IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 will be conducted by National Testing Agency at the National level. The application form last date has been extended until 31 December 2023. The exam will be held on 16 January 2022. The entrance exam is conducted once a year for admission to doctoral programmes. Indira Gandhi National Open University, largest university in the world offers high-quality education through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode. It offers UG, PG, Certificates and Diploma courses in various fields. Along with that, it also offers PhD under two categories: Part-time and Full time. Candidates seeking admission in PhD programme at IGNOU can go through the other relevant details below in the article.
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IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 Latest Update as on 03 Sep 2026
Contains
Checked on 03 Sep 2026
As of 03 September 2026, IGNOU has not released any official notification for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027.
| Exam | IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 |
|---|---|
| Status | Official notification for IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 expected around October–November 2026 (based on previous-year patterns) |
| Next expected | Application form (registration) expected to open around November 2026 (last cycle opened in a similar window) |
| Official website | ignou.ac.in |
| Last verified | 03 Sep 2026 |
As of 03 September 2026, IGNOU has not released any official notification for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027. No application form, exam date, or schedule has been officially announced by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The current academic cycle appears to be in a pre-notification stage. Based on previous-year patterns, the official notification is typically released around October–November, with the application window opening shortly thereafter. The entrance test (PHDENT) has historically been scheduled for early in the calendar year, suggesting a likely exam window of February–March 2027. Students aspiring to apply are advised to regularly monitor the official IGNOU portal at ignou.ac.in for any fresh announcements and to keep their academic documents ready. No confirmed changes to eligibility, pattern, or syllabus have been announced for this cycle.
- Official notification for IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 expected around October–November 2026 (based on previous-year patterns)
- Application form (registration) expected to open around November 2026 (last cycle opened in a similar window)
- Last date to submit the application form tentatively expected in December 2026 or January 2027 (unconfirmed)
- Admit card release expected approximately 2–3 weeks before the exam date (based on past cycles)
- IGNOU PhD Entrance Test (PHDENT) 2027 likely to be conducted in February–March 2027 (tentative, based on previous-year scheduling)
- Result and merit list declaration expected within 4–6 weeks after the exam (estimated, not officially confirmed)
Sources: IGNOU Official Website
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Status
The last date to apply for IGNOU PhD Admission 2024-25 is December 25, 2023. The entrance exam for the IGNOU PhD course will be conducted on January 8, 2024.
| Exam Notification | Announced |
| Application form | Extended |
| Brochure pdf | Release |
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Dates
National testing Agency (NTA) is responsible for conducting entrance exam to grant admission to the PhD course in IGNOU.
| Events | Important Dates(Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Relasing of online application form | Started |
| Last date for submission of online Application form | 30 December 2023 |
| Date for opening the Correction Window | 01 to 03 January 2022 |
| Date of Entrance test | 16 January 2022 |
| Date of Result | February 2022 |
| Date of Interview | February 2022 |
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam
Major Changes This Year
No major change has been officially announced yet for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027. There is no confirmed update regarding exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, application fee, or exam mode. Based on the previous cycle, the exam was conducted as a written/computer-based test with subject-specific and research aptitude components. Any structural or policy change would be announced via the official IGNOU notification. Students are advised to treat the 2026 cycle's pattern and eligibility as a tentative reference until the 2027 official notification is published.
The entrance exam will be a 100-question, multiple-choice, objective-type exam. The exam will be divided into two sections:
- Section 1: Research Methodology (50 questions)
- Section 2: Subject-specific (50 questions)
The exam will be conducted in two languages, Hindi and English. The duration of the exam will be three hours.
- The minimum qualifying marks for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam are 50% for general category candidates and 45% for reserved category candidates.
- The merit list for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam will be prepared on the basis of the candidate’s scores in the exam. The candidates with the highest scores will be ranked at the top of the merit list.
- The seat allotment for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam will be done through a centralized counseling process.
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Application Form
The details regarding the application form of IGNOU PHD Admission exam are given below:
- IGNOU PhD application form has been released on the official website of the NTA
- The application has been released in online mode.
- Candidates can fill the application form through the official website.
- Candidates are advised to fill the details as per the guidelines in the application form.
- Moreover, keep a copy of the filled application form for further use.
