What is ABC ID Card in IGNOU?

What is ABC ID Card in IGNOU? Complete Guide for 2026

If you’re an IGNOU student planning to take admission or fill your exam form in 2026, you need to understand what is ABC ID card in IGNOU. This new digital identity has become mandatory for every student, and thousands are facing problems because they don’t know how to create it properly or why it’s so important for their academic future.

Quick Overview: ABC ID Card for IGNOU Students

BREAKING: ABC ID Now Mandatory – Students Missing Exams Without It

Something serious happened in December 2025 that shocked thousands of IGNOU students across India. More than 2000 students who appeared in their Term End Examinations could not download their marksheets even after the results were declared. The system kept showing an error message asking them to link their ABC ID card first.

These students had studied hard, paid their fees, appeared in exams, and passed with good marks. But they couldn’t get their marksheets because they never created their ABC ID. Some of them needed those marksheets urgently for job applications, higher education admissions, or government exam eligibility. The delay cost them real opportunities.

The ABC ID Rule That Changed Everything from January 2026

IGNOU officially announced in late 2025 that starting January 2026, every single student must have a valid ABC ID card linked to their IGNOU account. This applies to fresh admissions, re-registrations, and exam form submissions. Without an ABC ID, the system will not accept any application.

This rule came as part of the National Education Policy 2020 implementation. The government wants to create a unified digital system where all academic credits from every university are stored in one place. While the intention is good, the sudden implementation created panic among students who were not prepared.

Deadline Alert: What Happens If You Don’t Have an ABC ID by February 2026

IGNOU has made it clear that all continuing students must create and link their ABC ID before February 28, 2026. After this date, students without a valid ABC ID will face these problems:

• Cannot fill exam forms for June 2026 Term End Examinations. The form submission will be blocked at the verification stage.
• Cannot download previous marksheets or degree certificates. Even if you completed your courses years ago, you need an ABC ID to access your documents.
• Cannot take fresh admission in any new program. The admission portal requires an ABC ID as a mandatory field.
• Cannot do re-registration for next semester. Your current enrollment will remain incomplete without ABC ID linking.

The deadline is not just a suggestion. It’s a hard requirement that will block your entire academic progress if you ignore it.

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What is ABC ID for IGNOU? The ID That Controls Your Academic Future

ABC ID stands for Academic Bank of Credits Identification. It’s a unique 12-digit number that works as your permanent digital identity for all academic activities across different universities and institutions in India. Think of it like an Aadhaar card, but specifically for your education.

When you create your ABC ID card, the system generates this unique number and links it to your personal details like name, date of birth, mobile number, email, and Aadhaar. This ID then becomes the key to access all your academic records, certificates, and credits throughout your life.

For IGNOU students, this ID is crucial because it connects your distance learning courses to the national Academic Bank of Credits system. Every time you complete a course, earn credits, or get a certificate, it gets recorded against your ABC ID in a central database.

ABC ID vs DEB ID vs Enrollment Number: The Deadly Confusion

This is where most students get completely confused and make costly mistakes. Let me explain the difference clearly:

Enrollment Number: This is your IGNOU student ID that you get when you take admission. It’s specific to IGNOU only and identifies you within the university system. Every IGNOU student has this.

ABC ID Card: This is your national academic identity that works across all universities in India. It’s not specific to IGNOU. You create it through DigiLocker or the abc.gov.in portal. It stores all your academic credits from everywhere.

DEB ID: This stands for Distance Education Bureau Unique Identification. It’s a special ID for students enrolled in distance learning or online programs. You need to generate this separately by linking your ABC ID to the UGC-DEB portal through IGNOU Samarth.

The biggest mistake students make is thinking their enrollment number is enough. It’s not. You need all three for smooth functioning. Your enrollment number identifies you in IGNOU, your ABC ID stores your national credits, and your DEB ID specifically tracks your distance education progress.

Another deadly confusion is thinking that ABC ID and DEB ID are the same thing. They are connected but different. You must create an ABC ID first, then generate a DEB ID by linking it through the IGNOU portal.

