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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that NEET-UG will move to a computer-based test format
May 15, 2026: NEET-UG will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year instead of the traditional pen-and-paper format, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday. The decision comes days after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following allegations of a major paper leak linked to the examination conducted on May 3.
Addressing a press conference, Pradhan said the government was taking responsibility for a “breach in command” despite implementing recommendations made by the Radhakrishnan Committee. He stated that the root cause of repeated leak concerns was the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)-based examination system and confirmed that the shift to CBT would help strengthen security and transparency in the examination process.
The minister also announced that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination would be held on June 21, with candidates receiving an additional 15 minutes to complete the test. Admit cards for the re-exam will be released by June 14. According to Pradhan, students had raised concerns that formalities such as signing OMR sheets reduced their effective writing time, prompting the decision to extend the duration.
Pradhan said the Central Bureau of Investigation would conduct a deep probe into the paper leak allegations and assured that “no one will be spared.” Investigators have reportedly traced the leak to a source within the National Testing Agency, according to submissions made before a Delhi court. The controversy erupted after more than 120 questions in a circulated “guess paper” were found to overlap with the actual examination paper.
The cancellation of the examination has affected over 2.2 million students across the country and triggered widespread anxiety among aspirants. The government has announced that examination fees will be refunded to candidates appearing for the re-test. Pradhan also expressed grief over the deaths of two students by suicide following the exam cancellation, saying the government must ensure such incidents are not repeated in the future.