Checked 3 October 2026. Low for the archive, which NTA and the UGC have kept online for years. Links on the older ugcnet.nta.ac.in host may move; every link here answered on 3 October 2026. The December 2026 keys will be added when NTA publishes them.
NTA does not publish UGC NET question papers. Since it took over the exam in December 2018, its public final answer keys list only question IDs and the correct option number, with no question text. The papers themselves are shown to each candidate, with their recorded responses, for two or three days before the result, and NTA keeps no copy for you afterwards. The only official papers anyone can download are the UGC NET Bureau's booklets from June 2009 to July 2018. This guide lists what exists for every cycle, with direct links, and how to get real use out of each.
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Sources: NTA bulletin June 2026 section 6.2; NTA key pages; UGC NET Bureau archive (all checked 3 October 2026).
What exists, cycle by cycle
| Cycle | Final key | Form | Question paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 (and the September re-exam) | Behind the candidate login only | — | Login, during the challenge window |
| December 2025 | Public, one PDF per subject (85); plus a revised key for five subjects published 3 Apr 2026 under a Delhi High Court order | Question IDs and correct option | Login, during the challenge window |
| June 2025 | Public, one PDF per subject (85) | Question IDs and correct option | Login only |
| December 2024 | Public, one PDF per subject (84; none for Indian Culture) | Question IDs and correct option | Login only |
| June 2024 | Public, one PDF for 83 subjects plus one for four subjects | Question IDs and correct option | Login only |
| December 2023, June 2023, December 2022 | Public, one PDF per cycle | Question IDs and correct option | Login only |
| December 2021 and June 2022 (merged) | Public, one PDF | Question IDs and answer, Paper 1 and 2 labelled | Login only |
| December 2020 and June 2021 (merged), June 2020 | Public, one PDF per cycle | Question IDs and correct option | Login only |
| December 2019 | Link existed; the file can no longer be retrieved | not verified | Login only |
| June 2019 | Was public; its host (ntanet.nic.in) no longer resolves | Question IDs | Login only |
| December 2018 | Login only | — | Login only |
| July 2018 back to June 2009 (UGC NET Bureau, pen and paper) | Keys only for June 2012 to June 2014 | Question number and answer letter | Public: every booklet, every subject |
We checked every link on 3 October 2026. The June 2026 notices say candidates "may log in using their credentials to access and view the Final Answer Keys"; no public PDF was posted for that cycle.
Where other pages get this wrong
A "UGC NET previous year question paper PDF" from any year after 2018 is not an NTA document. NTA has never published one.
Commonly published instead: Several preparation sites offer UGC NET 2024 question papers and answer keys as PDF downloads, by subject and exam date.
The bulletin says NTA displays the question paper and recorded responses on the portal "prior to declaration of result" for "two to three days", and that "No copy of the response sheet will be provided by NTA after the declaration of results". The public keys carry question IDs, not questions. Whatever a post-2018 "paper" online was built from, it is not an NTA publication, so check any answer it gives against the subject itself rather than trusting the key that comes with it.
Per-subject final keys, December 2024 onwards
Subject-wise key pages on NTA's portals
- December 2025: all 85 subject PDFs (ugcnet.nta.nic.in)
- December 2025: revised key for Economics, History, Commerce, Education and Hindi (Delhi High Court order, 3 Apr 2026)
- June 2025: all 85 subject PDFs (ugcnet.nta.ac.in)
- December 2024: all 84 subject PDFs (ugcnet.nta.ac.in)
The June 2025 and December 2024 files follow a fixed pattern: images/UGC_JUNE_2025_FINALKEY/.pdf and images/KEY_PDF/.PDF on ugcnet.nta.ac.in, where is the three-digit subject code.
Whole-cycle final keys, June 2020 to June 2024
One PDF per cycle (all subjects)
- June 2024 (83 subjects)
- June 2024 (Manipuri, Music, Performing Arts, Sindhi)
- December 2023
- June 2023
- December 2022
- December 2021 and June 2022 (merged)
- December 2020 and June 2021 (merged)
- June 2020
The 2020 to 2023 files are also listed on the archive page of ugcnet.nta.nic.in. They carry no printed date except June 2020 ("result compiled on 30.11.2020").
The UGC NET Bureau archive: real papers, 2009 to 2018
Before NTA took over in December 2018, NET was a pen-and-paper exam, and the UGC NET Bureau still hosts the booklets at ugcnetonline.in: 19 sessions from June 2009 to July 2018, every subject, 88 to 172 PDFs per session. From June 2009 to November 2017 there were three papers (Paper I, II and III); July 2018 had Paper I in four sets and Paper II only, the two-paper pattern NTA kept. Answer keys on the Bureau site cover only June 2012 to June 2014 (question number and answer letter, by Paper I set and subject paper); keys for December 2014 to July 2018 are not on any official site we could find.
| Session | Papers | Official key | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2018 | Paper I (sets P, Q, R, S) and Paper II | No | ugcnetonline.in/question_papers_july2018.php |
| November 2017, January 2017 | Paper I, II, III | No | question_papers_nov2017.php, question_papers_jan2017.php |
| July 2016, December 2015, June 2015, December 2014 | Paper I, II, III | No | question_papers_July 2016.php and the dec2015, june2015, dec2014 pages |
| June 2014, December 2013, June 2013 (two dates), December 2012, June 2012 | Paper I, II, III | Yes (Bureau archive page) | question_papers_june2014.php and others; keys at news.php |
| December 2011 back to June 2009 | Paper I, II, III | No | question_papers_dec2011.php and earlier |
The Paper I booklets are the most useful today: the Paper I syllabus NTA uses is the Bureau syllabus "applicable from June 2019", and the July 2018 and November 2017 booklets already had 50 questions, five per unit. Paper II and III booklets from before 2018 follow an older subject syllabus and a different split, so use them for concepts, not for pattern.
