Education Minister Announces Major Changes in NEET Examination Process
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the NEET examination will be conducted in computer-based mode from next year, marking a major change in the format of India’s largest medical entrance test.
The announcement comes ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, which is scheduled to be held on June 21 following the cancellation of the earlier test amid controversy and paper leak allegations.
The minister said the move to a computer-based examination system is aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and security in the conduct of the national-level medical entrance exam.
NEET Re-Exam Admit Cards to Be Released by June 14
Providing an update for students appearing in the upcoming re-test, Dharmendra Pradhan said fresh admit cards for the NEET re-examination will be issued by June 14.
Candidates will be able to download their hall tickets through the official examination portal before the June 21 examination.
The minister also announced special relaxations for aspirants appearing in the re-exam, stating that students will be allowed to choose their preferred examination centres.
“For NEET re-exam, candidates will be provided an opportunity to choose their own exam centre,” Pradhan said while addressing the media.
Extra 15 Minutes to Be Given to Candidates
In another important decision, the Education Minister confirmed that NEET aspirants appearing for the re-examination will receive an additional 15 minutes during the test.
Officials said the extra time has been introduced to ensure smoother conduct of the examination process and provide relief to candidates appearing under revised arrangements.
The June 21 re-exam is expected to witness stricter security protocols and enhanced monitoring after the earlier NEET examination was cancelled following allegations of irregularities.
Shift to Digital Exams Seen as Major Reform
Education experts believe the decision to move NEET to a computer-based format from next year could significantly reduce the chances of paper leaks and logistical issues associated with large-scale offline examinations.
The National Testing Agency is expected to release detailed guidelines regarding the revised digital examination pattern, technical requirements and centre infrastructure in the coming months.
