The Union government will shift the National Eligibility Test for Undergraduate Entrance Test (NEET-UG) to a computer-based test (CBT) next year, replacing the traditional pen-and-paper format to reduce paper leakage, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday, as he also announced June 21 as the re-test date for those who took the NEET-UG this year.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12 canceled the NEET-UG 2026 exam nine days after it was conducted after the agencies confirmed a widespread leak. Pradhan, in his first comments on the leak, said the government accepts responsibility for “breaching the chain of command”, despite following recommendations from the Radhakrishnan Committee – a seven-member committee set up after the 2024 leaks to strengthen the agency.
Admit cards for the re-examination scheduled for June 21, which will be conducted in pen-and-paper format, will be released by June 14, Pradhan said. Candidates will have an additional 15 minutes and can re-select their preferred test cities.
Going digital, from next year onwards, will require NTA to upgrade its technological infrastructure and staff training, experts said.
Pradhan noted that the Radhakrishnan Committee made a “strong case” in October 2024 for moving to CBT mode, calling it a “sure way forward” to prevent leaks. A committee member, who spoke to HT and requested anonymity, welcomed the shift, adding: “The union education ministry and NTA also need to build strong infrastructure and work continuously to build capacity for a smooth transition to CBT mode from next year.”
The then HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar, proposed a similar shift to online testing in 2018. The plan was shelved after the health ministry objected, citing inadequate computer access for disadvantaged candidates, the complexities of score reconciliation, and the requirement of the National Medical Commission Act for a “standardized” examination.
Officials in the Ministries of Health and Education did not respond to inquiries for comment.
Pradhan said CBT is “relatively more protective and safe” compared to the traditional OMR-based format. While acknowledging that technology brings with it its own set of challenges – such as the evolving nature of cybercrime – he said: “…there is a challenge. But we have to have confidence in our country’s system. Comparison – this is a matter of improvement.”
NEET-UG currently requires candidates to answer 180 multiple choice questions on OMR papers. Within the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) mode – already used in the Common Entrance (Main) Examination – students choose answers on a computer, allowing them to review and modify answers during the test.
The Radhakrishnan Committee report described physical question papers as “one of the weakest links” that “increases potential leaks” due to third-party logistics.
One panelist said pen and paper tests were no longer sustainable, and urged the creation of permanent, accountable staff at the NTA rather than “fleeting people running the show”. The Committee’s central recommendation to replace contract workers remains largely unimplemented. The National Tourism Authority still relies on 43 contract employees; Only three of the 16 newly created joint director positions have been filled.
Implementing digital testing for 2.25 million students requires state-controlled infrastructure, said Ashish Mittal, director of Innovatiview India Ltd, a Noida-based technology company that has been working with NTA since 2019.
“Public-private partnerships can play an important role in developing and expanding this infrastructure at the national level,” Mittal said. “Provider credibility, process maturity and ability to implement should remain central to the evaluation and selection process.”
Speaking to HT on Friday, NTA Director Abhishek Singh said the agency currently has the capacity to test 150,000 candidates per shift. “We aim to build the infrastructure to conduct CBT exams in one shift for 10 lakh (1 million) students in one shift,” Singh said. “Right now, our sole focus is to conduct NEET re-examination on June 21. We will work on improving the infrastructure after that and conduct NEET-UG 2027 in multiple shifts.”
Students said that digital transformation means adapting preparation strategies.
“Digital format can significantly reduce the risk of paper leakage, and also means adapting to screen-based problem solving, without the ease of focusing on key points or revisiting set questions in the same way as on paper. We may also lose the advantage of relying on FAQ trends from previous years,” said Ananya Tripathi, an aspiring student from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The cancellation occurred on May 12 after 120 questions from the “guess sheet” — a set of possible questions chosen by experts — overlapped with the actual exam. Pradhan said the government received a complaint on May 7.
“By May 12, it was confirmed to us that, under the guise of the guess sheet, the actual exam questions had indeed been leaked,” Pradhan said. “We did not want to deprive any student of his rights… hence our first decision was to cancel the exam.”
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the leak and has arrested seven people. On Thursday, a Delhi court recorded that the CBI traced the leak to a “source in NTA”.
“The CBI will investigate the matter thoroughly. The CBI is a trustworthy agency and will investigate matters smoothly,” Pradhan said of possible insider involvement.
Defending the NTA’s handling of 10 million students annually, Pradhan rejected calls to replace the agency. He said: “The issue is not the car, but rather the challenge represented by the process.” “We have to improve the system. We have to make it an error-free inspection.”
At least two students who appeared for the exam – one in Goa and the other in Uttar Pradesh – died by suicide after the cancellation.
“I have no words to explain the loss of precious lives. It is our responsibility that such incidents do not happen in the future,” Pradhan said.