Why IGNOU Won’t Accept Your Exam Form Without This

IGNOU has integrated its entire system with the National Academic Depository and Academic Bank of Credits framework. When you fill out your exam form, the system automatically checks if your ABC ID is properly linked and verified.

If the system cannot find your valid ABC ID, it treats you as an unverified student. The form gets rejected immediately. This is a security measure to ensure only genuine students with proper identification can appear in exams.

Moreover, when you pass an exam, IGNOU uploads your marks and credits to the ABC system using your ABC ID. Without this ID, there’s nowhere to send your academic data. That’s why your marksheets won’t appear in DigiLocker, and you cannot download your certificates.

How One Missing ID Can Delay Your Degree by 1 Year

The impact of missing an ABC ID is not just an inconvenience. It can seriously damage your academic timeline and career prospects.

If you’re in your final year and your last semester exam form gets rejected due to a missing ABC ID, you’ll miss that entire exam cycle. IGNOU conducts exams twice a year – in June and December. Missing one cycle means waiting six months for the next opportunity.

But the problem doesn’t end there. Even after you appear in the next exam and pass, your marksheet processing takes additional time. If there are any verification issues with your newly created ABC ID, you face more delays.

Many students have reported that what should have been a simple final semester turned into a one-year delay just because of ABC ID problems. For working professionals, this delay affects promotions, job changes, and salary increments. For young students, it delays their higher education plans and career start.

Critical ABC ID Mistakes Blocking IGNOU Students Right Now

Students are making several serious mistakes while creating their ABC ID card. These mistakes are causing form rejections, blocked marksheets, and admission problems. Let me tell you exactly what’s going wrong.

Mistake 1: Thinking Enrollment Number is Enough (It’s NOT)

Priya from Delhi completed her first year of BA successfully. When the exam form for the second year opened, she filled in all details and entered her enrollment number in every ID field. She thought this was enough because she had been using this enrollment number for everything until now.

Her form got rejected with an error saying “ABC ID mandatory.” She was shocked because nobody told her about any ABC ID requirement. She called her study centre, but even they were not clear about the process.

This is the most common mistake. Students assume that their existing IGNOU enrollment number will work for everything. They don’t realise that ABC ID is a completely separate identification system that they must create independently.

Mistake 2: Creating an ABC ID But Never Linking to IGNOU Samarth

Amit from Mumbai learned about the ABC ID requirement and immediately created his ABC ID through DigiLocker. He downloaded the ABC ID card PDF, noted down his 12-digit number, and felt relieved. He thought his work was done.

When he tried to fill out his exam form, he entered his ABC ID number in the required field. The system showed an error: “ABC ID not linked to IGNOU account.” Amit was confused because he definitely created his ABC ID.

What Amit didn’t know is that creating an ABC ID is only the first step. You must also log into the IGNOU Samarth Portal and link this ABC ID to your IGNOU student profile. Without this linking, the IGNOU system cannot verify your ABC ID even though it exists in the national database.

Thousands of students make this exact mistake. They create an ABC ID but forget to complete the linking process on the IGNOU portal.

Mistake 3: Wrong Details in DigiLocker Causing Permanent Blocks

Neha from Bangalore rushed through the ABC ID creation process. She was close to the exam form deadline and wanted to finish quickly. While entering her details in DigiLocker, she made a typing mistake in her date of birth. She also used a different spelling of her name compared to her Aadhaar card.

Her ABC ID was created with the wrong details. Later, when she tried to link it with IGNOU, the system detected a mismatch between her IGNOU records and ABC ID details. The verification failed repeatedly.

Correcting these mistakes is extremely difficult. You cannot simply edit your ABC ID details once they’re created. You need to contact the ABC portal support, submit correction requests with document proof, and wait for manual processing, which takes weeks.