- The application form for the IGNOU PhD program can be filled out online at the IGNOU website: https://ignouphd.samarth.edu.in/
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Application Fee
To complete the application process, candidates have to pay the application fee also, which is non-refundable. Check the category-wise application fee for admission in PhD programme below:
| Category | Amount |
| General/ OBC | Rs. 1000/- |
| SC/ ST/ EWS | Rs. 800/- |
Note: The application fee once paid would not be refunded under any circumstances.
- Mode of Payment: Candidates can pay the application fee through online mode via:
- Debit Card
- Credit Card
- Net Banking
How to Apply for IGNOU PhD Entrance Test 2024?
Candidates can apply for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Test by following the below-given steps:
- Visit the NTA’s official website (ignouexams.nta.nic.in) and click on the “Application Form for IGNOU PHD-2024” tab.
- After the click, the registration section will open where candidates have to click on the “New Registration” tab to begin with the registration process.
- Now, after registration is complete fill the application form very carefully without any spelling mistakes.
- Once the application form is filled, candidates need to upload the recent scanned photograph (passport size) and digital signature in a prescribed format.
- Scanned Photograph – Less than 200 KB
- Signature – Less than 30 KB
- After uploading, review the application form before final submission.
- Now, pay the requisite application fee through Online Payment Gateway via Debit/ Credit Card, Net Banking and ATM Card.
- After successful payment, candidates will receive a confirmation Mail or SMS.
- Candidates must note down their application number as it will be required to login the PhD entrance portal for downloading admit card and result in future.
Note: No documents need to be submitted while filling online application form as all original documents have to produce at the time of the Interview taken by the University.
Documents Specifications
The details regaridng the format and size of the uploading documents are given below:
| Documents | Size | Format |
| Photograph | 10 – 200 KB | JPG/ JPEG |
| Scanned Signature | 4 – 30 KB | JPG/ JPEG |
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must ensure their eligibility before applying for the admission into PhD programme at IGNOU. Therefore, the specific eligibility criteria for each specialization is mentioned in a table below:
| School | Specialisation | Vacancies | Eligibility Criteria |
|
School of Social Sciences (SOSS) | Anthropology (PHDAN) | 12 | Post-Graduation in Anthropology and Allied fields. |
| Economics (PHDEC) | 7 | Master’s Degree or M.Phil. Degree in Economics. | |
| Library & Information Science (PHDLIS) | 9 | Master’s Degree and/or M.Phil. Degree in Library and Information Science. | |
| Political Science (PHDPS) | 3 | Master’s Degree and/or M.Phil. Degree in Political Science or allied disciplines. | |
| Psychology (PHDPC) | 17 | Master’s Degree and/or M.Phil. Degree in Psychology. | |
| Public Administration (PHDPA) | 16 | Master’s Degree and/or M Phil Degree in Public Administration. | |
| Sociology (PHDSOC) | 14 | Master’s Degree and/or M.Phil. Degree in Sociology or allied disciplines. | |
|
School of Sciences (SOS) | Bio Chemistry (PHDBC) | 10 | Master’s Degree from a recognized university or any other qualification recognized as equivalent thereto in Biochemistry/ allied subjects. |
| Chemistry (PHDCHEM) | 11 | M.Sc. Chemistry from any recognized University/other qualification recognized as equivalent thereto in such fields of study as are notified for the purpose from time to time by the University. | |
| Geography (PHDGEOG) | 15 | M.A./M.Sc. in Geography, Earth Systems Science and Relevant Discipline of Geospatial Technology”. | |
| Geology (PHDGY) | 4 | Post-Graduation in Geology or Geological Science or Applied Geology or Geo-Exploration or Mineral Exploration or Engineering Geology or Marine Geology or Earth Science and Resource Management or Petroleum Geosciences or Petroleum Exploration or Geochemistry or Geophysics or Hydrogeology or Geomatics or Geoinformatics or Remote Sensing and GIS from any recognized University. | |
| Statistics (PHDSTAT) | 12 | Master Degree in Statistics / Applied Statistics. Available Research Area: Estimation and Sampling Techniques, Reliability Modelling, Statistical Inference. | |
|
School of Continuing Education (SOCE) | Food & Nutritional Science (PHDFN) | 5 | A Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) in Food and Nutrition / Dietetics / Public Health Nutrition or an equivalent grade from a recognized institution with UGC-NET qualified. |
| Home Science (PHDHC) | 4 | M.Sc. in Home Science with a specialization in Community Resource Management and Extension / Family and Community Resource Management / Development Communication and Extension / Resource management and Design Applications/ Extension / Extension Education and Communication / M.Sc. Home Science (General). | |
|
School of Management Studies (SOMS) | Commerce (PHDCOM) | 7 | Master Degree in Commerce or any other allied discipline from any recognized University/Institute of higher learning. |
| Management (PHDMGMT) | 5 | Master’s Degree and/or M. Phil. Degree in Management Studies or in allied disciplines.
