NEET UG 2027 likely to be a CBT held over 5-6 days; NTA revamp planned: Report

The country's largest medical entrance exam National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET UG) is expected to be conducted in computer-based test (CBT) from 2027 for five to six days, The Indian Express reported. Almost 1,000 examination centres in about 500 cities are being looked at for the new exam.

The proposed model is expected to seat around 5 lakh candidates daily. The changes are part of the NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy, which led to the cancellation of the original May 3 exam and a re-test was held on June 21st. The incident sparked nationwide protests and led to an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Government plans major NTA revamp

The Ministry of Education is also in the process of a pan-Indian overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA), according to The Indian Express. The planned reform will encompass organisational structure, technological infrastructure, examination systems and the entire operational procedures of the agency.

According to the report, the officials said they are going to change the entire NTA’s organisation from top to bottom.The restructuring is expected to happen before October and the agency currently has about 150 sanctioned posts.

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Committee recommendations behind reforms

The changes are recommended by the seven-member committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, which was set up by the centre in 2024 following an earlier NEET paper leak, The Indian Express reported.

The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier said that in 2027, the NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted online, following the committee's recommendations, and will replace the traditional pen-paper test.

CBT to be held in stages

The proposed system will allow for an average of 500 candidates per examination centre, daily, the Indian Express report says. Once the restructuring process by NTA is finalized, a detailed notification containing the schedule, shifts, and cities notified and other operational guidelines will be released.

Also read NEET PG 2026: Revised pattern, tie-break rules trigger questions; NMC assures fair exam

The report also noted that officials of the Ministry of Education and NTA have recently given a briefing to the parliamentary standing committee on Education, women, children, youth and sports on the measures they were taking to enhance the conduct of the national level entrance examinations.

A probe into the paper leak

In response to the ongoing investigation into the latest NEET UG paper leak, it has been informed to The Indian Express by officials that the investigation into the matter is ongoing. If anyone is responsible, they will be held to account harshly, it was added, and nobody involved in the offence will be spared if found guilty.