Mistake 4: Waiting Until Exam Form Date (Then It’s Too Late)

Most students don’t think about the ABC ID until the day they need to fill out their exam form. They open the form, see the ABC ID field, and then start the creation process. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

ABC ID creation through DigiLocker takes 10-15 minutes if everything goes smoothly. But the linking process with the IGNOU Samarth Portal requires system verification that takes 48 to 72 hours. If you start on the exam form deadline day, you cannot complete the entire process in time.

Moreover, if you face any errors during creation, you need time to troubleshoot and fix the problem. Last-minute attempts leave no room for problem-solving. Smart students create their ABC ID at least one week before any deadline.

ABC ID in IGNOU Exam Form: Why Students Are Panicking

The June 2026 Term End Examination form has a new mandatory section that’s creating panic among thousands of students. The form clearly states that the ABC ID is compulsory, and submission will not be possible without valid ABC ID verification.

New Mandatory Field in TEE Form June 2026

When you open the exam form for June 2026 exams, you’ll see a dedicated section called “Academic Bank of Credits Details.” This section has two fields: ABC ID Number (12 digits) and ABC ID Verification Status.

You must enter your ABC ID number and wait for the system to verify it. The verification happens in real-time by checking your details with the central ABC database. If verification fails, you cannot proceed to the next step of form filling.

This is a hard block. Unlike previous years, where you could skip certain fields or submit forms for manual verification, ABC ID is a mandatory requirement built into the system logic.

“ABC ID Not Found” Error – What It Really Means

Many students are seeing this error message when they try to enter their ABC ID in the exam form. This error appears for several reasons:

Your ABC ID was created very recently and hasn’t synced with the IGNOU system yet. You need to wait for the 72-hour processing period. You created an ABC ID but never linked it to the IGNOU Samarth Portal. The exam form system cannot find your ABC ID because you didn’t complete the linking step.

There’s a mismatch in your personal details. Your name, date of birth, or mobile number in the ABC ID doesn’t exactly match your IGNOU enrollment records. You’re entering the wrong number. Some students confuse their ABC ID with DEB ID or enrollment number and enter incorrect digits.

How Missing ABC ID Blocks Your Hall Ticket Download

Even if somehow you manage to submit your exam form, the problems don’t end there. The new system requires ABC ID verification before generating your hall ticket.

When IGNOU processes exam forms and creates hall tickets, the system checks each student’s ABC ID status. If the ABC ID is missing or unverified, that student’s hall ticket goes into a problem queue.

The university cannot issue hall tickets to students without proper identification in the national academic system. This is a compliance requirement under NEP 2020 guidelines. Without a hall ticket, you cannot appear in exams. Your six months of study and preparation become useless.

How to Create an ABC ID for IGNOU (But Most Students Do It Wrong)

Let me explain the correct process to create your ABC ID card for IGNOU. Many students attempt this but make critical errors that cause problems later.

Prerequisites They Don’t Tell You About

Before you start creating your ABC ID, make sure you have these things ready:

• An active Aadhaar card with your current mobile number linked to it
• Working email address that you check regularly
• Correct personal details exactly matching your IGNOU enrollment records
• Stable internet connection
• DigiLocker account (download the app or use digilocker.gov.in)
• Access to your registered mobile number for OTP verification

DigiLocker Method: Step-by-Step (Where People Get Stuck)

Open the DigiLocker app or visit the digilocker.gov.in website. Click on Sign In or Sign Up if you’re new. Enter your registered mobile number or Aadhaar number. You’ll receive an OTP. Enter this OTP to log in.

Once inside DigiLocker, look for the search bar at the top. Type “ABC ID Card” or “APAAR ID” and press enter. You’ll see a result showing “ABC ID Card – Academic Bank of Credits.” Click on this option.

Now click the button that says “Get Document.” A form will open asking for your details. Fill in your full name exactly as it appears on your Aadhaar card. Even one letter difference can cause verification failure.

Enter your date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format. Double-check this because a wrong date creates permanent issues. Select your gender from the dropdown menu. Enter your mobile number using the same number linked to your Aadhaar.

Enter your email address carefully. Check for typing mistakes. The system will automatically fetch your Aadhaar number if you logged in using Aadhaar. If not, enter it manually.

