Is NEET 2026 going to be CBT?
The Supreme Court of India refused to conduct Computer Based Test of RE-NEET Exam
On June 1, 2026, the Supreme Court of India declined a plea to direct the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format.
Key Details of the Decision
Court Ruling: A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar refused the request, citing the practical difficulties of altering the examination mode at this late stage, especially given the significant pressure and administrative challenges the NTA is currently facing.
Status of the Exam: The ruling effectively ensures that the re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026, will proceed in the traditional pen-and-paper mode.
Procedural Outcome: The Supreme Court has deferred the consideration of the broader plea (which also sought systemic reforms and the potential replacement of the NTA) until after the court's vacation in July 2026.
Reasoning: The court observed that it had already dismissed similar pleas in the past. The justices emphasized that the authorities are already working under immense pressure to re-conduct the exam following the initial cancellation due to allegations of a paper leak, and introducing a new testing format now is not feasible.
Context
The original NEET-UG 2026 exam, held on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 following reports of widespread paper leaks. The CBI is currently conducting an investigation into the matter.
While the NTA has informed the Supreme Court that it plans to transition to a CBT mode for NEET-UG starting from the next examination cycle, it stated that the infrastructure and logistical requirements for such a shift could not be implemented in time for the upcoming June 21 re-test.
The NTA has assured the court that the June 21 re-examination will be conducted with enhanced security measures, including AI-powered CCTV monitoring, Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, and mobile jammers at all centers.
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