NTA announces ‘student-friendly’ measures for NEET-UG 2026 re-examination

THe subject Testing government agency (NTA) on fri proclaimed a serial of student-friendly measures for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026, including additional 15 minutes, more rough pages, and redesigned booklet layout.The testing agency in a notice dated June 12, said the examination duration has been extended to 195 minutes from usual 180 minutes, with the test in pen-and-paper mode now running from 2pm to 5:15pm.The revised timing includes mandatory procedures such as attendance marking and other invigilation formalities, allowing candidates to utilise the full examination time without administrative processes cutting into it.In his first statement after NTA on May 12 cancelled NEET-UG 2026 (held on May 3) following paper leak allegations, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 15 had said that candidates will get 15 extra minutes to write their re-examination of NEET on June 21.Also Read: NEET-UG 2026 re-exam: NTA releases city intimation slips for June 21, here’s how to downloadThe agency has also increased the space available for rough work in the question booklet. Candidates will now get four rough-work pages instead of two, providing more room for calculations, diagrams and other workings during the examination.In another change, two rough-work pages have been shifted to the beginning of the booklet, immediately after the instruction page, while two pages will continue to be available at the end.Earlier, rough pages were provided only at the end, an arrangement that candidates, particularly left-handed examinees, had found less convenient, according to the agency.The revised layout has been incorporated in both English and regional language versions of the question paper.“NTA believes that even small improvements in examination design can have a positive impact on the experience of candidates during a high-stakes examination,” the agency said, adding that the changes were aimed at making the process more comfortable while maintaining fairness and security standards.NTA said the changes were introduced after receiving feedback from candidates over the years.NEET-UG is the single medical entrance examination for admission to MBBS and other UG medical courses.NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 on May 12, nine days after around 2.27 million candidates appeared for the examination. Investigators later found that questions had reached the phones of some candidates as early as May 1, two days before the test. A fresh examination is scheduled for June 21.