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.
Checked against the official sources on 22 September 2026. Always confirm dates and fees on the authority’s own site before you act.
Where this cycle stands right now
NTA's examination calendar lists 14 to 19 December 2026 as the provisional window, with 20 and 21 December as buffer days. The full information bulletin with registration dates had not been published as at 22 September 2026. On the December 2025 precedent, registration opened on 7 October and closed on 7 November, so the application window is likely to open within weeks. Keep your documents, photograph and signature ready in the required formats now.
Key dates
- December 2026 examination window (provisional)
- 14 to 19 December 2026, with 20 and 21 December as buffer days
- Information bulletin and registration dates
- Not yet published as at 22 September 2026
- December 2025 precedent
- Registration 7 October to 7 November 2025, correction window 10 to 12 November 2025
- June 2026 precedent
- Registration 29 April to 20 May 2026, examination held 22 to 30 June 2026
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 for General, EWS and OBC non-creamy-layer candidates, and at least 50 per cent for SC, ST, PwD and third-gender candidates.
- 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 your documents ready before the bulletin drops
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
Register and apply when NTA opens the window
Registration is on the UGC NET portal. Fill your subject code, examination city preferences and category carefully. On the December 2025 precedent the window ran for about a month, with a short correction window afterwards.
- 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
NTA opens a short correction window after registration closes. Subject code, category and personal details can normally be corrected there. After it shuts, an error usually cannot be fixed.
- 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?
Candidates in the final year of a master's degree have historically been permitted to appear, subject to completing the degree within the period NTA specifies. Confirm the exact rule in the December 2026 information bulletin when it is published.
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 December 2026 information bulletin, the registration dates, the correction window and the city list have not been published. The window of 14 to 19 December 2026 is from NTA's calendar notice and remains provisional.
- 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 — official portal
- NTA — examination calendar notice
- UGC NET June 2026 information bulletin
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.