NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27 Released: Check Proposed Exam Dates from December 2026 to March 2027

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released its Examination Calendar for the 2026–27 cycle, outlining the proposed schedule for examinations planned from December 2026 to March 2027.

The calendar provides proposed examination dates for a total of 14 examinations across four months — December 2026, January 2027, February 2027 and March 2027.

The schedule includes a range of examinations and entrance tests, including the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination, SWAYAM, Rashtriya Military Schools examination, UGC NET December Cycle, Joint CSIR UGC NET December Cycle, Army Cadets College examination, SHRESHTA (NETS), NIFT Entrance Examination, JEE (Main) Session 1, All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination, CMAT, NITTT examinations and CUET (PG).

According to the calendar, the proposed examinations are distributed across the four-month period, with five examinations listed for December 2026, five for January 2027, two for February 2027 and two for March 2027.

The NTA calendar also clearly states that the dates are tentative and may be changed because of administrative, academic, statutory, logistical or other unforeseen circumstances.

NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27

The newly released calendar covers examinations beginning in December 2026 and continuing through March 2027.

The first month in the schedule is December 2026, which includes five examinations. January 2027 also contains five examinations, while February and March 2027 each have two examinations listed.

The calendar gives the proposed date or dates for each examination along with its duration.

The complete schedule mentioned in the calendar is provided below.

December 2026 Examination Schedule

The NTA calendar lists five examinations for December 2026.

The first examination in the calendar is the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination. It is proposed to be conducted on 6 December 2026 and has a duration of one day.

The second examination is SWAYAM, for which the proposed examination period is from 8 to 12 December 2026. The listed duration for this examination is five days.

The third examination is for Rashtriya Military Schools. According to the calendar, it is proposed for 13 December 2026, with a duration of one day.

The fourth examination scheduled in December is the UGC NET (December Cycle). The proposed examination dates are 14 to 19 December 2026. The calendar also mentions 20 and 21 December 2026 as buffer dates. The listed duration is six days.

The fifth examination is the Joint CSIR UGC NET (December Cycle). It is proposed to take place on 20 and 21 December 2026, with a duration of two days.

December 2026: Complete List

1. Rashtriya Indian Military College — 6 December 2026 — 1 day
2. SWAYAM — 8–12 December 2026 — 5 days
3. Rashtriya Military Schools — 13 December 2026 — 1 day
4. UGC NET (December Cycle) — 14–19 December 2026 — 6 days; buffer dates: 20–21 December 2026
5. Joint CSIR UGC NET (December Cycle) — 20–21 December 2026 — 2 days

The December schedule therefore marks the beginning of the NTA’s 2026–27 examination calendar.

January 2027 Examination Schedule

The calendar moves into January 2027 with another five examinations.

The first examination listed for January is the Army Cadets College examination. It is proposed for 4 January 2027 and is scheduled for one day.

The second examination is SHRESHTA (NETS) — Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas. The proposed date shown in the calendar is 10 January 2027, with a duration of one day.

The NIFT Entrance Examination is also scheduled for 10 January 2027. The calendar lists its duration as one day.

The fourth examination in January is JEE (Main) — Session 1 (January). The proposed examination dates are 22–24 January and 28–30 January 2027. The calendar lists 31 January 2027 as a buffer date. The duration mentioned for the examination is six days.

The fifth examination for January is the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination, proposed for 31 January 2027, with a duration of one day.

January 2027: Complete List

1. Army Cadets College — 4 January 2027 — 1 day
2. SHRESHTA (NETS) — Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas — 10 January 2027 — 1 day
3. NIFT Entrance Examination — 10 January 2027 — 1 day
4. JEE (Main) — Session 1 (January) — 22–24 and 28–30 January 2027 — 6 days; buffer date: 31 January 2027
5. All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination — 31 January 2027 — 1 day

January therefore contains another five examinations, bringing the total number of examinations listed in the December 2026–January 2027 portion of the calendar to ten.

February 2027 Examination Schedule

The NTA calendar lists two examinations for February 2027.

The first is the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT). According to the proposed schedule, CMAT is set for 7 February 2027. The duration listed is one day.

The second examination is NITTT — National Initiative for Technical Teachers Training (Part 1). It is proposed for 26 and 27 February 2027, with a duration of two days.

