NEET UG 2026 cancelled: NTA orders re-exam after paper leak, CBI probe
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on 12 May cancelled NEET UG 2026, held on 3 May. The decision came with approval from the Government of India after NTA and central authorities jointly reviewed investigative inputs from law enforcement agencies.
NTA said the decision was taken “to ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of the examination system.” The exam will be re-conducted on dates to be announced separately.
What happened: the paper leak
NTA said it received information suggesting foul play on 7 May, four days after the exam. It referred the matter to central agencies on 8 May for independent verification. The Centre has since ordered a CBI probe.
The Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) found that a handwritten “guess paper” had circulated before test day. News reports differ on the extent of the match. India TV reported that 120 of the 410 questions on the actual exam appeared in the guess paper. Business Today reported the leaked questions covered all 90 Biology items and all 45 Chemistry items, and that the breach originated at a printing facility in Jaipur, with distribution traced to Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Dehradun, and Kerala. According to the same report, about 15 individuals have been questioned.
What this means for candidates
In a post on X, NTA confirmed that candidates do not need to re-register or pay any additional fee. Registration data, candidature details, and exam centre preferences from the May cycle will carry forward to the re-conducted exam. Fees already paid will be refunded. The agency said the re-exam will be “re-conducted using NTA’s internal resources.”
Fresh admit cards will be issued before the rescheduled exam. According to NTA’s pre-exam data, 22.79 lakh candidates had registered for NEET UG 2026 across 5,400+ centres in 551 Indian cities and 14 cities abroad.
Timeline
- 3 May: NEET UG 2026 conducted
- 6 May: NTA released the provisional answer key
- 7 May: NTA received information suggesting the paper was compromised
- 8 May: Matter referred to central agencies for independent verification
- 12 May: NTA cancelled the exam; CBI probe ordered; re-exam announced
What comes next
The CBI will investigate whether the breach involved an organised network and trace how the paper was distributed. NTA will announce re-exam dates and the admit card schedule through its official channels.
For updates, check nta.ac.in and neet.nta.nic.in. For queries: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700 or [email protected].
Turn this guide into a plan
Create a free account to access the college predictor, choice filler, and personalized cutoff analysis.