The cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) NEET (UG) 2026 examination has triggered anger and anxiety among Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) aspirants across the country, with students questioning the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and lamenting the uncertainty caused by yet another paper leak controversy.
The NTA on Tuesday announced that it has cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and will re-conduct the national-level medical entrance test on dates to be notified separately.
In a five-point statement, the agency said the decision was taken after inputs received, along with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that “the present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”
The announcement has left lakhs of aspirants grappling with frustration, especially those who had performed well in the cancelled examination.
Abhishek Verma, an aspirant from Lucknow, said he was expecting a high score based on the provisional answer key released by NTA on May 6 and had hoped to secure admission to a government medical college.
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“Based on the provisional answer keys, I was scoring 620 marks out of 720 and I would have got admission in a government medical college for studying MBBS. Now I have to study again for the examination and score similar or more marks as the paper might be tougher than the one held on May 3,” he said.
Calling the development “demotivating”, Verma said restarting the intense preparation cycle would be mentally exhausting.
“The last month of preparation is very difficult. We have to remain consistent and study with full dedication to give our best in those three hours. It is not certain that I will be able to perform as well again because my mental state has been affected by the paper leak controversy,” he said.
Verma said he had scored over 640 marks in NEET 2024 but could not secure admission due to soaring cut-offs after the controversy in that year.
“It is not justified to cancel the exam as hardworking students like us will suffer despite no fault of ours. NTA and other agencies must fix accountability of their officials so that we do not suffer injustice,” he added.
Another aspirant from Lucknow, Shashank Maurya, said the cancellation has added to the distress of serious candidates who have repeatedly appeared for the highly competitive examination.
“It was my fifth NEET attempt. Despite scoring marks good enough to get a government medical college, students like me often lose out because solver gangs help others get papers in advance, enabling them to secure seats unfairly,” he alleged.
“The re-exam could weed out candidates involved in this year’s alleged paper leak, but it will create problems for students like me who have to study again with full focus without any surety that we will be able to score similarly. The paper may also be tougher this time,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police launched a probe into allegations of leaked questions in the NEET-UG 2026, days after receiving intelligence about a question bank circulated online which had at least 120 questions from chemistry and biology also featured in the examination, officers said.
A guess paper is a document listing probable questions for upcoming exams. They are generally created by experts or teachers, based on patterns of question trends and repetitions.
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A standard NEET-UG question paper carries 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions for a total of 720 marks, with 90 questions from Biology (45 each from Botany and Zoology) and 45 questions each from Physics and Chemistry. Each correct answer carries four marks, while one mark is deducted for every incorrect response. Unattempted questions carry no marks. The examination is conducted in offline mode and candidates are given three hours to complete it.
The NTA on Tuesday said the Union government has decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations. The agency added that fresh examination dates and the schedule for re-issued admit cards will be communicated through its official channels in the coming days. The registration data, candidature, and examination centres opted for in the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward to the re-conducted examination, according to the NTA.
NEET (UG), conducted annually in pen-paper mode by the NTA, is the single largest entrance examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses across India. Over 2.2 million students appeared for NEET-UG 2026.
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