NTA revised exam calendar: JEE Main 2027 in January, CUET PG in March
By Kabir SethiEducation Correspondent, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: garten-gg / Pixabay
NTA's revised calendar, reported on October 27, 2026, sets tentative dates: UGC NET from December 14, JEE Main from January 20 and CUET PG in March 2027.
What Happened
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has put out a revised exam calendar for December 2026 to April 2027, setting tentative dates for UGC NET December 2026, JEE Main 2027 and CUET PG 2027, according to reports on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Under the calendar, JEE Main Session 1 is due on January 20 to 24 and January 28, 2027, Session 2 on April 2 to 7, 2027, and UGC NET from December 14 to 18 and on December 21, 2026. The dates are described as provisional, and students should check each exam's official notice on the NTA website before planning.
Key Facts
- UGC NET December 2026: December 14 to 18 and December 21, 2026; the exam has no negative marking.
- JEE Main 2027 Session 1: January 20 to 24 and January 28, 2027.
- JEE Main 2027 Session 2: April 2 to 7, 2027.
- CUET PG 2027: 17 exam days in March 2027 (March 2 to 5, 8, 9, 12, 15 to 19, 24, 25 and 29 to 31).
- The calendar is a revision of an earlier version and is described as tentative until NTA confirms each exam.
- NTA's earlier UGC NET bulletin, reported on October 19, revised the December exam's guidelines, including how questions marked for review are treated.
Why It Matters
For students, the calendar fixes the shape of the next six months. JEE Main is the gateway to the National Institutes of Technology and other centrally funded engineering colleges, and it is also the qualifying step for JEE Advanced, the exam for the Indian Institutes of Technology. Knowing that Session 1 falls in the last ten days of January lets Class 12 students plan revision around their school board exams, which in most states begin in February and March. Session 2 in early April gives a second attempt for those who want to improve their score.
CUET PG matters to graduates applying for master's programmes at central universities and many other institutions that use its scores. Its 17-day window in March 2027 means students in the final year of their degree will be sitting the test alongside their own semester exams, so early planning helps. UGC NET, held in December, decides eligibility for assistant professor posts and for junior research fellowships, which fund PhD study.
The main caution is the word provisional. Reports noted that the dates should not be treated as final until NTA confirms them in each exam's information bulletin. NTA has revised dates before: the UGC NET December 2026 schedule itself was changed earlier this month. Students should treat the calendar as a planning guide and register only through the official portals.
| Exam | Tentative dates |
|---|---|
| UGC NET December 2026 | December 14-18 and 21, 2026 |
| JEE Main 2027 Session 1 | January 20-24 and 28, 2027 |
| JEE Main 2027 Session 2 | April 2-7, 2027 |
| CUET PG 2027 | 17 days between March 2 and March 31, 2027 |
Impact
Short-term: Students can now plan study schedules, coaching and travel around these dates. Those taking both JEE Main and Class 12 boards can map their revision so the January session does not collide with school pre-board tests.
Long-term: A fixed calendar helps universities set admission timelines, and students who know the dates early can avoid last-minute clashes with semester exams or other entrance tests.
Who is affected: Class 12 students preparing for engineering entrance; final-year graduates applying for postgraduate courses through CUET PG; postgraduates seeking lecturer eligibility or research fellowships through UGC NET; coaching institutes and universities.
Key Takeaway
NTA's revised calendar puts JEE Main 2027 in late January and early April, CUET PG in March and UGC NET in mid-December, but the dates stay provisional until each official bulletin confirms them.
Questions and Answers
When is JEE Main 2027 according to the NTA revised exam calendar?
Session 1 is tentatively set for January 20 to 24 and January 28, 2027, and Session 2 for April 2 to 7, 2027. Students should confirm in the official JEE Main information bulletin.
When will CUET PG 2027 be held?
The calendar lists 17 exam days in March 2027: March 2 to 5, 8, 9, 12, 15 to 19, 24, 25 and 29 to 31.
What are the UGC NET December 2026 exam dates?
UGC NET is scheduled for December 14 to 18 and December 21, 2026, and the exam has no negative marking.
Are these dates final?
No. They are provisional. NTA confirms the final schedule, centres and admit cards for each exam separately, so students should check the official NTA websites before making plans.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Kabir Sethi, Education CorrespondentCovers Education and more for Peepals Yuva. All stories by Kabir Sethi
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Kabir Sethi is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
