CSIR UGC NET December 2025 Provisional Answer Key Released
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the provisional answer key for the CSIR UGC NET December 2025 examination. Candidates who appeared for the test can now access both the answer key and their individual response sheets through the official examination portal. It is important to note that the currently available answer key is provisional in nature, and the NTA has provided a window for candidates to raise objections if they find discrepancies in any of the answers.
Examination Overview and Candidate Participation
The CSIR UGC NET December 2025 examination was conducted on 18 December 2025, spanning two separate shifts throughout the day. The first shift ran from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while the second shift was scheduled from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A total of 2,12,552 candidates registered and participated in this competitive examination, which serves as a gateway for junior research fellowship and assistant professor positions in Indian universities and colleges.
Along with the provisional answer key, the NTA has also made available the recorded responses of every candidate who took the exam. This allows test-takers to cross-verify their marked answers against the official key and calculate their expected scores before the final results are announced.
Objection Submission Process and Deadline
Candidates who disagree with any of the answers listed in the provisional key have the opportunity to challenge them. The objection window remains open until 11:00 PM on 1 January 2026. To file an objection, candidates must pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹200 per question challenged. The NTA will review all submitted objections with the help of subject matter experts before finalizing the answer key. Only after this thorough review process will the final answer key be published, which will then be used for calculating the results.
Marking Scheme for CSIR UGC NET December 2025
The CSIR UGC NET examination follows a section-wise marking pattern, with different weightage assigned to each part of the question paper. Understanding this scheme is essential for candidates who wish to estimate their probable scores while awaiting the final results.
Part A: General Aptitude
- Each correct answer carries 2 marks
- Negative marking of 25% applies to incorrect responses
Part B: Subject-Specific Questions
- Each question carries between 3 and 3.5 marks
- Negative marking of 25% applies to incorrect responses
Part C: Advanced Questions
- Each question carries between 4 and 5 marks
- No negative marking is applied in this section
Step-by-Step Guide to Download the Answer Key
Candidates can easily access their answer key and response sheet by following a straightforward process on the official NTA website. The download procedure has been designed to be user-friendly and requires only basic login credentials.
- Navigate to the official examination portal for CSIR NET
- Locate and click on the link designated for displaying provisional answer keys, question papers, and recorded responses
- Enter your application number, date of birth, and the security pin displayed on screen
- Click the submit button to proceed
- Download the answer key and response sheet, which will be available in PDF format
Candidates are advised to review their response sheets carefully and compare them with the provisional answer key. Any objections must be submitted within the specified deadline, as late submissions will not be entertained under any circumstances. The NTA has emphasized that the final answer key will be prepared only after a comprehensive evaluation of all challenges received during the objection window.
