Delhi University PhD admissions 2026: check entrance test pattern, apply by October 20

The University of Delhi (DU) on October 14, 2026, released the entrance test pattern and syllabus for direct admission to its PhD programmes. This notification specifically targets candidates who have completed a four-year undergraduate (UG) course with research or entrepreneurship components.

The guidelines, available on the official admission portal at admission.uod.ac.in, outline the eligibility requirements, examination structure, qualifying marks, and the thorough selection process for this cohort of PhD applicants. The application deadline for PhD admission has been extended to October 20, 2026.

Eligibility and Application Process

Candidates eligible for direct PhD admission must have completed a four-year or eight-semester UG programme under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022. A minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.5 is required for general candidates, while those belonging to SC, ST, and PwBD categories need a minimum CGPA of 7. Applicants must also have completed a dissertation, academic project, or entrepreneurship work during the fourth year of their undergraduate programme.

The application fee for PhD admission is ₹750 per programme for UR/OBC/EWS categories and ₹300 per programme for SC/ST/PwBD categories. Delhi University allows candidates to apply for more than one PhD programme, but each requires a separate application and fee. Candidates who have qualified UGC NET, CSIR NET, GATE, CEED, or equivalent national-level tests are not eligible for this specific entrance test and must apply through the university’s admission portal using their qualifying examination scores.

Entrance Test Structure and Marking Scheme

The PhD entrance test will be conducted for two hours and will carry a total of 100 marks. The examination is divided into two distinct sections: Research Methodology and a subject-specific section. The Research Methodology section accounts for 50 marks and consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), while the subject-specific section also carries 50 marks and features descriptive questions.

A negative marking scheme is applied in the MCQ section, where candidates will lose 25% of the marks for every incorrect answer. To qualify for the subsequent interview round, general candidates must score at least 50% in the entrance test. For SC, ST, and PwBD candidates, the minimum qualifying mark is 45%. DU has released a common Research Methodology syllabus for PhD entrance tests across various subjects, which candidates can access via admission.uod.ac.in.

Selection Process and Merit List

Shortlisted candidates who meet the qualifying marks in the entrance test will proceed to the interview stage. Before the interview, these candidates are required to submit their fourth-year dissertation, academic project report, or entrepreneurship report. The interview process for shortlisted candidates will be conducted in physical mode.

The final merit list for admission will be prepared by assigning 70% weightage to the entrance test marks and 30% weightage to the interview performance. Admission will be confirmed only after the successful verification of original documents. The detailed PhD information bulletin for 2024-25 will be released on admission.uod.ac.in, providing further full details.

Previous PhD Admission Guidelines

For the academic session 2024-25, DU had previously issued guidelines for PhD admission where UGC NET scores were to be used, with 70% weightage for NET marks and 30% for interview performance. NET marks for Categories 2 and 3 were to be valid for one year for PhD admissions for 2024-25. The University also indicated that it might hold entrance examinations for PhD programs where NET exams are not conducted by UGC, such as Portuguese, Italian, or Engineering.

DU also offered PhD Admission Phase II for the Academic Session 2025–26, with registrations starting on March 10, 2026, and a last date to apply on March 24, 2026. The interview schedule for this phase was from March 27 to April 18, 2026, with the last date for fee payment on April 26, 2026.

Further reading

• DU PhD admissions 2026: apply by October 20, check entrance test pattern
• Apply to Distance Diploma Colleges in Delhi NCR by October 18, 2026
• SLAT 2027 mock test link activates October 9: check exam pattern
• Delhi University reopens inter-college migration window for 2026-27: apply by October 9
• IMI PGDM 2027-29: Apply starting October 6 for Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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