Click on the Submit or Generate button. The system will process your request. If all details are correct and match the Aadhaar database, your ABC ID will be generated within a few minutes. You’ll see your 12-digit ABC ID number on screen.

Download the ABC ID card PDF and save it safely. Take a screenshot of your ABC ID number. This is where most students stop, thinking they’re done. But you’re only halfway through the process.

IGNOU Samarth Portal Linking: The Critical Step Everyone Misses

Creating an ABC ID in DigiLocker is not enough. You must link it to your IGNOU account. Open a new browser tab and visit the IGNOU Samarth Portal. The exact URL will be provided by IGNOU on their official website.

Log in using your IGNOU enrollment number and password. If you don’t have a Samarth Portal account yet, you need to create one first. After logging in, look for a section called “Academic Bank of Credits” or “ABC ID Linking” in your dashboard menu.

Click on this section. You’ll see an option to “Link ABC ID” or “Add ABC ID.” Enter your 12-digit ABC ID number that you created in DigiLocker. Type it carefully without any spaces.

The system will verify your ABC ID by checking the central database. This verification takes a few seconds. If verification succeeds, you’ll see a confirmation message that your ABC ID is now linked to your IGNOU enrollment.

You might need to fill in additional details like program name, year of admission, etc. Complete all required fields. Click on Submit to save the link. You’ll receive a confirmation on screen and possibly an email notification.

This linking step is crucial. Without it, your ABC ID exists, but IGNOU cannot use it for your academic records.

ABC ID and DEB ID: Both Required or Admission Gets Rejected

Many students don’t understand that the ABC ID and DEB ID are two different things, and IGNOU requires both. Missing either one will get your application rejected.

You Need BOTH IDs – Having Just One Won’t Work

ABC ID is your national academic identity. Every student in India needs this regardless of which university they study in or whether they’re in a regular college or distance education.

DEB ID is specifically for distance education students. It’s an additional identification required by the Distance Education Bureau, which regulates all distance learning programs in India.

IGNOU offers distance education programs. So IGNOU students need boththe  ABC ID and DEB ID. You cannot skip either one. The IGNOU admission form has separate fields for both IDs.

Which ID to Create First (Getting This Wrong Wastes Time)

The sequence matters a lot. You must create an ABC ID first, then generate a DEB ID. You cannot do it in reverse order.

To create your DEB ID, you need to enter your existing ABC ID number in the UGC-DEB portal. The system uses your ABC ID as the base and generates your DEB ID by linking it to distance education records.

If you try to create a DEB ID first without having an ABC ID, the system will show an error asking you to create an ABC ID first. Students who don’t know this sequence waste hours trying different things.

Unnati Education: Your Complete Solution for IGNOU Success

At Unnati Education, we understand how confusing and stressful the ABC ID and admission processes can be. We’ve seen thousands of students struggle with technical problems, face form rejections, and lose valuable time because of these complications.

What Makes Unnati Education Different

We are not just another education portal that gives you generic advice. We are a dedicated team of IGNOU experts who have personally helped over 800 students successfully complete their admissions and resolve their ABC ID problems in 2025.

Our team stays constantly updated with every policy change, technical requirement, and deadline that IGNOU announces. When IGNOU made the ABC ID mandatory from January 2026, we were among the first to understand the implications and develop clear solutions for students.

Complete IGNOU Support Services

Our support goes far beyond just ABC ID help. We provide comprehensive assistance for your entire IGNOU journey:

IGNOU Solved Assignment: We provide expertly written solved assignments for all IGNOU programs and courses. These assignments are prepared according to the latest IGNOU study material and guidelines. Students using our assignments consistently score high marks.

Previous Year Question Papers: We maintain an extensive collection of previous year question papers for all IGNOU programs. These papers help you understand exam patterns, practice important questions, and prepare effectively for your Term End Examinations.

Handwritten Assignments: Many students prefer submitting handwritten assignments. We provide handwritten assignments that are customised according to IGNOU study material requirements and formatted properly for submission.