The seats are available in Financial Management, Operations Management, Human Resource Management and Marketing Management. | |
| School of Education (SOE) | Education (PHDES) | 20 | MA(Education) or M.Ed. |
| School of Gender & Development Studies (SOGDS) | Gender & Development Studies (PHDGDS) | 12 | Master’s degree in Gender Studies or Gender & Development Studies with 55% OR Master’s degree in other streams with one or two courses in the area of Gender Studies or Gender & Development Studies and/or with demonstrable evidence of teaching and / or research and publications in the area of Gender Studies or Gender & Development Studies. |
| School of Journalism & Mass Communication (SOJNMS) | Journalism & Mass Communications (PHDJMC) | 7 | Master Degree in Communication or related disciplines (Social Sciences and Humanities with demonstrated interest in the Communication and Media Research). |
| School of
Agriculture (SOA) | Dairy Science &
Technology (PHDDR) | 4 | Master’s Degree in Dairy Science (Dairy Technology, Dairy Chemistry, Dairy Microbiology, Dairy Engineering), Food Science/ Food Technology, M.V.Sc. (Animal products technology / Livestock Products Technology / Dairy Science), M.Sc. Agriculture (Dairy Science / Dairy Technology), M.Sc. (Agriculture / Processing and Food Engineering) with B.Tech. in Dairy Technology. |
| School of Extension & Development Studies (SOEDS) | Development Studies (PHDDV) | 18 | Masters in Development Studies, Extension Education, Economics, Sociology, and Political Science. |
| School of
Computer & Information Science (SOCIS) | Computer Science (PHDCS) | 5 | Possesses BE/BTech in Computer Science / IT or Master of Computer Applications (MCA) or M.Sc. in Computer Science / IT with at least 55% marks [50% marks in the case of SC, ST, OBC (Non-creamy Layer) and Differently Abled and other categories of candidates as per the decision of UGC from time to time, or for those who had obtained their Master’s Degree prior to 19th September, 1991]excluding grace mark. |
| School of Law (SOL) | Law (PHDLE) | 4 | Master’s Degree in Law from a University recognized by UGC or any other qualification recognized as equivalent thereto in the field of law as notified for the purpose from time to time by the University. |
| School of Health Sciences (SOHS) | Nursing (PHDNS) | 3 | Master’s Degree and/or M.Phil. Degree in Nursing. |
| School of Social Work (SOSW) | Social Work (PHDSW) | 11 | MA in Social Work / MSW Degree from a University recognized
by UGC. |
| School of
Translation Studies (SOTST) | Translation Studies (PHDTT) | 3 | Post- Graduate Degree in Translation Studies or allied Subjects viz., Literature, Linguistics. |
| School of
Vocational Education and Training (SOVET) | Vocational Education
and Training (PHDVE) | 8 | Master’s Degree in Economics, Commerce, Management,
Education, Agriculture Extension or Extension Education, Environmental Sciences. |
| School of
Foreign Languages (SOFL) | French (PHDFL) | 2 | MA/MPhil in French from an Indian or Foreign University. |
IGNOU PhD Entrance Test 2024 Question Pattern
The complete exam pattern of IGNOU PhD Entrance Test is given below:
| Exam Mode | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (Objective Type) |
| Number of Questions | 100 |
| Medium | English |
| Negative Marking | No marks will be deducted for wrong answer. |
Note: The question paper shall consist 50% questions on research methodology and 50% questions on specific subject.
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Answer Key
NTA has released the Question paper along with draft answer key. Candidates have the option to challenge the answer key on the official website. Candidates are advised to save the question paper and answer responses for future responses. The procedure for the challenge of Answer Key provided below. Candidates are required to pay online a sum of Rs. 200/- (one thousand only) as processing fee for each question challenged.