February 2027: Complete List

1. Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) — 7 February 2027 — 1 day
2. NITTT — National Initiative for Technical Teachers Training (Part 1) — 26–27 February 2027 — 2 days

With these two examinations, the NTA’s proposed calendar continues into the final two months of the announced December 2026 to March 2027 cycle.

March 2027 Examination Schedule

The calendar concludes with two examinations in March 2027.

The first is CUET (PG) — Common University Entrance Test (Post-Graduate). The proposed examination dates are 1–5, 8, 12–20 and 24–25 March 2027. The calendar lists a total duration of 17 days and identifies 30 and 31 March 2027 as buffer dates.

The second March examination is NITTT (Part 2). It is proposed to be conducted on 5 and 7 March 2027, with a listed duration of two days.

March 2027: Complete List

1. CUET (PG) — Common University Entrance Test (Post-Graduate) — 1–5, 8, 12–20 and 24–25 March 2027 — 17 days; buffer dates: 30–31 March 2027
2. NITTT (Part 2) — 5 and 7 March 2027 — 2 days

March marks the final month covered by the examination calendar.

Full NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27

For candidates looking for the complete proposed schedule in one place, the NTA calendar lists the following examinations:

The calendar additionally specifies buffer dates for certain examinations. For UGC NET (December Cycle), 20 and 21 December 2026 are identified as buffer dates. For JEE (Main) — Session 1, 31 January 2027 is listed as a buffer date. For CUET (PG), 30 and 31 March 2027 are mentioned as buffer dates.

Five Examinations Proposed for December 2026

December 2026 begins the examination calendar with five scheduled examinations.

The Rashtriya Indian Military College examination is proposed for 6 December. This is followed by SWAYAM, scheduled across 8–12 December.

The Rashtriya Military Schools examination is proposed for 13 December.

The UGC NET December Cycle follows from 14 to 19 December, with 20 and 21 December marked as buffer dates.

The month concludes with the Joint CSIR UGC NET December Cycle, proposed for 20 and 21 December.

The calendar therefore places the UGC NET and Joint CSIR UGC NET examinations in the latter part of December.

Five Examinations Proposed for January 2027

January 2027 also contains five examinations.

The month begins with the Army Cadets College examination on 4 January.

On 10 January, both SHRESHTA (NETS) and the NIFT Entrance Examination are listed.

The JEE (Main) Session 1 (January) is proposed for 22–24 January and 28–30 January, while 31 January is identified as a buffer date.

The month ends with the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination, proposed for 31 January.

The January schedule consequently includes examinations associated with different academic and entrance-test categories.

Two Examinations Listed for February 2027

The number of examinations decreases in February.

The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is proposed for 7 February 2027.

Later in the month, NITTT Part 1 is scheduled for 26 and 27 February 2027.

The calendar lists a one-day duration for CMAT and a two-day duration for NITTT Part 1.

Two Examinations Listed for March 2027

The final month of the announced calendar is March 2027.

The CUET (PG) examination has multiple proposed examination dates during the month. These are listed as 1–5, 8, 12–20 and 24–25 March 2027. The calendar gives a duration of 17 days and identifies 30 and 31 March as buffer dates.

The final examination in the calendar is NITTT Part 2, proposed for 5 and 7 March 2027.

JEE Main Session 1 Proposed for January 2027

Among the examinations included in the calendar is JEE (Main) — Session 1 (January).

The proposed examination dates are spread across two blocks: 22–24 January 2027 and 28–30 January 2027.

The NTA calendar lists the examination duration as six days and identifies 31 January 2027 as a buffer date.

The schedule presented in the calendar is specifically described as proposed, meaning the dates shown are not presented as permanently fixed in the calendar itself.

UGC NET December Cycle Schedule

The UGC NET (December Cycle) is scheduled in the December section of the calendar.

The proposed examination dates are 14 to 19 December 2026, covering six days.

The calendar also mentions 20 and 21 December 2026 as buffer dates.

The listed duration for UGC NET in the calendar is six days.

The Joint CSIR UGC NET (December Cycle) is separately listed for 20 and 21 December 2026, with a two-day duration.

CUET PG Schedule for March 2027

The CUET (PG) — Common University Entrance Test (Post-Graduate) is the examination with the longest listed duration in the March section.

The proposed dates shown in the calendar are:

• 1–5 March 2027
• 8 March 2027
• 12–20 March 2027
• 24–25 March 2027

The calendar lists the duration as 17 days.

