The National Testing Agency is expected to release the provisional answer key for the UGC NET June 2026 examination on its official website, ugcnet.nta.nic.in. However, no confirmed release date has been announced, more than a month after the examination process concluded, leaving candidates awaiting their response sheets and score estimates.

Responding to questions about the delay, an NTA source said the June examination covered 87 subjects and involved an extensive evaluation exercise. The agency conducted the test on June 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 and 30, followed by a retest on July 5. The NTA said the results would be released soon without providing a specific timeline.

Along with the provisional answer key, candidates are expected to receive access to their attempted question papers and recorded response sheets. These documents will enable applicants to compare their answers with the official key and estimate their probable scores before the final answer key and examination results are issued.

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Candidates who identify a possible discrepancy will be allowed to challenge the provisional answer key through the prescribed online objection window. Each challenge will require a non-refundable processing fee of ₹200 and must be supported by proper justification and documentary evidence. Submissions made through any other medium will not be accepted.

The NTA has clarified that only paid objections submitted within the specified period will be reviewed. Challenges filed without supporting evidence or after the deadline will not be considered. A panel of subject experts will examine the valid objections, and the final answer key may be revised if any challenge is found to be correct.

UGC NET determines eligibility for the Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as an assistant professor and admission to PhD programmes in Indian universities and colleges. JRF eligibility depends on a candidate’s aggregate performance in both examination papers. Candidates qualifying only under the assistant professor and PhD category will not be eligible for the fellowship. The Ministry of Education had not provided a response regarding the answer-key release date at the time of the report.

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