Registration Surge as Deadline Looms

Registrations for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December 2026 have crossed the 5.5 lakh mark, according to the latest figures released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The regular application window is drawing to a close, prompting testing authorities to issue strict advisories for applicants to complete their submissions promptly.

As of October 25, 2026, a total of 5,50,048 candidates have registered on the official portal. Out of this total, 3,73,419 aspirants have successfully completed their application forms and cleared the required examination fee. However, a significant number of forms remain in various stages of incompletion.

Pending Actions and Fee Submissions

The NTA's official data highlights critical bottlenecks in the current registration cycle:

- Incomplete Documentation & Fees: Exactly 1,36,993 candidates are yet to upload mandatory documents—including their recent photograph and signature—while their fee payment is also pending. - Unpaid Applications: Another 31,580 candidates have uploaded the required photograph and signature but have failed to pay the application fee.

Exam authorities have strongly urged applicants to avoid last-minute technical glitches by finalizing their submissions immediately rather than waiting for the final deadline.

Important Dates and Late Fee Structure

The regular application window for the UGC NET December 2026 exam is scheduled to close on October 28, 2026, at 11:50 PM. Candidates who miss this primary deadline will still have a secondary window to submit their applications along with a late fee of Rs 500, applicable from October 29 through October 31, 2026.

Aspirants with pending steps are advised to log into the official portal, complete all documentation, clear pending fee dues, and securely download their final Confirmation Page for future reference. For technical assistance, candidates can reach out to the NTA helpline.