The NTA has published the final answer keys for the UGC-NET 2026 exam across 84 subjects. Candidates can access them on the official portal. The agency also announced a re-test for English, Commerce and Sociology due to paper errors.
NTA Clarifies Answer Key Challenge Mechanism
The final answer keys are expected to provide clarity on the answers considered correct following the completion of the challenge and review process. The release comes a week after the NTA issued a clarification regarding concerns raised by candidates over the answer key challenge mechanism.The agency said the process was designed to ensure fairness for all candidates and that a valid challenge would benefit every candidate who appeared for the examination. The NTA clarified that if a challenge submitted by a candidate is accepted by the subject expert, the revised answer key would be applicable to all candidates who appeared for that particular examination.It also said that the Rs 200 fee paid for challenging an answer key would be refunded if the challenge was found to be valid. “The fee exists to discourage frivolous challenges, not to profit from genuine ones,” the NTA said. The agency further stated that a genuine challenge, if upheld after expert review, could lead to correction of the answer key for all candidates.
Re-test Ordered for Three Subjects
Earlier, the NTA decided to re-conduct UGC-NET papers for English, Commerce and Sociology after a committee constituted by the agency identified multiple errors in the question papers. The decision to conduct the re-test came amid criticism of the agency’s examination processes and protests by student organisations, including National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA).According to sources, the re-test will be conducted without any additional fee. The number of qualifying candidates and subject-wise allocations for the affected subjects will not be reduced because of the re-test.The NTA is also strengthening procedures related to question paper setting, moderation, translation and composition to prevent similar lapses in future.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)