If you appeared for the ICAR AIEEA PG or JRF/SRF (PhD) exam back in July, here’s what you’ve probably been checking your inbox for. NTA has finally put the answer key up on the official ICAR portal, on 16 August. That’s a longer wait than usual, honestly — the exam itself happened way back on 04 July, so we’re talking over six weeks here. If you were starting to wonder whether it’d ever show up, well, it has, so let’s get into what actually matters.
This is the entrance exam ICAR uses for postgraduate admissions and JRF/SRF PhD programs across agricultural universities in India, and it covers a genuinely wide spread of subjects — everything from Plant Biotechnology to Dairy Technology to Agricultural Economics. If you applied under either stream, I’ve broken down everything below — the answer key download steps, dates, fees, eligibility, and every official link you’d actually need — without the usual clutter these government sites tend to bury things in.
Quick Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of ICAR |
| Exam Name | ICAR AIEEA PG and AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 |
| Exam Date | 04 July 2026 |
| Answer Key Released On | 16 August 2026 |
| Application Closed On | 07 June 2026 |
| Total Posts | Not applicable — this is an admission exam, not a recruitment |
| Official Website | exams.nta.ac.in/ICAR |
Important Dates
Here’s the full timeline in one place, since ICAR notifications tend to be scattered across separate PDFs:
- Online Application Start Date: 08 May 2026
- Online Application Last Date: 07 June 2026
- Last Date for Fee Payment: 07 June 2026
- Correction Window: 12–14 June 2026
- Exam City Details Released: 25 June 2026
- Admit Card Released: 01 July 2026
- Exam Date: 04 July 2026
- Answer Key Released: 16 August 2026 (available now)
- Result: To be announced
That six-week gap between exam and answer key runs longer than what you’d typically see with other national-level exams, but that’s just how ICAR’s process tends to move compared to something like JEE or NEET. Worth keeping your expectations realistic for the result too — it probably won’t be quick either.
Application Fee
The fee’s split by course, and PhD applications cost noticeably more than PG ones — so budget for that if you happened to apply to both.
For AIEEA PG, General candidates pay ₹1,300, OBC/EWS pays ₹1,255, and SC/ST/PH pays ₹675.
For AICE JRF/SRF (PhD), General is ₹2,000, EWS/OBC comes to ₹1,955, and SC/ST/PH is ₹1,075.
Payment’s all online — debit card, credit card, net banking, IMPS, or a cash card/mobile wallet, whichever’s easiest for you.
Age Limit (As on 31 August 2026)
PG applicants need to be at least 19, and PhD applicants at least 20. There’s no upper age cap mentioned anywhere, though the usual NTA ICAR relaxation rules apply on top of the minimums.
Unlike most government recruitment exams, there’s no maximum age here — which tracks, since this is an academic admission test, not a job recruitment. So if age has been holding you back from other exams, that’s simply not a factor with this one.
Course Details
ICAR’s PG and PhD programs cover a genuinely broad set of disciplines, so it’s worth checking exactly where your subject falls before you assume anything about eligibility:
| Degree | Courses Covered |
|---|---|
| AIEEA PG (Post Graduate) | Plant Biotechnology, Plant Science, Physical Science, Entomology and Nematology, Agronomy, Social Science, Statistical Science, Horticulture, Forestry, Agriculture and Engineering, Water Science and Technology, Home Science, Animal Biotechnology, Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Fisheries Science, Dairy Science, Dairy Technology, Food Science Technology, and Agri Business Management |
| AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) | Crop Sciences I, II, III; Horticulture; Veterinary and Animal Science I, II, III; Dairy Science; Dairy Technology and Food Technology; Agricultural Engineering and Technology; Home Science; Fishery Science; Natural Science Management I and II; Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management; Agricultural Extension; Agricultural Statistics |
That’s a genuinely long list, and it’s worth checking the official notification for your exact subject rather than assuming it’s covered — some closely related fields end up under slightly different category names than you’d expect.
Eligibility Criteria
For PG courses, you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in a related subject, or an equivalent qualification recognized by the concerned university. For PhD courses, a Master’s degree in the related subject is the requirement.
Nothing too complicated on paper, but “related subject” is doing a lot of quiet work in that sentence — if your degree is even slightly adjacent to your target course rather than an exact match, it’s worth checking the official notification instead of just assuming you’re covered.
You may also check: UPSSSC AGTA Answer Key 2026
How to Check and Download the Answer Key
The process is fairly standard for NTA exams — shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes once you’re on the right page:
- Visit the official NTA ICAR examination website.
- Look for the “NTA ICAR AIEEA PG & PhD Answer Key 2026“ link on the homepage.
- Enter your Application Number, Password/Date of Birth, and the security captcha.
- Click Login/Submit.
- Your answer key will load on the screen.
- Go through it carefully and match it against what you remember answering.
- Download and save a copy for your records.
One thing worth flagging — PG and PhD candidates log in through separate portals, so double-check you’re using the right link for your specific course before you enter your details. I’ve listed both below so there’s no mix-up.
Mode of Selection
Getting into your chosen program isn’t just about how you score on the entrance test. It runs through five stages: Online Computer-Based Test (CBT), Merit List, Counseling and Seat Allotment, Scholarship Allocation, and Document Verification.
The counseling and seat allotment stage is where I’ve seen a lot of candidates lose track of things, mostly because it involves choice-filling across multiple rounds rather than being a one-time event like the exam itself. If you make it to the merit list, keep checking the portal regularly during counseling season — don’t assume you’ll get a notification for every single update.
Candidates can also explore other [UPSSSC AGTA Answer Key 2026] updates, including upcoming vacancies, answer key.
Important Links
| Purpose | Link |
|---|---|
| Download Answer Key (PG) | Click Here |
| Download Answer Key (PhD) | Click Here |
| Check Answer Key Notice | Click Here |
| Download Admit Card (PG) | Click Here |
| Download Admit Card (PhD) | Click Here |
| Download Exam City Details (PG) | Click Here |
| Download Exam City Details (PhD) | Click Here |
| Check Exam City Notice | Click Here |
| Register Scribe Details | ICAR (PG) / ICAR (PhD) |
| Download Scribe Details Notice | Click Here |
| Apply Online (AIEEA PG) | Click Here |
| Apply Online (AICE JRF/SRF PhD) | Click Here |
| Official Notification (AIEEA PG) | Click Here |
| Official Notification (JRF/SRF/PhD) | Click Here |
| NTA Official Website | exams.nta.ac.in/ICAR |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. When was the NTA ICAR AIEEA PG and PhD Answer Key 2026 released?
16 August 2026. You’ll need to log in with your credentials on the official portal to download it.
Q2. How can I download the NTA ICAR AIEEA PG and PhD Answer Key 2026?
Log in through the official NTA ICAR website using your Application Number and Password/Date of Birth, then grab it from your dashboard.
Q3. What details are mentioned in the Answer Key?
Besides the actual answers, it usually shows your name, application number, roll number, exam date, exam time, exam centre, photograph, and signature.
Q4. Is it mandatory to carry the ICAR AIEEA Admit Card to the exam centre?
Yes, and there’s no getting around this one — a printed admit card plus a valid original photo ID are both required. No entry without them.
Q5. What’s the official website for NTA ICAR?
https://exams.nta.ac.in/ICAR/. That’s the only place worth trusting for downloads, login access, and genuine updates on this exam.
