UGC NET 2025 Provisional Answer Key Soon After December Session Ends on January 7 | What Candidates Must Know
- NTA will release the provisional answer key for UGC NET 2025 December session soon after the exam concludes on January 7.
- The provisional answer key will be uploaded on the official NTA portal, ugcnet.nta.nic.in, allowing score estimation.
- A short objection window opens after the release, enabling candidates to challenge tentative answers for a prescribed fee.
- Past trends indicate the answer key may be released within a week of the examination conclusion, though timelines vary.
- Candidates must log in with their application number and date of birth on the official website to download the answer key.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to release the provisional answer key for the UGC NET 2025 December session following the conclusion of the national-level eligibility test on 7 January 2026. As millions of aspirants eagerly await the official solutions to Paper-I and Paper-II questions, the agency is expected to upload the answer key on its official portal ugcnet.nta.nic.in in the coming days.
The University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is conducted twice a year, in June and December, to assess the eligibility of Indian postgraduates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor positions, as well as PhD admissions in colleges and universities across the country. The December session began on 31 December 2025 and ran through several days across multiple dates, with the final examination taking place yesterday, 7 January 2026.
UGC NET 2025 Provisional Answer Key & Objection Window
Once published, the UGC NET provisional answer key will allow candidates to match their responses with the official answer sheets and estimate their probable scores. The provisional key is generally released along with the question papers and candidates’ recorded responses.
The NTA typically opens an objection window soon after releasing the provisional key. During this period, aspirants can challenge any answer they believe is incorrect by submitting representations through the official portal and paying the prescribed fee per question. After reviewing all objections, the agency will prepare a final answer key, which will be used to calculate the final scores and determine qualifying status.
How to Download the UGC NET Provisional Answer Key?
Here’s a quick guide for candidates to download the UGC NET provisional answer key once it goes live:
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Visit the official UGC NET website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
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Look for the link titled “UGC NET 2025 Answer Key PDF Download (December Session)” in the ‘Latest News’ section.
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Login using your application number and date of birth to access your individual question paper and answer key.
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Download the provisional answer key for future reference.
Candidates are advised to carefully compare their marked responses with the tentative answers provided in the key and raise objections before the deadline, if needed.
UGC NET Provisional Answer Key: Timeline & Past Trends
Although NTA has not released the exact date for the answer key’s publication, exam trends from previous UGC NET cycles suggest a release within a week after the examination concludes. For instance, answer keys for past sessions have typically been shared 6–14 days after exams, though timelines can vary slightly depending on administrative schedules.
Education experts say that once the provisional key is released, the objection window usually remains open for a few days before the final key is published. The final answer key and results announcements typically follow soon after the objection period closes.
UGC NET Exam Overview: December 2025 Session
The December 2025 UGC NET session was conducted over several days — including 31 December 2025, 2 January, 3 January, 5 January, 6 January, and 7 January 2026 — in computer-based test (CBT) mode across the country. The tests covered more than 80 subjects, with two shifts on most exam days: morning from 9 am to 12 pm and afternoon from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The consistent scheduling and large number of subject categories reflect the UGC NET’s role as a cornerstone exam for higher education eligibility. Performance in this test significantly impacts candidates’ career trajectories in academia and research fields.
Looking Ahead: Results & Cutoffs
After the final answer key is published, NTA will calculate results based on the final set of answers. Qualified candidates will then be ranked according to their scores, and cutoffs will be announced for JRF and Assistant Professor eligibility. Typically, results are released within 1–2 weeks following the final answer key, but official timelines for the December 2025 session are yet to be announced.
Aspiring candidates should regularly check the official UGC NET portal and stay updated with notifications to ensure timely access to answer keys, objection forms, and results. With final exams now complete, the countdown has begun for key milestones in the UGC NET 2025 cycle.










