Guide · NPTEL exam pattern · Jul-Dec 2026
The NPTEL exam pattern is fixed across courses: 25% of your final score comes from the weekly assignments and 75% from a three-hour, in-person, computer-based proctored exam, you need at least 40 out of 100 in each part to be certified, and the exam costs ₹1,000 per course (₹500 for SC/ST or PwD learners). Those figures come from NPTEL's own FAQ, its semester page and the July-December 2026 timelines document. Below is how the score is computed, the fee and refund rules, what the exam looks like, the 2026 and 2027 dates, how the certificate is verified, and how credits move to your degree.
How is the NPTEL final score calculated?
NPTEL states the split plainly: "25% of the final marks comes from the Assignments and 75% from the final exam" (NPTEL semester information page). Every course page carries the same formula. The July 2026 run of Introduction to Machine Learning (IIT Madras, 12 weeks) puts it this way (course page):
"Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100
Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score"
The number of assignments counted scales with course length. NPTEL's credit-transfer note says "For the 4/8/12 week courses, normally best 3/6/8 assignments are considered for calculating the Average assignment score (out of 100)" (NPTEL, Basics of Credit Transfer, v1.1). The 2026 timelines add that the assignment component includes "all types of graded assessments available within the course, such as assignments, programming tests, quizzes, subjective assignments etc." (timelines).
Two worked examples (computed from the rule above). If your best-8 assignment average is 80 and you score 56 in the exam, you get 20 + 42 = 62, and both parts clear the floor. If your assignment average is 100 but you score 36 in the exam, you get 25 + 27 = 52, and you are not certified, because the exam part is below 30 out of 75.
What are the NPTEL passing marks?
The pass rule has two floors, not one total. NPTEL's FAQ: "A learner will pass and be certified only if Average assignment score (out of 100) >= 40 AND Final exam score ( out of 100) >= 40. That is, to clear the exam you have to score a minimum of 10 out of 25% in the assignment and 30 out of 75% in the final proctored exam." (NPTEL FAQ). The course page repeats it in capitals: "YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100." (course page).
Not every course uses this rule. The FAQ says the criteria differ for "courses which have non proctored programming exams and for medical courses", and that the course announcement page is where the exception is stated (FAQ). The timelines put the burden on you: "It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that they have obtained sufficient assignment and/or programming test scores to qualify for certification."
On certificate tiers: NPTEL's public pages define Pass (the two 40-mark floors above) and, for its STARS recognition, a Domain Scholar standard of "minimum score>=55 in each course with average of 60". College result sheets also list "Toppers" and "Elite+Gold" learners (one example), but we could not find the Elite, Silver or Gold score bands on any NPTEL or SWAYAM page, so we do not print them here. Read the band off your own certificate or ask support@nptel.iitm.ac.in.
What is the NPTEL exam fee in 2026?
₹1,000 per course, per exam. The SWAYAM page for NPTEL says the proctored exam "will be conducted at Rs. 1000/- per course" (SWAYAM), and the July-December 2026 timelines carry the concession table below (timelines, Exam fees - Sample calculations).
| Who you are (per the Jul-Dec 2026 timelines) | Fee per exam | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| General | ₹1,000 | Full fee |
| SC/ST or PwD | ₹500 | 50% exam fee waiver |
| SC/ST and PwD | ₹250 | 50% waiver for SC/ST, then 50% of that for PwD |
| Faculty wanting the FDP certificate | Fee above + ₹100 | Only when the role in the exam form is "Faculty" |
| Data change after the last date (name, DOB, photo, signature, category proof) | ₹200 per change | Charged on top of the fee |
Refunds are tied to one date. The timelines say "Candidates can cancel the registration before the last date and take the refund", that "Cancellation after the last date will not be allowed", and that "CHARGEBACK through the bank will not be entertained" (timelines). For the 2026 courses that last date was the same as the registration deadline (17, 24 or 30 August, see the dates section). Once cancelled, "refund of fees will be initiated only after 2 weeks"; the FAQ says the money arrives "within 2 to 3 weeks" (FAQ, Refunds).
What is the NPTEL exam format?
