National Testing Agency (NTA) for the University Grants Commission
How to sit UGC NET in December 2026 — Law (058) and Criminology (068), step by step
UGC NET decides eligibility for Assistant Professor posts and for the Junior Research Fellowship, and is also accepted as an eligibility route for PhD admission. It is a single computer-based test of two papers taken in one sitting. Paper I is common to all candidates and tests teaching and research aptitude. Paper II is your subject: Law is code 058 and Criminology is code 068.
By Dr. Saurabh Kapoor, Advocate, founder of ZELVU Education. Checked against the official sources on 30 October 2026. Always confirm dates and fees on the authority’s own site before you act.
Where this cycle stands right now
NTA's public notice dated 27 October 2026 extended both the UGC NET December 2026 application and examination-fee deadlines to 31 October 2026, 11:50 pm IST, without a late fee. The updated 16 October Information Bulletin schedules the examination for 14–18 and 21 December 2026; confirm your subject, shift and centre when NTA publishes the allocation. Apply only through the official UGC NET portal, read the latest bulletin/corrigendum and retain your completed application and payment confirmation.
Key dates
- Application and fee-payment deadline (extended)
- 31 October 2026, 11:50 pm IST; NTA notice dated 27 October 2026; no late fee under the extension
- December 2026 examination dates (revised bulletin)
- 14–18 and 21 December 2026; individual subject/shift and centre confirmation remains with NTA
- Information Bulletin and corrigendum
- Updated 16 October 2026; follow the latest NTA notices and official portal for any further changes
- Correction window (updated December 2026 bulletin)
- 2–4 November 2026; check which fields NTA permits candidates to edit and the final published timings
Fees
- General
- ₹1,150
- General-EWS and OBC non-creamy-layer
- ₹600
- SC, ST, PwD and third gender
- ₹325
These are the authority’s own examination fees and are paid to the authority, not to ZELVU Education. Course fees are separate and are shown on the programme page.
Who can take it
- A master's degree with at least 55 per cent aggregate (without rounding off) for General and General-EWS candidates, or 50 per cent for OBC non-creamy-layer, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third-gender candidates, subject to all bulletin conditions. A separate four-year bachelor's route may apply to JRF/PhD but not Assistant Professor eligibility.
- For the Junior Research Fellowship the upper age limit is 30 years, with a five-year relaxation for reserved categories and for women.
- There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or for using the result for PhD admission.
- Law is subject code 058 and Criminology is subject code 068. You choose one subject paper.
The steps, in order
- 1
Confirm your subject and your category
Law at code 058 and Criminology at code 068 are separate papers with separate syllabi and separate cut-offs. Choose the one your master's degree and your reading actually support, not the one that looks easier, because the cut-off is set within each subject.
- 2
Get the required documents ready under the current bulletin
You will need a scanned photograph and signature in the specified dimensions and file sizes, your master's mark sheets, your category certificate if you are claiming one, and a PwD certificate if applicable. Candidates lose days at this step every cycle.
- 3
Apply through the official portal by the extended deadline
Registration and fee payment are due by 31 October 2026, 11:50 pm IST without late fee under NTA's extension notice. Use the official UGC NET portal; check your subject code, examination city preferences, category, uploads and payment confirmation before the deadline.
- 4
Pay the examination fee
₹1,150 for General, ₹600 for General-EWS and OBC non-creamy-layer, and ₹325 for SC, ST, PwD and third gender, plus bank and tax charges. An application is not complete until the fee is paid.
- 5
Use the correction window if anything is wrong
The updated December 2026 bulletin lists a correction window for 2–4 November 2026. Only permitted fields may be changed; check the latest NTA correction notice and the candidate login rather than assuming all details can be edited.
- 6
Download your admit card and check the centre
The admit card names your centre, reporting time and shift. Plan travel for the reporting time, not the examination time, and carry the photo identification named on the admit card.
- 7
Sit the examination
Both papers are taken in one computer-based session of three hours with no break between them. Paper I has 50 questions for 100 marks. Paper II has 100 questions for 200 marks. Each correct answer earns two marks and there is no negative marking, so attempt every question.
- 8
Check the answer key, then the result
NTA publishes a provisional answer key with a paid challenge window before declaring results. Qualifying requires clearing both papers and meeting the category-wise and subject-wise cut-off that NTA and UGC declare after the cycle. The cut-off is slab-based, not a fixed percentage.
Questions callers ask
Is there negative marking in UGC NET?
No. Each correct answer earns two marks and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so leaving a question blank only costs you a chance.
How long is the examination?
Three hours in a single computer-based session covering both papers, with no break in between. Paper I is 50 questions for 100 marks and Paper II is 100 questions for 200 marks.
Can I appear if my master's result is awaited?
Final-year master's candidates may apply provisionally under the published December 2026 bulletin, but must satisfy its required marks and degree-completion conditions before their qualification can be recognised.
What is the difference between qualifying for Assistant Professor and for JRF?
Both come from the same examination. JRF carries an upper age limit of 30 years with relaxations and a higher cut-off; Assistant Professor eligibility has no upper age limit. Your result letter states which you have qualified for.
Is Criminology a law paper?
No. Criminology at code 068 is a social-science paper drawing on sociology, psychology, penology, victimology, policing, criminal justice administration and research methods, with Indian legal anchors. Preparing it as if it were Law 058 is the most common mistake we see.
Not yet published by the authority
- The revised application/fee deadline and 14–18, 21 December examination dates are published. Exact subject-wise shifts, exam centres, any subsequent corrections and the candidate's city/admit-card allocation must still be checked on NTA's official portal.
- Category-wise and subject-wise cut-offs are declared only after each cycle and cannot be predicted.
ZELVU Education does not invent examination dates. When the authority publishes, this page is updated and the date is shown above.
Official sources
- NTA — official portal
- UGC NET — current official portal
- NTA — 27 October 2026 deadline-extension notice
- UGC NET — updated 16 October 2026 Information Bulletin
- NTA — examination calendar notice
- UGC NET — public notices and corrigendum
Preparing is the part we do.
Registration, fees and admission are between you and the authority. UGC NET Law & Criminology programmes covers the syllabus, the technique and the practice — taught lesson by lesson, with the reading material written out in full. Preparation support is not itself a qualification and no result is guaranteed.