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The application process for the National Eligibility Test (NET) 2026 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has reached its final stage. According to data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), more than 5.50 lakh candidates have completed their registration within just 17 days of the application window opening. This time, record breaking applications are being seen in the race to get the eligibility for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in higher educational institutions across the country. As the end of the application process approaches, NTA has issued a very important update and guidelines for the candidates on the official portal. The agency has made it clear that to avoid server down or last minute technical problems, candidates should submit their fees and forms as soon as possible without waiting for the last date.
This time an unprecedented enthusiasm is being seen among the candidates regarding the UGC NET 2026 examination. Receiving more than 5 lakh 50 thousand applications within just 17 days shows that the attraction among the youth of the country for research and teaching career in higher education has increased rapidly. Education experts believe that the increasing requirement of UGC NET score for admission to PhD and the bumper recruitment of Assistant Professors in various states of the country have brought a huge surge in the number of applicants this time. The highest number of registrations have been recorded from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi and Maharashtra for this national level examination to be conducted in more than 80 subjects including Arts, Science, Commerce and Language subjects.
National Testing Agency (NTA) has cautioned the candidates that in the last hours of closing of the application window, the traffic on the official website ugcnet.nta.ac.in increases significantly, due to which there is a risk of server slowing down or payment failure. NTA has advised students to complete the form filling and payment of application fee well in time. Apart from this, NTA has also clarified the position regarding Correction Window. According to the official notification, after the completion of the application process, candidates will be given two days of special time to correct the mistakes made in the photo, signature or personal details in their form. However, change in category and main subject will not be allowed, hence students have been advised to exercise utmost caution while submitting the form.
UGC NET 2026 exam will be conducted in completely computer based (CBT) mode. The examination will be divided into two sessions—the first paper (Paper-1) will be of General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude, which is mandatory for all candidates. Whereas, the second paper (Paper-2) will be of the specific subject chosen by the candidate. A total of 150 multiple choice questions (MCQs) will be asked in both the papers, to solve which candidates will be given 3 hours without any break. NTA has clarified that there will be no negative marking in the exam, that is, marks will not be deducted for wrong answers. Due to this rule, candidates can take the risk of attempting all the questions in the exam.
The process of issuing Exam City Intimation Slip and Admit Card will be started by NTA immediately after the closing of the application window. Candidates will be able to download their hall ticket using their application number and date of birth on the official portal. To conduct the examination in a fair and transparent manner, strict arrangements are being made for biometric attendance and metal detector checking at the examination centers being built in more than 300 cities across the country. Considering the limited time left in the exam, experts have advised the candidates to focus more on practicing previous years’ question papers (PYQs) and mock tests instead of reading the new syllabus so that time management in the exam hall can be better.