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Result
National Testing Agency (NTA) the exam conducting body will release the entrance test result on official website. Candidates should login to the official website and check the IGNOU PhD 2020 result. The candidates securing minimum qualifying marks will be considered in merit list. Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) course is strictly based on merit. Qualified candidates will be called for interview/ presentation round.
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Selection Process
Admission to the PhD programme will be done on merit, based on the performance in the Entrance Test and Interview/ Viva. IGNOU admission process includes two rounds – Entrance Exam and Interview. Check the weightage provided to both the rounds:
- IGNOU PhD Entrance Examination – 70%
- Interview – 30%
Entrance Exam
- IGNOU PhD Entrance Test will be conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency) at national level.
- Admit card for the test will also be displayed on the NTA’s official website. Candidates need to download and print the same to appear for the examination.
- Along with the admit card, candidates have to bring an original identity proof having photograph such as: Aadhar Card, Voter ID Card, Driving License, Passport and ID Card issued by Government Agencies.
Interview/ Presentation
- Candidates shortlisted based on performance in entrance test will be called for interview before the Discipline specific Doctoral Research Committee.
- Only selected candidates will get the offer letter.
- If candidates called for Interview does not mean that they can claim for admission. The Doctoral Research Committee may not recommend a candidate if the discipline does not have the specialization in which he/she wants to carry out research.
Qualifying Marks for IGNOU PhD Entrance Test 2022 – Candidates have to secure at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/OBC (Non-Creamy layers) / Differently abled candidates) to qualify the IGNOU PhD Entrance Test.
IGNOU PhD 2024 Exam Centres
While Applying for Entrance Examination, candidates need to choose 3 exam center as per their preference. Find the list of exam center below:
| Centre Code | Centre Name | Centre Code | Centre Name |
| AP04 | Chirala | AP07 | Guntur |
| AP09 | Kakinada | AP10 | Kurnool |
| AP11 | Nellore | AP13 | Rajahmundry |
| AP16 | Tirupathi | AP17 | Vijayawada |
| AP18 | Visakhapatnam | AP19 | Vizianagaram |
| AL01 | Itanagar | AM01 | Dibrugarh |
| AM02 | Assam | AM03 | Jorhat |
| AM04 | Silchar | AM05 | Tezpur |
| BR09 | Arrah | BR02 | Bhagalpur |
| BR04 | Darbhanga | BR06 | Muzaffarpur |
| BR07 | Patna | BR08 | Purnea |
| CH01 | Chandigarh/Mohali | CG01 | Bhilai Nagar |
| HP01 | Bilaspur | CG03 | Raipur |
| DL01 | Delhi/New Delhi | HR03 | Faridabad |
| UP07 | Ghaziabad | UP09 | Greater Noida/Noida |
| HR04 | Gurugram | UP14 | Meerut |
| GO01 | PANAJI/MADGAON | GJ01 | Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar |
| GJ02 | Anand | GJ08 | Mehsana |
| GJ10 | Rajkot | GJ11 | Surat |
| GJ12 | Vadodara | HR01 | Ambala |
| HR10 | Yamuna Nagar | HP06 | Shimla |
| HR07 | Kurukshetra | HP03 | Hamirpur |
| JK02 | Jammu | JK04 | Srinagar (J & K) |
| JH01 | Bokaro | JH02 | Dhanbad |
| JH05 | Hazaribagh | JH03 | Jamshedpur |
| JH04 | Ranchi | KK02 | Belagum |
| KK04 | Bengaluru | KK10 | Hubballi(Hubli) |
| KK08 | Kalaburagi(Gulbarga) | KK12 | Mangaluru(Mangalore) |
| KK14 | Mysuru(Mysore) | KK15 | Shivamogga(Shimoga) |
| KK17 | Udupi | KL04 | Ernakulam |
| KL07 | Kannur | KL09 | Kollam |
| KL11 | Kottayam | KL12 | Kozhikode |
| KL18 | Thrissur | KL17 | Trivandrum |
| MP03 | Bhopal | MP06 | Gwalior |
| MP07 | Indore | MP08 | Jabalpur |
| MP12 | Sagar | MP13 | Satna |
| MP15 | Ujjain | MR03 | Amravati |
| MR04 | Aurangabad | MR13 | Jalgaon |
| MR14 | Kolhapur | MR16 | Mumbai |
| MR17 | Nagpur | MR18 | Nanded |
| MR19 | Nasik | MR22 | Pune |
| MG01 | Shillong | MZ01 | Aizawl |
| NL02 | Kohima | OR02 | Balasore |
| OR03 | Berhampur | OR04 | Bhubaneswar |
| OR05 | Cuttack | OR06 | Dhenkanal |
| OR08 | Rourkela | OR09 | Sambalpur |
| PB01 | Amritsar | PB02 | Bhatinda |
| PB04 | Jalandhar | PB05 | Ludhiana |
| PB08 | Patiala | RJ01 | Ajmer |
