The National Testing Agency (NTA) has taken a significant step in the CSIR NET December 2025 examination process by releasing the provisional answer key. Candidates who appeared for the crucial Joint CSIR-UGC NET exam on December 18, 2025, can now access and review their expected scores. The key was published on the official portal, csirnet.nta.nic.in, on December 30, 2025.
How to Access and Challenge the Provisional Answer Key
To download the provisional answer key and their individual response sheets, candidates must visit the official website. They will need to log in using their unique application ID and date of birth. This allows aspirants to compare their marked responses with the official answers provided by the NTA.
For those who find discrepancies or disagree with the provisional answers, the NTA has provided a window to raise objections. However, this opportunity is time-sensitive. The objection window will close on January 1, 2026. It is imperative for candidates to act quickly if they wish to file a challenge.
Procedure and Fee for Raising Objections
Challenging an answer is not free. Candidates must pay a non-refundable fee of Rs. 200 for each question they wish to dispute. The payment can be made exclusively through online methods including Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. The NTA has made it clear that no challenge will be entertained without the successful payment of this fee, and objections sent via email or post will not be considered.
All submitted challenges will be reviewed by a dedicated panel of subject matter experts. If an objection is found to be valid, the answer key will be revised accordingly. Importantly, any such correction will be applied uniformly to the evaluation of all candidates who attempted that question, ensuring fairness.
Next Steps and Important Dates
After the objection window closes on January 1, 2026, the NTA will begin the meticulous process of analyzing all received challenges. Following this review, the agency will prepare and publish the final answer key. The declaration of the CSIR NET December 2025 results is contingent on this process and will be announced at a later date.
Here is a quick summary of the critical timeline for candidates:
- CSIR NET December 2025 Exam: Held on December 18, 2025.
- Provisional Answer Key Release: December 30, 2025.
- Objection Window: Open from December 30, 2025, to January 1, 2026.
- Final Answer Key & Result: To be announced after the objection process.
Candidates are strongly advised to monitor the official NTA CSIR NET website, csirnet.nta.nic.in, regularly for the latest updates regarding the final answer key and result announcement. This proactive approach will ensure they do not miss any crucial notifications in the final stages of this competitive examination.