Latest Updates: IGNOU frequently changes deadlines, updates policies, and announces new requirements. We keep track of all these changes and immediately inform our students so they never miss any important deadline or notification.

Why Students Choose Unnati Education

Our students choose us because we provide exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else. We keep you updated about assignment deadlines, exam notifications, and course changes so you never miss important information.

Our expert support team ensures your IGNOU journey remains smooth and stress-free. Whether you need help with ABC ID problems, assignment writing, or exam preparation, we’re available to assist you.

Get Expert Help When You Need It

If you’re facing any challenges with ABC ID creation, DEB ID linking, the admission process, or need quality study materials, we’re here to help you.

You can reach us directly for personalised support:

Phone Numbers: 9355198199, 9899436384

Our support team is available to answer your questions, guide you through processes, and provide the exact help you need for your specific situation. Whether you need urgent help with the IGNOU Admission deadline or want regular support with assignments and study materials throughout your course, Unnati Education is your trusted partner for IGNOU success.

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Don’t struggle alone with confusing processes and technical problems. Contact us today and let our experts make your IGNOU journey simple and successful.

Frequently Asked Questions About the ABC ID Card in IGNOU

Can I fill out my IGNOU exam form without having an ABC ID?

No, you cannot fill the IGNOU exam form without an ABC ID starting from the June 2026 examination cycle. The Term End Examination form has made ABC ID a mandatory field with real-time verification. If you try to proceed without a valid ABC ID, the system will block submission immediately. Even manual verification requests require an ABC ID now. Without it, you miss an entire exam cycle and delay graduation.

I created an ABC ID but forgot my number. How do I recover it?

Open your DigiLocker app or visit the digilocker.gov.in website and log in using your registered mobile number or Aadhaar. Go to the Issued Documents section in your account. Look for the ABC ID Card or APAAR ID document there. Click on it to view your full ABC ID card with the twelve-digit number clearly displayed. Download the PDF and save it properly. If the document is missing, search the ABC ID again and fetch.

How long does the ABC ID approval and linking process take in the IGNOU system?

ABC ID creation in DigiLocker happens instantly within five to ten minutes if the details are correct. However, linking this ABC ID to the IGNOU Samarth Portal and complete system verification requires forty-eight to seventy-two hours for backend processing and database synchronisation. Always create your ABC ID at least one week before any admission or exam form deadline. Last-minute creation causes problems and rejections.

My ABC ID shows the wrong course or program details. What should I do?

Contact the IGNOU regional centre immediately with your enrollment number and ABC ID details. Submit a written request for correction with proper documentation proving the correct program details. The correction process involves manual verification by IGNOU staff, which takes a minimum of fifteen to twenty working days. During the correction period, you cannot use the ABC ID for applications. This problem delays admissions and exam forms significantly. Verify all details carefully before creation.

Can I transfer my academic credits between universities without an ABC ID?

No, credit transfer between different universities is impossible without a valid ABC ID under the NEP framework. The Academic Bank of Credits system uses your ABC ID as a unique identifier to track and transfer credits across institutions. Without an ABC ID, your credits remain locked within a single university database. You cannot avail multiple entry exit benefits or switch programs flexibly. ABC ID is a mandatory prerequisite for any credit mobility in the Indian higher education system now.

Final Thoughts on the ABC ID Card for IGNOU Students

Understanding that the ABC ID card in IGNOU is no longer optional for any student. This digital identification has become the foundation of your entire academic journey under the National Education Policy 2020 framework.

The integration of ABC ID with IGNOU systems represents a major shift in how distance education credentials are managed in India. While this change brings long-term benefits like credit transfer flexibility and permanent digital records, the immediate implementation has created challenges for students who were not adequately prepared.

Remember that the ABC ID and DEB ID are both required for IGNOU students. Having only one will not work. Complete both requirements well before any deadline to protect yourself from academic delays.

For other IGNOU papers or support related to it, click:
https://www.unnatieducations.com/ignou