UGC NET Answer Key 2026 (Out): Download Re-Exam Final Response Sheet, Result, Cutoff

The UGC NET Final Answer Key 2026 for the June session Re-Exam has been released by the National Testing Agency on September 17, 2026, for English, Commerce, and Sociology. The re-tests for these three subjects were conducted on September 9 and 10, 2026. Candidates who appeared for the re-exam can now log in to the official UGC NET website and access the final answer key corresponding to their subject. The UGC NET 2026 final answer key is prepared after considering the objections received against the provisional answer key and is used for evaluating candidates' responses for the result.

• The UGC NET June 2026 re-examination was conducted for English and Commerce on September 9, 2026, and Sociology on September 10, 2026, at 454 exam centres across 272 cities in the country.
• NTA released the provisional answer key, question papers, and recorded responses on September 10, 2026, which allowed candidates to verify their responses before the final key was prepared.
• The UGC NET Re-Exam Answer Key objection window was open from September 10 to 13, 2026, up to 11:59 PM. Candidates were required to submit challenges online through the prescribed portal.
• Candidates had to pay a processing fee of Rs. 200 for each question challenged. Challenges were examined by subject experts before the UGC NET 2026 final answer key was prepared.
• The final answer key is used for evaluating candidates' recorded responses and preparing the UGC NET June 2026 Re-Exam result.
• NTA released the UGC NET final answer key 2026 for 84 subjects on August 28, 2026.

UGC NET 2026 Answer Key Important Dates

On September 17, 2026, NTA issued the UGC NET Re-exam Final Answer Key 2026. The NTA has issued the UGC NET Re-exam Answer Key 2026 on September 10, 2026, following the re-exams held on September 9 &10, 2026. Candidates can submit challenges from September 10 to September 13, 2026, up to 11:59 PM, by paying Rs. 200 per question. For the remaining 84 subjects, the exam was held from June 22 to 30, 2026, with an additional re-exam conducted on July 5, 2026. For the 84 subjects, the UGC NET June 2026 Final Answer Key was issued by NTA on August 28, 2026. Candidates can check the latest answer key updates and challenge details on the official websites.

Reference: For the June 2025 session, NTA released the provisional answer key on July 6, 2025, and the challenge window remained open for two days. A similar timeline has been followed in the UGC NET June 2026.

UGC NET Answer Key 2026 Release Date

The National Testing Agency issued the UGC NET Final Answer Key 2026 for the re-exam on September 17, 2026, for English, Commerce, and Sociology. The UGC NET June 2026 re-exam was conducted for English and Commerce on September 9, 2026, and Sociology on September 10, 2026. Before the final key, NTA had issued the provisional answer key and recorded responses on September 10, 2026, with which candidates could review their responses and challenge any answer they found incorrect. The objection window remained open from September 10 to 13, 2026, up to 11:59 PM, with a processing fee of Rs. 200 per question. After reviewing the challenges through subject experts, NTA published the final answer key, which was used for preparing the result.

For the UGC NET June 2026 exam covering the other 84 subjects, the test was conducted from June 22 to June 30, 2026, with a separate re-exam held on July 5, 2026, for candidates affected by the technical issue at the Jalandhar examination centre. NTA uploaded the provisional answer key, question papers, and recorded responses on August 16, 2026, allowing candidates to challenge the provisional key until August 18, 2026. After reviewing the objections, NTA published the Final Answer Key for 84 subjects on August 28, 2026, which was subsequently used in the result preparation.

How to Download UGC NET June 2026 Answer Key?

The UGC NET June 2026 Final Answer Key for the re-exam is now available for English, Commerce, and Sociology. NTA published the final keys on September 17, 2026, after completing the answer-key challenge process. Candidates can use the final key along with their recorded responses and question papers to verify the answers considered for evaluation. To download the UGC NET answer Key 2026, candidates must follow the steps given below:

1. Visit the official website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
2. Look for the "UGC NET June 2026 Answer Key" link on the homepage and click on it.
3. Two login options will be available: log in using the application number and password, or log in using the application number and date of birth.
4. Enter the application number, password or date of birth, and the security pin displayed on screen.
5. Click "Sign In" to proceed.
6. The answer key, recorded response sheet, and question paper will be available for download.
7. Download and save all three documents. These are required to raise objections and will not be available for download indefinitely.

UGC NET Answer Key 2026 Download Link

The link to download the UGC NET June 2026 Re-Exam Final Answer Key is available for English, Commerce, and Sociology from September 17, 2026. Candidates who took the re-exam can access the final answer key through the official NTA website and use it to review the answers considered for evaluation. The final answer key was issued after the completion of the challenge process and reflects the answers finalised by NTA following expert review. Candidates can log in using their required credentials and download the answer key for their respective subject. The direct link to access the UGC NET Re-Exam Final Answer Key 2026 is provided below.

Direct Link to Download UGC NET Re-Exam Final Answer Key 2026 (Link Active)

Details Mentioned on UGC NET 2026 Answer Key

The UGC NET 2026 answer key contains the officially correct option for every question from both Paper 1 and Paper 2. It is released subject-wise, meaning each candidate can view the answer key relevant to their subject. The table below lists the fields included in the answer key document:

Candidates should note that the answer key is consistent across all candidates who appeared for the same subject on the same date and shift. Differences in question sets across shifts will be reflected in separate answer keys.