Our UGC NET Paper 1 revision kit was built by counting the 160 questions of the last three official Bureau Paper I booklets (January 2017, November 2017, July 2018) by type; page 1 is free to read on that page.
How to use official keys that have no questions
Three uses that work
- During the challenge window, save your own paper. Log in while the provisional key is up, open "View Question Paper", and save the paper with your recorded responses. It is the only time you can; NTA keeps no copy for you after the result. Later, the public final key's question IDs match the IDs on that saved paper.
- Check your score before the result. Count the IDs where your recorded option matches the final key, multiply by 2, and add 2 for each dropped ("D") question you attempted. That is your raw total out of 300 (normalised marks may differ by a few points for multi-shift subjects).
- Compare cycles. The per-subject files show how many shifts your subject was held in and on which dates; a subject spread over several shifts is the one where normalised marks matter.
Questions
Does NTA publish UGC NET previous year question papers?
No. NTA shows each candidate their own question paper and recorded responses for two or three days before the result, behind the login. Its public final keys contain question IDs and correct options only.
Where can I download official UGC NET papers?
From the UGC NET Bureau archive at ugcnetonline.in, which has every booklet from June 2009 to July 2018. Nothing official after 2018 is downloadable.
Is the UGC NET June 2026 final answer key public?
No. The notices of 28 August and 17 September 2026 say candidates log in to view the final keys.
Why does the December 2025 key have two versions for some subjects?
On 3 April 2026 NTA published a revised final key for Economics, History, Commerce, Education and Hindi in compliance with orders of the Delhi High Court.
Are there official answer keys for the old Bureau papers?
Only for June 2012 to June 2014, on the Bureau's archive page. For other sessions no official key is online.
Which old papers are closest to today's Paper 1?
July 2018 and November 2017: 50 compulsory questions, five per unit, as in today's Paper 1. January 2017 had 60 questions of which candidates answered 50.
Can I calculate my score from the final key?
Yes, if you saved your question paper and responses during the challenge window: 2 marks for each match with the final key, plus 2 for each dropped question you attempted.
Practise it, don't just read it
Old papers show you the questions; timed practice shows you where you lose marks. Use a Bureau Paper I booklet once a week and the unit quizzes in between.
Nine UGC NET quizzes are live on ProSyllabus today, all on Paper 1: teaching aptitude, research types and methods, research aptitude, reading comprehension, syllogisms and fallacies, logical reasoning, mathematical reasoning, ICT, and the higher education system. There is no Paper 2 subject quiz yet.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts UGC-NET, or of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Always confirm on ugcnet.nta.nic.in and nta.ac.in.
More in this series
- UGC NET cut-offs by subject and category, every cycle since 2023
- UGC NET JRF vs Assistant Professor vs PhD only
- UGC NET pattern, marking, percentile and normalised marks
- UGC NET December 2026 dates and every past cycle's timeline
- UGC NET notice board — alerts and updates
- UGC NET exam day: time management and CBT
- UGC NET syllabus and a study plan
- CSIR NET: JRF vs Assistant Professor
Sources
- official — NTA — Final answer keys for UGC-NET December 2025, one PDF per subject (85)
- official — NTA — Final answer key for UGC-NET December 2025 in compliance with orders of the Delhi High Court, five subjects, "PUBLISHED ON 03.04.2026"
- official — NTA — Final answer key, UGC-NET June 2025, one PDF per subject (85)
- official — NTA — Final answer key, UGC-NET December 2024, one PDF per subject (84; none for Indian Culture)
- official — NTA — UGC-NET June 2024 final answer key (on which the result compiled)
- official — NTA — UGC NET December 2023 final answer keys
- official — NTA — UGC NET June 2023 final answer keys
- official — UGC-NET portal — archive page (2020 to 2023 keys, cut-offs and notices)
- official — NTA, 28.08.2026 — display of final answer keys of UGC-NET June 2026: candidates log in to view them
- official — NTA, 17.09.2026 — display of final answer keys for the three re-examined subjects (login)
- official — NTA, 14.01.2026 — provisional answer keys and question papers with recorded responses, December 2025 (log in, then "View Question Paper")
- official — NTA — Information Bulletin, UGC-NET June 2026 (as on 30.04.2026): pattern (s.2.2), marking (s.2.5), eligibility and age (ch.3), result procedure (s.6.3), normalisation (Appendices VIII and IX), subject codes (Appendix II)
- official — UGC NET Bureau — previous question papers, June 2009 to July 2018 (Paper I, II and III booklets by subject)
- official — UGC NET Bureau — archive of updated answer keys, June 2012 to June 2014
- official — UGC NET Bureau — syllabus page, all subjects ("Applicable from June 2019 UGC-NET Onwards")
- official — UGC NET Bureau — syllabus, General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude, Paper-I (code 00): ten units, "Five questions each carrying 2 marks are to be set from each Module"
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
