UGC NET June 2026 Answer Key Out – Download Response Sheet & Challenge by 18 August

UGC NET June 2026 Answer Key Out – Download Response Sheet & Challenge by 18 August

The National Testing Agency has released the UGC NET June 2026 Provisional Answer Key and recorded responses for 84 subjects on 16 August 2026. Candidates can review their responses and challenge a provisional answer through the official candidate portal.

Challenge window: 16–18 August 2026, up to 11:59 PM. Processing fee is ₹200 per question, and NTA will refund the fee in full for every challenge accepted by the expert panel.

English, Commerce & Sociology: These three subjects are not included in the current 84-subject answer-key release. NTA constituted a committee to examine complaints regarding question-paper errors and stated that a separate public notice would be issued.

Login correction: The current official candidate portal asks for Application Number + Password + CAPTCHA. It does not show Roll Number + DOB as the standard answer-key login combination.

Eligibility correction: JRF upper age limit is 30 years as on 1 June 2026, not 31 years. Four-year bachelor's degree candidates qualifying through that route are eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission, but not for appointment as Assistant Professor.

Also check Results, Admit Cards and Admissions on NexRojgar.

UGC NET June 2026 Overview

Important Dates

Challenge Fee & Refund Rule

Key Challenge Rules

• Submit the challenge only through the official online portal.

• Provide supporting documentary evidence for the disputed answer.

• Email, fax, letter or offline challenges will not be accepted.

• No challenge is entertained without successful receipt of the processing fee.

• If a challenge is accepted, the correction is applied uniformly to all candidates of that subject.

• Individual decisions on each challenge are not communicated separately.

• The revised final answer key will be published before the result.

• No answer-key grievance is entertained after closure of the challenge window / declaration of result.

How to Download Answer Key & Response Sheet

1. Open the official UGC-NET website.

2. Click “Challenge of Provisional Answer Keys for UGC-NET June 2026”.

3. Open registered-candidate login.

4. Enter Application Number and Password.

5. Enter the CAPTCHA.

6. Open recorded responses / answer-key section.

7. Compare your responses with the provisional answers.

8. Save the response details for your records.

How to Challenge an Answer

1. Log in to the official challenge portal.

2. Select the question you believe has an incorrect provisional answer.

3. Choose/enter the answer you consider correct as per the portal workflow.

4. Upload/provide reliable supporting documentary evidence.

5. Submit the challenge.

6. Pay ₹200 per challenged question.

7. Save the payment receipt and challenge confirmation.

English, Commerce & Sociology – Separate Review

NTA conducted the June 2026 cycle across 87 subjects, while the current provisional answer-key challenge notice covers 84 subjects. English, Commerce and Sociology are being handled separately because a committee was constituted to examine complaints regarding errors in their question papers.

If your subject is English, Commerce or Sociology: Wait for the separate NTA notice and follow the subject-specific process/dates rather than assuming the 84-subject challenge schedule automatically applies.

Exam Pattern

• CBT mode, total duration 3 hours, no break between Paper I and II.

• Each correct answer: +2 marks.

• No negative marking for an incorrect answer.

• Unanswered/unattempted/marked-for-review questions receive 0 marks.

87 Subjects – Important Correction

The official June 2026 Information Bulletin lists 87 subjects. The final entries include Disaster Management (104), Ayurveda Biology (105), Forestry (106) and Statistics (107). Therefore, an older list showing 85 subjects or an unexplained “NA” entry should not be used for the June 2026 cycle.

Eligibility – Master's & Four-Year Bachelor's Routes

Master's Degree Route

• General/UR/General-EWS: minimum 55% in Master's degree or equivalent.

• OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third Gender: minimum 50%.

• Final-year/result-awaited Master's candidates could apply provisionally subject to the bulletin conditions.

Four-Year Bachelor's Route

• Minimum 75% aggregate or equivalent grade.

• 5% relaxation may apply to eligible reserved/notified categories.

• Final-semester/year candidates could apply provisionally.

• Qualifying through this route can provide eligibility for JRF and Ph.D. admission.

• It does not provide Assistant Professor eligibility through the four-year bachelor's route.

Age Limit

Application Fee – Historical Reference

This examination application fee is separate from the current answer-key challenge processing fee of ₹200 per question.

What Happens Next?

1. Subject experts review submitted challenges.

2. Accepted corrections are applied to the provisional key.

3. Accepted-challenge processing fees are refunded.

4. NTA publishes the final answer key.

5. Responses are evaluated against the final key.

6. The UGC NET June 2026 result is declared afterward.

The current official answer-key notice does not announce a result date.

UGC NET Qualification Categories

• Category 1: JRF + Assistant Professor + Ph.D. admission.

• Category 2: Assistant Professor + Ph.D. admission, but no JRF.

• Category 3: Ph.D. admission only.

For Category 2 and Category 3 candidates, NET marks carry 70% weightage and the university/HEI interview or viva voce carries 30% weightage for Ph.D. admission under the notified framework.

Important Official Links

FAQs

Is UGC NET June 2026 Answer Key out?

Yes. NTA released provisional answer keys and recorded responses for 84 subjects on 16 August 2026.

What is the challenge deadline?

18 August 2026 at 11:59 PM for the current 84-subject release.

What is the challenge fee?

₹200 per challenged question.

Is the fee refundable?

Yes, in full for every challenge accepted by the subject experts.

What about English, Commerce and Sociology?

They are under separate committee review and are not included in the current 84-subject answer-key release.

What login details are required?

Application Number, Password and CAPTCHA on the current official candidate portal.

How many subjects are in UGC NET June 2026?

87 subjects, including Forestry and Statistics.

What is the JRF age limit?

Not more than 30 years as on 1 June 2026, subject to applicable relaxation.

When will the result be released?

NTA has not announced the result date in the current answer-key notice.

Disclaimer

NexRojgar provides this article for informational purposes. Answer keys, challenge deadlines, subject-specific notices, final answer keys and results are controlled by NTA and UGC. Verify the latest notice on the official UGC-NET website before submitting a challenge or paying any fee. NexRojgar is not associated with NTA, UGC or the Ministry of Education.