The National Testing Agency (NTA) has responded to concerns from UGC-NET 2026 candidates over the answer key challenge mechanism and the fee charged for raising objections. The agency said the process is intended to ensure that valid corrections are applied fairly across all candidates who took the examination.
In a post shared on X on Thursday, NTA explained that when a candidate's challenge is accepted following review by a subject expert, the corrected answer key will apply to everyone who appeared for the examination.
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The agency also addressed concerns over the Rs 200 charge for submitting an answer key challenge. According to NTA, the amount will be returned when the objection raised by a candidate is determined to be valid.
NTA Explains Rs 200 Answer Key Challenge Fee
NTA said the challenge fee is not intended as a source of revenue and explained its purpose in the clarification.
"The fee exists to discourage frivolous challenges, not to profit from genuine ones," the NTA said.
The agency further stated that a valid objection accepted by the subject expert can lead to a correction in the answer key for all candidates who appeared for the examination.
This means candidates whose challenges are upheld can contribute to a correction that applies across the examination rather than receiving an individual benefit alone.
UGC NET 2026 English, Commerce, Sociology Papers to Be Re-Conducted
Separately, NTA has decided to conduct the UGC-NET papers for English, Commerce and Sociology again. The decision followed the findings of a committee constituted by the agency, which identified multiple errors in the question papers.
The re-examination comes at a time when the agency is facing criticism over the conduct of competitive examinations. Student organisations, including the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students' Association (AISA), have also staged protests.
Re-Test to Be Held Without Additional Fee
Sources said the corrections were being undertaken "in the overall interest of candidates" and were aimed at strengthening accountability within the examination system.
Candidates appearing for the re-test will not have to pay an additional examination fee. Sources also clarified that the number of qualifying candidates and subject-wise allocations for English, Commerce and Sociology will not be reduced because of the re-test.
"The re-test is being held at no additional fee, and the number of qualifying candidates and the subject-wise allocations for those subjects will not be reduced on account of the re-test," sources said.
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NTA Reviews Question Paper Preparation Process
Following the issues identified in the affected papers, the agency is reviewing procedures involved in preparing examination question papers.
According to sources, the review covers multiple stages, including question setting, moderation, translation, and composition. NTA is also examining ways to establish responsibility for the lapses that occurred.
The developments come as the agency seeks to strengthen its examination procedures while addressing concerns raised by candidates and student groups. The clarification on the answer key challenge process also establishes that an accepted objection can result in a revised answer key being applied to all candidates who appeared for the examination.
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