| RJ05 | Bikaner | RJ07 | Jodhpur |
| RJ09 | Sikar | RJ11 | Udaipur |
| TN01 | Chennai | TN02 | Coimbatore |
| TN08 | Madurai | TN11 | Salem |
| TN15 | Tirunelveli | TN14 | Trichy |
| TN18 | Vellore | TL01 | Hyderabad |
| TL02 | Karimnagar | TL07 | Warangal |
| UP01 | Agra | UP02 | Aligarh |
| UP03 | Allahabad | UP04 | Bareilly |
| UP08 | Gorakhpur | UP10 | Jhansi |
| UP11 | Kanpur | UP12 | Lucknow |
| UP15 | Moradabad | UP16 | Muzaffarnagar |
| UP18 | Varanasi | UK01 | Dehradun |
| UK02 | Haldwani | UK06 | Roorkee |
| WB01 | Asansol | WB06 | Hooghly |
| WB08 | Kalyani | WB10 | Kolkata |
| WB11 | Siliguri |
Download IGNOU PhD Admission Brochure Pdf 2022
IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2024 Highlights
The basic information about the IGNOU PhD Admission is tabulated below:
| University Name | Indira Gandhi National Open University |
| University Type | Central University |
| Course | Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) |
| Basic Admission Criteria | NTA Entrance Test & Interview |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Course Duration | 3 – 6 Years |
| IGNOU Official Website | https://ignou.nta.ac.in/ |
Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
Indira Gandhi National University was established in 1985 by Central Government of India to cater open & distance learning education in India. IGNOU is considered on the largest open university in world with 6,52,504 fresh students in its academic programmes whereas 4,20,074 were re-registered students in 2017-18. The University started with two academic programs in 1987 i.e. Diploma in Management and Diploma in Distance Education. Now, the University gives about 228 certificate, diploma, degree and doctoral programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 application form be released?
No official date has been announced yet. Based on previous-year patterns, the application form is expected to be released around November 2026. Students should check ignou.ac.in regularly for official updates.
What is the expected exam date for IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027?
The exam date has not been officially confirmed. Tentatively, based on past cycles, the IGNOU PHDENT 2027 may be held in February–March 2027. This is an estimate only and is subject to official confirmation.
Where can I find the official IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 notification?
The official notification, when released, will be published on IGNOU's official website at ignou.ac.in. No notification has been issued as of 03 Sep 2026.
What is the eligibility criteria for IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027?
No changes to eligibility have been officially confirmed for 2027. Based on previous cycles, candidates typically need a Master's degree with at least 55% marks (50% for reserved categories). Confirm exact criteria from the official notification when released.
Is the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 conducted online or offline?
The exam mode for 2027 has not been officially announced. In recent cycles, IGNOU conducted the PHDENT in written/offline mode. The official notification will confirm the mode for 2027.
What is the application fee for IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027?
The application fee for the 2027 cycle has not been officially declared. In the previous cycle, an application fee was applicable and payable online. Exact fee details will be available in the official 2027 notification.
Will IGNOU release the PhD Entrance Exam 2027 admit card before the exam?
Yes, IGNOU typically releases admit cards approximately 2–3 weeks before the exam date. However, this is based on previous patterns and is not officially confirmed for the 2027 cycle. Admit cards are usually downloadable from ignou.ac.in.
What subjects are covered in the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2027 syllabus?
No syllabus update has been officially announced for 2027. Historically, the exam includes a research aptitude section and a subject-specific section relevant to the chosen PhD programme. Students should refer to the official 2027 notification for the confirmed syllabus.