In person, on a computer, three hours. The timelines list "2 Sessions on each date (9am-12 noon; 2pm-5pm)", allow a maximum of two exams a day (one in each session), and say NPTEL allots the session, which "will be mentioned in the hall ticket" (timelines). The semester page adds that the learner "has to be present in person for the exam" and that exams run "only in India in about 200+ cities in two shifts" (semester page), though the 2026 city list does include one centre abroad (see below).
What you may bring: nothing electronic. "Physical calculators, mobile phones and wristwatches are strictly prohibited and candidates possessing these in the examination hall (even if not using) will be disqualified. An on-screen calculator will be provided during the exam." "No snacks or water will be allowed to be taken inside the hall." (timelines). NPTEL's older FAQ, still on its archive site, says rough paper is provided and collected back, and that "Candidates are allowed to leave the examination hall after the first 1.5 hours" (archived NOC FAQ, 2018).
Question types are not fixed centrally. The archived FAQ says for the computer-based exam "Type of questions may include multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, short answer type answers, essay type answers, etc." (archived FAQ). The 2026 terms are blunt about what you will not get: "Question paper and solution will not be published for the courses", and "NPTEL WILL NOT conduct Supplementary exams". Each course page lists its language (English for the ML course above; the course list has Tamil versions of some courses); neither NPTEL nor SWAYAM publishes a separate exam-language option on the pages linked here.
Students on Reddit describe what the paper looked like for them:
"50 Questions, 2 marks each. No negative marking," (r/Btechtards, April 2026, on a 100-mark management paper)
"NPTEL's previous year papers are not available. They don't give previous year papers." (r/Btechtards, December 2025)
"I took two subjects in my final semester and most of it ( atleast for my subjects) were directly from the assignments from week 1-12 I did those and got decent enough marks" (r/Btechtards, October 2026)
NPTEL exam dates 2026: when are the exams, and is registration open?
For the July-December 2026 semester NPTEL ran exams on eight days: "September 19 , September 20, 2026 and October 16, October 17, October 18, October 23, October 24, October 25, 2026", with 18 September, 19 October and 26 October as additional dates that "cannot be chosen by the candidates" (timelines). The per-set timeline from the same document:
| Course set (Jul-Dec 2026) | Course runs | Exam date(s) | Exam registration closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks, set 1 | 20 Jul to 14 Aug | 19 or 20 Sep 2026 | 14 Aug, extended to 17 Aug, 5 pm |
| 8 weeks, set 1 | 20 Jul to 11 Sep | 19 or 20 Sep 2026 | 14 Aug, extended to 17 Aug, 5 pm |
| 12 weeks | 20 Jul to 9 Oct | 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 or 25 Oct 2026 | 14 Aug, extended in steps to 24 Aug, 5 pm |
| 4 weeks, set 2 | 17 Aug to 11 Sep | 16 to 25 Oct 2026 (same six dates) | 28 Aug, extended to 30 Aug, 5 pm |
| 8 weeks, set 2 | 17 Aug to 9 Oct | 16 to 25 Oct 2026 (same six dates) | 28 Aug, extended to 30 Aug, 5 pm |
As of 26 October 2026, exam registration for this semester is closed (the last extended date was 30 August) and the exams are over bar the final additional date. September scores were due "by Mid of October 2026", and the NPTEL homepage now links results for both the September and the October exams (September 2026 results sheet). Of the 1,054 courses in the final July-December 2026 course list, 712 ran for 12 weeks, 252 for 8 and 86 for 4 (computed from the sheet).
If you missed this cycle, the next one is already dated. NPTEL's exam calendar for 2026 to 2030 lists:
| Semester | Actual exam dates | Additional dates (NPTEL allots these; you cannot choose them) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-Jun 2027 | 20, 21 Mar; 16, 17, 18 Apr; 23, 24, 25 Apr 2027 | 19 Mar; 19 Apr; 26 Apr 2027 |
| Jul-Dec 2027 | 25, 26 Sep; 15, 16, 17 Oct; 22, 23, 24 Oct 2027 | 24 Sep; 18 Oct; 25 Oct 2027 |
Exam registration for a semester has opened in June for the July run and closed in mid-to-late August in 2026 (timelines); check the January 2027 timelines on nptel.ac.in when they appear. One warning from the course page itself: "This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket." (course page).
Where are the NPTEL exam centres?
