NTA revises 2026-27 exam calendar: JEE Main from January 20, UGC NET December 14
By TUF News Desk · Published 26 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
The dates many aspirants planned around have moved. The National Testing Agency on Monday released a revised examination calendar for December 2026 to April 2027, changing the schedule for UGC NET, Joint CSIR UGC NET, JEE Main and CUET PG. The agency said the revision was for administrative reasons and asked candidates to follow the new dates.
The September calendar is still circulating on coaching websites and social media, so anyone working from it could be preparing for the wrong week.
What changed
UGC NET for the December cycle moves to December 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21, 2026. The earlier calendar had listed December 14 to 19, with December 20 and 21 as buffer days. December 21 is now a regular exam day.
Joint CSIR UGC NET changes more sharply. It was earlier set for December 20 and 21, 2026. Under the revised calendar it will be held on December 19, 22 and 27, 2026.
JEE Main Session 1 will be held on January 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, 2027. The January 31 buffer date from the earlier calendar has been removed, so the session now ends on January 28. JEE Main Session 2 will be held from April 2 to 7, 2027.
CUET PG gets the longest list of dates. It will run on March 2, 3, 4 and 5, March 8 and 9, March 12, March 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, March 24 and 25, and March 29, 30 and 31, 2027. The earlier schedule had spread the exam across March 1 to 5, March 8 to 20, and March 24 and 25.
What stayed the same
Several exams keep their earlier dates. The Common Management Admission Test stays on February 7, 2027, and the NIFT entrance examination stays on January 10, 2027. The Rashtriya Indian Military College exam is on December 6, 2026, SWAYAM runs from December 8 to 12, 2026, and the Rashtriya Military Schools exam is on December 13, 2026. The Army Cadets College exam is on January 4, 2027, SHRESHTA (NETS) is on January 10, 2027, and the All India Sainik Schools entrance examination is on January 31, 2027.
One gap remains. NTA has not announced a date for NEET UG yet, and medical aspirants will have to wait for a separate notification.
UGC NET applicants face a deadline first
For UGC NET December 2026 applicants, the calendar change comes with an immediate deadline. The regular application window closes on October 28, 2026, at 11:50 pm. Candidates who miss it can still apply from October 29 to 31 by paying an extra late fee of Rs 500, and the correction window runs from November 2 to 4.
As of October 25, 5,50,048 candidates had registered for UGC NET December 2026, but only 3,73,419 had completed their applications and paid the fee. Another 1,36,993 had yet to upload their photograph and signature and pay the fee, while 31,580 had uploaded the photograph and signature but had not paid. NTA has warned that registration alone does not count: the form is complete only after the fee is paid and the confirmation page is downloaded. Our admission documents checklist covers the scanned photograph, signature and certificates to keep ready before starting the form.
JEE Main is the gateway to National Institutes of Technology, IIITs and other centrally funded technical institutes, and Paper 1 scores also decide who qualifies for JEE Advanced, the entrance test for the IITs, including the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
What to do now
Check the revised dates against your preparation plan, especially if you are appearing for more than one of these exams: UGC NET in mid December, JEE Main Session 1 in late January and CUET PG through March leave little room between them. All the dates are tentative and may change again for administrative, academic, statutory or logistical reasons, so check the official NTA website before making travel or study plans. UGC NET applicants can complete their forms on the official UGC NET portal.
Frequently asked questions
What are the revised UGC NET December 2026 exam dates?
UGC NET will be held on December 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21, 2026, under the revised NTA calendar.
When will JEE Main 2027 Session 1 be held?
Session 1 is scheduled for January 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, 2027. The January 31 buffer date from the earlier calendar has been removed.
When is JEE Main 2027 Session 2?
Session 2 will be held from April 2 to 7, 2027, as per the revised calendar.
Has the NEET UG 2027 date been announced?
No. The revised calendar does not include a NEET UG date yet, and NTA has said the dates it published are tentative.
Frequently asked questions
What are the revised UGC NET December 2026 exam dates?
UGC NET will be held on December 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21, 2026, under the revised NTA calendar.
When will JEE Main 2027 Session 1 be held?
Session 1 is scheduled for January 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, 2027. The January 31 buffer date from the earlier calendar has been removed.
When is JEE Main 2027 Session 2?
Session 2 will be held from April 2 to 7, 2027, as per the revised calendar.
Has the NEET UG 2027 date been announced?
No. The revised calendar does not include a NEET UG date yet, and NTA has said the dates it published are tentative.
Sources: The Indian Express, Careers360, The Telegraph