The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the final answer keys for the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) 2026 for 84 subjects, even as candidates who appeared for three papers prepare for fresh examinations next month following errors detected in their question papers.
“The Final Answer Keys of UGC-NET 2026 have been officially released for 84 subjects,” the agency said in a post on X on Friday. The development comes after the NTA released the UGC-NET answer key on August 16, nearly two months after the examination. At the time, the agency also issued a special notice concerning the English, Commerce and Sociology papers following complaints over errors in the examinations.
Errors prompt fresh exams
The NTA subsequently ordered fresh examinations for candidates who had appeared for English, Commerce and Sociology in June after an expert committee examined the papers and found factual, typographical, translation and language-related errors.
Later on August 16, the agency announced that examinations for all three subjects would be conducted again in September. The decision means candidates who appeared for these papers will have another opportunity to take the examination, rather than having their results determined on the basis of papers found to contain errors. The re-examinations have been scheduled for September 9 and 10. Candidates appearing for the fresh tests will not be required to pay any additional examination fee.
The move followed scrutiny of the affected question papers after candidates raised concerns regarding the quality and accuracy of several questions. The expert committee was tasked with examining the complaints before the NTA decided to conduct the three examinations afresh.
NET determines teaching, research eligibility
The UGC-NET is conducted by the NTA on behalf of the University Grants Commission to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for appointment as assistant professors and for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in universities and colleges across the country. Performance in the examination is also used to determine eligibility for admission to PhD programmes under applicable UGC regulations.
With the final answer keys now released for 84 subjects, the examination process for the unaffected papers has moved closer to completion. Candidates of English, Commerce and Sociology, however, will have to appear for their respective re-examinations before their results can be finalised.