Listen To This Post

New Delhi:  In a significant reform aimed at restoring confidence in India’s largest medical entrance examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from the next examination cycle, replacing the traditional pen-and-paper format.

The announcement comes in the wake of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, which led to the unprecedented cancellation of the May 3 examination and triggered nationwide outrage among students, parents, and education experts.

The NTA submitted before a Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, which is hearing a batch of petitions concerning the paper leak, examination irregularities and demands for structural reforms in the country’s examination system.

High-Level Committee recommends major overhaul.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the NTA said a High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE), constituted to review examination processes and security mechanisms, had recommended a complete transition of NEET-UG from the current Pen-and-Paper Test (PPT) mode to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format.

The committee has also proposed introducing a multi-session, multi-stage testing mechanism to strengthen examination integrity further and reduce the risk of leaks or malpractice.

“The High-Level Committee of Experts has specifically recommended the transition of NEET (UG) from PPT to CBT mode along with the introduction of multi-session and multi-stage testing,” the NTA said in its affidavit.

According to the agency, the recommendations have been accepted in principle, and the transition will be implemented after consultations with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the nodal ministry for the NEET examination, and the National Medical Commission (NMC).

NEET was the last major NTA exam still conducted offline

The NTA informed the court that NEET-UG was the only major national-level entrance examination under its jurisdiction still conducted in pen-and-paper mode.

Other major examinations, including engineering, management and recruitment tests conducted by the agency, have already shifted to digital platforms over the years.

The agency explained that NEET continued in offline mode largely because of the examination framework prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission.

With the proposed transition, all major examinations conducted by the NTA will now be brought under a unified computer-based testing framework.

Reform follows historic cancellation.

The decision assumes significance because it follows one of the biggest examination controversies in recent years.

NEET-UG 2026, conducted on May 3 across 551 Indian cities and 14 overseas centres for nearly 23 lakh candidates, was cancelled after investigative agencies uncovered evidence suggesting that portions of the question paper had been leaked before the examination.

Subsequent investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) led to the registration of multiple cases and the arrest of several individuals across several states.

The controversy sparked widespread criticism of the examination system and renewed concerns regarding the security of high-stakes entrance tests.

CBT mode expected to enhance security

Education experts believe the transition to a computer-based examination will significantly strengthen security mechanisms.

Under the CBT model:

• Question papers can be encrypted digitally.
• Different candidates can receive different question sets.
• Real-time monitoring becomes easier.
• Risks associated with the physical transportation and storage of question papers are eliminated.
• Data analytics can help identify suspicious patterns instantly.

Experts also point out that conducting examinations in multiple sessions could reduce logistical challenges associated with organising a single-day examination for more than 20 lakh candidates.

Supreme Court hearing reform-related petitions.

The affidavit was filed pursuant to an earlier Supreme Court order seeking details regarding reforms proposed by the NTA following the paper leak controversy.

The court is currently hearing several petitions, including demands for:

• Comprehensive restructuring of the NTA.
• Creation of an independent and autonomous examination authority.
• Stronger accountability mechanisms.
• Enhanced examination security protocols.
• Judicial monitoring of reforms in national entrance examinations.

Petitioners have argued that recurring paper leaks and examination scandals have eroded public confidence in India’s competitive examination system and require structural intervention.

Relief for future aspirants, challenges remain.

While the move towards a computer-based examination is being viewed as a major step toward modernising the country’s testing ecosystem, experts caution that the transition will require substantial infrastructure upgrades, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

Ensuring adequate computer centres, reliable internet connectivity, trained staff and uniform testing conditions across the country will remain critical challenges.

For millions of future medical aspirants, however, the proposed shift marks the beginning of what could be the most significant transformation in the history of the NEET examination, aimed at making the process more secure, transparent and resistant to organised examination fraud.