The July-December 2026 exam city list names 242 city options for choices 1 and 2 across 32 states and union territories, plus one entry under "Outside India" (Abu Dhabi), and 93 cities that stay open as the default choice 3 (counted from the sheet). You pick up to three cities in the form; the sheet says "NPTEL will decide to have exam centres in cities 1 & 2 based on exam registration count we get; exam city choice 3 will be available as Default."
The allotment is not a promise. The exam calendar says NPTEL "can allocate a city from among the 3 choices given or any other city as per the availability of centres and nodes", may "merge cities with few candidates, cancel a center", and that "If a candidate is unable to reach the allotted exam center, NPTEL will not provide any refunds or alternative arrangements." The photo you upload in the exam form appears on both the hall ticket and the certificate (timelines).
How is the NPTEL certificate delivered and verified?
Electronically, and only electronically. "We will be publishing only e-certificates. Hard copies of course certificates will not be printed" (timelines, Go Green). The course page describes what is on it: "Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup. It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Madras. It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc." (course page). NPTEL's credit-transfer note explains the mechanism: "The e-certificate also carries the QR code, on scanning which, the original certificate hosted on NPTEL server will be accessible." (Basics of Credit Transfer).
An employer or college can check a certificate at NPTEL's e-certificate verification page; you see your own scores and certificates in the candidate portal. Timing: the archived FAQ says results and e-certificates for a computer-based exam come "2-3 weeks after the exam date" (archived FAQ), and the 2026 timelines give you "3 days to verify the scores and report errors" once they are released (timelines). We did not find NPTEL listed as a DigiLocker issuer on any official page, so do not count on a DigiLocker copy.
Do NPTEL credits transfer to my degree?
Only if your college says so. NPTEL's position is a recommendation: "For 12 weeks/8 weeks/4 weeks courses, NPTEL recommends 3/2/1 credits respectively" and "It is upto your college/university how much credit should be given for each course" (NPTEL FAQ, B21). Its credit-transfer note derives those numbers from a 15-hour credit (Basics of Credit Transfer):
| Course length | Minimum credits NPTEL recommends | Learner hours it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks | 1 | 16 |
| 8 weeks | 2 | 32 |
| 12 weeks | 3 | 48 |
Course pages now also print a "Credit Points" line; the July 2026 ML course shows 4 (course page), so check the page for your course rather than assuming 3.
The regulatory ceiling is set by the UGC. The UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulations, 2021, gazetted on 25 March 2021, say a higher education institution "may allow only up to forty per cent. of the total courses, being offered in a particular programme in a semester, through the online credit course, through the SWAYAM platform", and that the Host Institution "shall issue the certificate with grades after the end term proctored examination for credit transfer". The UGC's covering letter describes the change as raising the limit to 40% (UGC letter, 2021).
Two things that trip people up. First, SWAYAM exams are not all NPTEL exams: SWAYAM says end-term exams "are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL)" (SWAYAM). NPTEL examines its own courses on the dates above; the NTA runs the exams for the other national coordinators, and its July 2026 cycle covers 662 courses on 8 to 12 December 2026 with applications open 9 to 31 October 2026 (NTA notice, 9 October 2026). Second, SWAYAM now lets universities that have adopted the UGC regulations conduct SWAYAM exams on their own campus, with "provisions for re-examinations" (SWAYAM); ask your department which route applies to you.
How to check this yourself
- Open your course page on onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in and read the Course Certificate tab: it carries the exact score formula, the exam date and the fee for that course.
- Read the current semester's Timelines and Guidelines document linked from the NPTEL homepage; it has the registration, cancellation and data-change deadlines, the fee concessions and the exam-day rules.
- Check the exam calendar for 2027 dates and the exam city list before you pick a centre.
- For credit transfer, ask your college for its SWAYAM credit-transfer policy and compare it with the UGC 2021 regulations.
Related reading
If NPTEL has you thinking about a full IIT credential online: IIT online degrees compared, the IIT Madras BS degree guide, and is the IIT Madras BS degree worth it. NPTEL is coordinated from IIT Madras; here is the IIT Madras campus guide.
NPTEL is run from IIT Madras. Studying there, or heading there? Wear it: IIT Madras hoodies, tees and varsity jackets, shipped across India.
By Arun Raghav S · Co-founder, IITian Vibes · Facts retrieved 26 October 2026 from the linked official pages and documents. Corrections to hello@iitianvibes.com.