It also identifies 30 and 31 March 2027 as buffer dates.

The examination is listed under its full name, CUET (PG) — Common University Entrance Test (Post-Graduate).

NITTT Examination Schedule

The NTA calendar contains two parts of the NITTT — National Initiative for Technical Teachers Training examination.

NITTT (Part 1) is proposed for 26–27 February 2027, with a two-day duration.

NITTT (Part 2) is proposed for 5 and 7 March 2027, also with a two-day duration.

Both examinations appear separately in the February and March portions of the calendar.

CMAT Proposed Date

The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is included among the examinations proposed for February 2027.

According to the calendar, the proposed date for CMAT is 7 February 2027.

The examination has a listed duration of one day.

CMAT appears as the first of the two examinations listed under February 2027.

NIFT Entrance Examination Date

The NIFT Entrance Examination is included in the January 2027 examination schedule.

The proposed date shown in the NTA calendar is 10 January 2027, and the listed duration is one day.

It appears on the same date as the proposed SHRESHTA (NETS) examination.

SHRESHTA (NETS) Schedule

The calendar lists SHRESHTA (NETS) — Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas among the January 2027 examinations.

Its proposed examination date is 10 January 2027, with a duration of one day.

The examination is listed as the seventh entry in the overall calendar.

All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination

The All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination is scheduled in the January 2027 section.

The proposed date is 31 January 2027, and the calendar gives a duration of one day.

It is the fifth examination listed for January and the tenth examination in the complete December 2026 to March 2027 calendar.

Rashtriya Military Schools Examination

The Rashtriya Military Schools examination is listed for December 2026.

The proposed date is 13 December 2026, with a duration of one day.

It follows the SWAYAM examination, which is proposed for 8–12 December 2026.

Rashtriya Indian Military College Examination

The NTA calendar begins with the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination.

The proposed date is 6 December 2026.

The examination has a listed duration of one day.

This examination is the first entry in the December 2026 section and the first examination in the complete calendar.

Army Cadets College Examination

The Army Cadets College examination is the first examination listed for January 2027.

According to the proposed calendar, it will be held on 4 January 2027.

The listed duration is one day.

It is the sixth examination in the overall calendar.

SWAYAM Examination

The SWAYAM examination is scheduled in December 2026.

The proposed examination period is 8 to 12 December 2026, with a duration of five days.

It is the second examination in the December section and the second examination in the complete NTA calendar.

Tentative Nature of the NTA Calendar

A key point highlighted in the examination calendar is that the dates are tentative.

The note accompanying the calendar states that the dates may undergo changes because of administrative, academic, statutory, logistical or other unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, the dates displayed in the calendar are proposed dates rather than an indication that every date is permanently fixed.

The calendar itself carries this qualification, making it important for candidates and other stakeholders to treat the listed schedule as tentative.

Buffer Dates Mentioned in the Calendar

The NTA schedule specifically identifies buffer dates for selected examinations.

For UGC NET (December Cycle), the proposed examination dates are 14–19 December 2026, while 20–21 December 2026 are listed as buffer dates.

For JEE (Main) — Session 1 (January), the proposed examination dates are 22–24 and 28–30 January 2027, with 31 January 2027 shown as a buffer date.

For CUET (PG), the proposed examination dates are 1–5, 8, 12–20 and 24–25 March 2027, while 30–31 March 2027 are identified as buffer dates.

These buffer dates are explicitly shown in the calendar alongside the relevant examination schedules.

Month-Wise Distribution of Examinations

The proposed NTA examination calendar is divided into four months.

December 2026: 5 examinations

January 2027: 5 examinations

February 2027: 2 examinations

March 2027: 2 examinations

This gives a total of 14 examinations across the four-month calendar.

The month-wise arrangement allows the complete schedule to be viewed according to the examination month and the proposed dates listed for each test.

What the NTA Calendar Contains

The examination calendar provides four main pieces of information for the examinations listed.

First, it gives the serial number of each examination.

Second, it provides the name of the examination.

Third, it gives the proposed date or dates.

Fourth, it specifies the duration associated with the examination.

For selected examinations, the calendar also separately mentions buffer dates.

The calendar is titled “Examination Calendar | December 2026 Cycle onwards” and is presented for the 2026–27 cycle.

