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The NEET UG 2026 exam, held on May 3, has been cancelled due to allegations of a paper leak. The National Testing Agency will announce new dates for a re-examination, while the CBI investigates the irregularities surrounding the exam.
The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately. (Representative Image)(PTI)The National Testing Agency on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”. The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.
What did NTA say?
In a statement on X, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
“On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately,” the agency said.
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The NEET (UG) 2026 examination was cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) due to allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities. The decision was made in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
The cancellation followed inputs examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies and investigative findings shared by law enforcement agencies. Reports indicated that over 100 questions from Biology and Chemistry showed striking similarities to a 'guess paper' circulated before the exam.
The NEET UG 2015 was the most recent instance when the NEET exam was entirely scrapped. Earlier, the Supreme Court had invalidated NEET in 2013.
The NEET (UG) 2026 examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. All candidature details and examination-centre preferences submitted for the May 2026 session remain valid, and candidates will not have to register again or pay an additional fee.
Overseas candidates, particularly those from Gulf countries, are concerned about whether the re-examination will be conducted at their centres and how the changes might affect their schedules, especially if they are managing multiple entrance examination schedules.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan refused to take any questions from the media on the issue of the NEET UG exam, which has been cancelled following allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities.
When was the last time the NEET exam was cancelled? And why?
The NEET UG 2015 was the most recent instance when the NEET exam was entirely scrapped. Earlier, the Supreme Court of India had invalidated NEET in 2013, leading medical admissions in 2015–16 to be conducted through state and private entrance examinations before NEET was reintroduced across the country in 2016.
In 2024, despite claims of paper leaks and exam irregularities, the Supreme Court declined to annul the entire examination.
Unlike the NEET UG 2024 controversy, where the Supreme Court of India rejected demands for a nationwide re-examination for 24 lakh students and ordered a retest only for 1,563 candidates who received grace marks, the current case involves a complete cancellation of the exam.
The re-test for those 1,563 candidates was held on June 23, 2024. The Supreme Court declined to scrap the entire NEET 2024 exam, stating that there was insufficient evidence of a widespread paper leak to justify a nationwide retest. The allegations were subsequently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Rajasthan ADG says investigation currently focused on ‘guess paper’
Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Rajasthan Police's SOG, had said on Monday that a probe is currently focused on a "guess paper" that was allegedly circulated among students ahead of the examination.
"Regarding the various misconceptions surrounding the NEET examination, let me clarify one specific point: there is a guess paper containing approximately 410 questions. Out of these, it is alleged that roughly 120 questions appeared in Chemistry," Bansal had said, as reported by PTI.
While the Chemistry paper in the exam carries 45 questions, the test used four sets of question papers, PTI reported.
“It is reported that this guess paper had been circulating among the students well in advance; it began reaching them as early as 15 days to a month prior to the actual examination. We are investigating on the basis of the guess paper and it is also available in open domain,” he had said.
Examination dates to be announced soon: NTA
The NTA said fresh examination dates and the revised admit card schedule would be announced through official channels in the coming days.
NEET-UG, the single entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses across India, was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode across over 5,400 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Around 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination.
(With inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Mausam Jha
Mausam Jha is a journalist who focuses on world affairs and politics. She provides clear, informative reporting with a good understanding of both global events and their local impact. <br><br> Her clear, accessible reporting on political and international issues makes her a trusted source of news and analysis. <br><br> For the past three years, Mausam has worked with Mint, covering national politics, IR—including elections—and global affairs.<br> Before joining her current role, she gained experience working with The Statesman, ANI, and Financial Express, where she honed her skills in political and international news. <br><br> She has consistently tracked key electoral battles, including US elections, Japan elections, policy debates, and strategic affairs, explaining how global currents, from great power competition to regional conflicts <br><br> Beyond journalism, Mausam has a deep engagement with international relations, diplomacy, war studies, terrorism, political history, and political theory. She is particularly interested in the intersection of statecraft and society on how governance, ideology, and institutions shape lived realities, and how politics shape today's world order. <br><br> An avid reader of classical literature and political thought, she constantly explores the connections between historical ideas and contemporary policy challenges.
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