The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the provisional answer key for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December
2025. The provisional answer key has been released on January 14, and candidates will now ben given time till January 17 to raise objections against the given answer key. "The National Testing Agency conducted the UGC-NET December 2025 examination for 85 subjects in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode at various cities across the country. The provisional answer key(s) for the UGC NET December 2025 examination conducted on 31 December 2025; 02, 03, 05, 06, and 07 January 2026, along with the subject-wise question papers and recorded responses, are available on the official website https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/ for candidates to challenge," NTA said in an official notice.
Steps to Challenge UGC-NET Answer Key
Step 1: Visit the official NTA website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in
Step 2: Click on “Challenge(s) regarding Answer Key”.
Step 3: Log in using your registered credentials.
Step 4: Click on “View Question Paper” to check your marked responses. Then click on “View/Challenge Answer Key” to view the provisional answer keys and raise challenges.
Step 5: The questions will appear in sequential Question ID order. Candidates are advised to match questions using the Question ID.
Step 6: Check the Correct Option ID shown by NTA. Note that dropped questions are highlighted and cannot be challenged.
Step 7: To challenge a question, select one or more Option IDs from the available options by clicking the corresponding checkbox.
Step 8: After selecting the desired option(s), scroll down and click “Save Your Claims” to proceed to the next screen.
Step 9: A summary page will display all the Option IDs you have challenged.
Step 10: If you wish to make changes, click on “Modify Your Claims” and re-submit using the same process.
Step 11: After saving, a screen displaying your final list of challenges will appear.
Step 12: Upload supporting documents, if any, by clicking “Choose File”. Ensure that all documents are uploaded in a single PDF file.
Step 13: Click on “Save Your Claims and Pay Fee”. Your claims will be saved only after successful payment.
Step 14: Select the payment mode and pay the fee of ₹200 per question challenged via Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI.
Candidates who are not satisfied with the provisional answer key(s) may challenge them by paying a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 200 per question challenged.
| S. No. | Description | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duration for Answer Key Challenge Window | 14 January 2026 to 17 January 2026 (up to 11:50 P.M.) |
| 2 | Last date for payment | 17 January 2026 (up to 11:50 P.M.) |
The payment of the processing fee may be made through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI payment modes till 17 January 2026 (up to 11:50 pm). No challenge will be entertained without receipt of the processing fee. Challenges will not be accepted through any other mode.
Challenges made by the candidates will be verified by a panel of subject experts. If the challenge of any candidate is found to be correct, the Answer Key will be revised and applied to the responses of all candidates accordingly. Based on the revised Final Answer Key, the result will be prepared and declared. No individual candidate will be informed about the acceptance or non-acceptance of his/her challenge.
The Answer Key finalized by the experts after the challenge process will be final.