NTA Calendar Covers December 2026 to March 2027

The proposed schedule begins with the first examination on 6 December 2026 and continues through March 2027.

The final examination listed is NITTT (Part 2), proposed for 5 and 7 March 2027.

The calendar therefore provides a four-month examination schedule covering the period from December 2026 through March 2027.

Within this period, candidates can see the proposed dates for examinations ranging from military-school and entrance examinations to UGC NET, JEE (Main), CMAT, CUET (PG) and NITTT.

Important Dates at a Glance

Some of the key dates mentioned in the proposed calendar include 6 December 2026 for the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination, 8–12 December 2026 for SWAYAM, and 13 December 2026 for Rashtriya Military Schools.

The UGC NET December Cycle is proposed for 14–19 December 2026, followed by the Joint CSIR UGC NET December Cycle on 20–21 December 2026.

In January, the Army Cadets College examination is proposed for 4 January, while both SHRESHTA (NETS) and the NIFT Entrance Examination are listed for 10 January.

The JEE (Main) Session 1 is proposed for 22–24 and 28–30 January, followed by the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination on 31 January.

In February, CMAT is scheduled for 7 February and NITTT Part 1 for 26–27 February.

March includes the proposed CUET (PG) dates and NITTT Part 2 on 5 and 7 March.

Candidates Can Check the Proposed Schedule

The release of the examination calendar provides candidates with a consolidated view of the proposed NTA examination schedule for the period covered.

Students and examination aspirants can use the listed dates to keep track of the examinations relevant to them and to plan their preparation around the proposed schedule.

However, because the NTA has explicitly described the dates as tentative, the calendar should be read together with the note regarding possible changes.

The proposed dates may be affected by administrative, academic, statutory, logistical or other unforeseen circumstances, as stated in the calendar.

Official NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27

The National Testing Agency’s examination calendar for the December 2026 cycle onwards lists 14 examinations between December 2026 and March 2027.

The schedule is:

December 2026

• Rashtriya Indian Military College — 6 December 2026
• SWAYAM — 8–12 December 2026
• Rashtriya Military Schools — 13 December 2026
• UGC NET (December Cycle) — 14–19 December 2026
• Joint CSIR UGC NET (December Cycle) — 20–21 December 2026

January 2027

• Army Cadets College — 4 January 2027
• SHRESHTA (NETS) — 10 January 2027
• NIFT Entrance Examination — 10 January 2027
• JEE (Main) — Session 1 (January) — 22–24 and 28–30 January 2027
• All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination — 31 January 2027

February 2027

• Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) — 7 February 2027
• NITTT — National Initiative for Technical Teachers Training (Part 1) — 26–27 February 2027

March 2027

• CUET (PG) — Common University Entrance Test (Post-Graduate) — 1–5, 8, 12–20 and 24–25 March 2027
• NITTT (Part 2) — 5 and 7 March 2027

Important Note on Proposed Dates

Candidates should pay particular attention to the wording used in the calendar.

The NTA has described the dates as tentative and stated that they may be changed due to administrative, academic, statutory, logistical or other unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, the proposed dates in this calendar should not be treated as permanently fixed dates without reference to subsequent official notifications.

The calendar itself serves as the proposed schedule for the examinations covered from December 2026 onwards, while the note attached to it makes clear that changes may occur.

Conclusion

The NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27 provides the proposed schedule for 14 examinations from December 2026 to March 2027.

The December 2026 section contains five examinations, including the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination, SWAYAM, Rashtriya Military Schools, UGC NET December Cycle and Joint CSIR UGC NET December Cycle.

January 2027 also includes five examinations, covering the Army Cadets College examination, SHRESHTA (NETS), NIFT Entrance Examination, JEE (Main) Session 1 and the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination.

February 2027 lists CMAT and NITTT Part 1, while March 2027 includes CUET (PG) and NITTT Part 2.

The calendar provides proposed dates and durations for each examination and separately identifies buffer dates for UGC NET, JEE (Main) Session 1 and CUET (PG).

Candidates should also note the NTA’s official caution that the dates are tentative and may undergo changes due to administrative, academic, statutory, logistical or other unforeseen circumstances.

As listed in the examination calendar, the proposed schedule begins on 6 December 2026 with the Rashtriya Indian Military College examination and extends through March 2027, concluding with the proposed NITTT (Part 2) examination dates of 5 and 7 March 2027.