UGC NET Answer Key 2026 Challenge Process

Candidates who identify any errors in the provisional UGC NET answer key 2026 could use the challenge facility to raise objections. Before submitting a challenge, candidates can check the answer key against their recoded responses and identify the question or answer they believe requires correction.

The UGC NET 2026 answer key challenge window for the three re-exam subjects was open from September 10 to 13, 2026, until 11:59 PM. During this period, candidates could raise objections online by paying a processing fee of Rs. 200 per question challenged. Challenges sent through email, fax, or any other communication mode will not be accepted.

After submission, the challenges will be reviewed by the relevant subject-matter experts. If a challenge is accepted, the resulting correction will be applied uniformly to candidates of that subject, and the processing fee for the accepted challenge will be refunded in full. Candidates do not need to submit the same objection more than once. After the challenge window closes, the answer key will be finalised, and no further challenge or grievance regarding the answer key will be entertained after the closure of the challenge window. Candidates can raise a challenge against the UGC NET Answer Key 2026 by using the link below.

Direct link to Raise Challenge against UGC NET Answer Key 2026 (Link Closed)

How to Challenge UGC NET 2026 Provisional Answer Key?

If a candidate believes any answer in the UGC NET 2026 provisional answer key is incorrect, they can submit an objection against it during the challenge window. Candidates can follow the steps discussed below to raise challenges against the UGC NET June Answer Key 2026:

1. Visit the official website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
2. Click on the "Challenge Answer Key" link on the homepage.
3. Log in using the application number and password, or the application number and date of birth.
4. Enter the security pin and click "Sign In."
5. Select the question ID to be challenged. Mark the option believed to be correct, or select "No Correct Option" if applicable.
6. Click "Save Your Claims."
7. Upload supporting documents (textbook references, official publications, peer-reviewed sources) as a single PDF file.
8. Click "Save Your Claims and Pay Fee."
9. Pay the challenge fee of INR 200 per question through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI.
10. Save the payment confirmation.

Read More: UGC NET Cutoff 2026

UGC NET 2026 Answer Key Challenge Fee

A non-refundable processing fee of INR 200 applies for each question challenged in the UGC NET 2026 provisional answer key. Candidates can challenge any number of questions, but each requires a separate payment. If the expert panel accepts the challenge and modifies the answer key, the challenge fee for that question is refunded to the original payment method. Challenges that are not upheld do not receive a refund.

UGC NET Score Calculation 2026

The UGC NET 2026 marking scheme is simple since there is no negative marking. Candidates can calculate their estimated marks after the re-exam provisional answer key and recorded responses are released by matching their responses with the answers provided in the key and applying the marking scheme.

1. Download the provisional answer key and the recorded response sheet from ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
2. Compare each question in the response sheet against the corresponding correct answer in the answer key, using the Question ID as a reference.
3. Award +2 marks for every question where the recorded response matches the correct option ID.
4. Award 0 marks for every question that was unattempted or where the response does not match.
5. Add the marks from Paper 1 (max 100) and Paper 2 (max 200) for the estimated total out of 300.

Special symbols in the final answer key:

• % (Percent symbol): Marks are awarded to all candidates who attempted that question, typically because the question was found to be erroneous or ambiguous.
• & (Ampersand symbol): The question has been dropped entirely and will not be considered in the evaluation of any candidate's score.

The estimated score from the provisional answer key may differ slightly from the final scorecard due to the normalisation process applied across multiple shifts. The result is prepared using the final answer key, not the provisional one.

Example calculation:

A candidate in the General category attempts all 150 questions. In the answer key comparison:

• Correct responses: 78 (out of 150)
• Incorrect or unattempted: 72

Estimated score = 78 x 2 = 156 marks out of 300

Minimum qualifying marks for General category = 40% of 300 = 120 marks. This candidate clears the threshold but would need to be above the subject-wise AP or JRF cutoff to qualify.

How to Download UGC NET 2026 Final Answer Key?

NTA published the UGC NET June 2026 Final Answer Key for English, Commerce, and Sociology on September 17, 2026, following the completion of the answer key objection and evaluation process. This version was used for the preparation for the UGC NET 2026 Result. No further challenges or objections are accepted after the final answer key is published.

Steps to download UGC NET 2026 final answer key:

1. Visit ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
2. Click on the "Final Answer Key — UGC NET June 2026" link on the homepage.
3. The final answer key will open as a PDF and can be viewed, downloaded, or printed.

The final answer key may contain "%" and "&" symbols against certain questions as described above. Candidates can use this key for a final score estimate before the official result is declared.

How to Download UGC NET / JRF e-Certificate 2026?

After the UGC NET 2026 result is declared, qualified candidates can download their eligibility certificates and JRF award letters from the NTA e-certificate portal. NTA typically uploads these documents approximately 30 days after the result declaration, on both the e-certificate portal and DigiLocker.

Key validity periods:

• JRF Award Letter: Valid for 3 years from the date of result declaration. Candidates must enroll in a PhD programme within this period to avail the fellowship stipend.
• AP Eligibility Certificate: Has lifetime validity.

Steps to download UGC NET e-certificate 2026:

1. Visit the official e-certificate portal at ecertificate.nta.ac.in.
2. Select "UGC NET/JRF" from the institution dropdown.
3. Enter the captcha code displayed on the screen.
4. On the login page, enter the application number, date of birth, and the exam session.
5. Click "Proceed."
6. The UGC NET eligibility certificate or JRF award letter will appear on screen.
7. Download and save the document. It is required for PhD enrollment, job applications, and fellowship claims.

UGC NET 2026 Answer Key FAQs