. The subject-wise schedule for all 87 subjects will be released separately by the testing authority.

UGC NET December 2026 Exam Schedule

National Testing Agency will conduct the examination in Computer-Based Test mode across 87 subjects. Candidates must track the schedule below for key pre-examination and examination milestones.

The table below outlines the official schedule and key event dates released for the December 2026 cycle.

Candidates can refer to the UGC NET 2026 notification and application details for information about the registration process, application fee and important dates.

UGC NET December 2026 Important Dates

Candidates appearing for the test must follow the complete calendar of events. These dates outline the timeline from the application process to the revised exam window.

The table below details the confirmed dates for the UGC NET December 2026 examination process.

Candidates should understand the difference between the advance city intimation slip and the admit card. The UGC NET city intimation slip update explains how candidates can check their allotted examination city and why the slip is different from the final hall ticket.

Exam Day Guidelines

National Testing Agency has outlined specific guidelines and instructions for candidates appearing at the exam centres. Candidates must adhere strictly to these rules during the examination.

• Ball-point pens will be provided to candidates at the examination centre, and candidates do not need to bring a pen.

• Candidates are not allowed to carry geometry boxes, stationery materials, calculators, or mobile phones inside the examination hall.

• Wearing watches inside the examination hall is strictly prohibited.

Before the examination, candidates should also review the UGC NET admit card download steps to understand how to access their hall ticket and check details such as the examination date, shift, reporting time and centre address.

UGC NET December 2026 Preparation Resources

While waiting for the subject-wise timetable, candidates can continue their preparation using the prescribed syllabus and exam pattern. The UGC NET Syllabus 2026 for Paper 1 and Paper 2 covers the common Teaching and Research Aptitude paper and the subject-specific syllabus for Paper 2.

Candidates should check the official NTA website regularly for the latest examination notices, city intimation slip, admit card and subject-wise schedule.