The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday canceled the NEET (UG) 2026 examination held on May 3 over allegations of a paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to conduct a comprehensive probe into the “irregularities”. The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held again on dates to be announced separately.
What did the NTA say?
In a statement on X, the National Testing Agency said the decision was taken to maintain transparency and maintain confidence in the national testing system.
“Based on inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies and findings of investigation shared by law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency with the concurrence of the Government of India has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026 and re-conduct the examination on dates to be announced separately,” the agency said.
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The NEET (UG) 2026 exam has been canceled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities. The decision was made to maintain transparency and maintain confidence in the national examination system.
The cancellation followed inputs investigated by the NTA in coordination with central authorities and findings of investigations shared by law enforcement agencies. Reports suggested that more than 100 biology and chemistry questions bore a striking resemblance to the ‘guess’ that had been circulating before the exam.
NEET UG 2015 was the last time when the NEET exam was completely cancelled. Earlier, Supreme Court in 2013 abolished NEET.
The NEET (UG) 2026 exam will be conducted again on dates to be announced separately. All candidature details and test center preferences submitted for the May 2026 session remain valid and candidates will not have to re-register or pay any additional fee.
Overseas candidates, especially those from the Gulf countries, are concerned about whether the retest will take place at their centers and how the changes may affect their schedules, especially if they are managing multiple entrance exam schedules.
Read also | NEET UG 2026 Leak? The 100+ questions were said to be riddles
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan refused to take any questions from the media on the issue of NEET UG exam being canceled amid allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities.
When was the last NEET exam canceled and why?
NEET UG 2015 was the last time when the NEET exam was completely cancelled. Earlier, the Supreme Court of India in 2013 abolished NEET, which led to medical admissions being conducted through state and private entrance exams in 2015–16, before NEET was reintroduced across the country in 2016.
In 2024, despite allegations of paper leaks and exam irregularities, the Supreme Court refused to cancel the entire exam.
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Unlike the NEET UG 2024 controversy, where the Supreme Court of India rejected demands for a nationwide reexamination of 24 lakh students and ordered a re-examination of only 1,563 candidates who received grace marks, the current case involves a complete cancellation of the exam.
The retest for these 1,563 candidates was held on 23 June 2024. The Supreme Court refused to cancel the entire NEET 2024 examination, saying there was insufficient evidence of a large-scale paper leak to justify a nationwide retest. The allegations were subsequently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Rajasthan ADG says investigation currently focuses on ‘guessing paper’
Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of Rajasthan Police SOG, said on Monday that the investigation is currently focusing on the “guessing” that was allegedly circulating among the students ahead of the exam.
“Regarding the various misconceptions surrounding the NEET examination, let me clarify one particular point: there is a puzzle containing around 410 questions. Of these, around 120 questions are said to have appeared in chemistry,” Bansal said, as reported by PTI.
While the chemistry paper in the exam has 45 questions, the test used four sets of question papers, PTI reported.
“This tip paper is said to have circulated among students well in advance; it started reaching them as early as 15 days to a month before the actual testing. We are investigating based on a guess and it is also available in open domain,” he said.
Exam dates to be announced soon: NTA
NTA said the new exam dates and revised admit card schedule will be announced through official channels in the coming days.
NEET-UG, the unified entrance exam for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses across India, was conducted on May 3 in pencil and paper mode at over 5,400 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. About 22.79 lakh students appeared for the exam.
(With input from agencies)
