NEET, JEE Main, CUET Exams: NTA invites serving, retired officials 'to work as observers'

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has invited online applications from serving and retired government officials, teachers and academics for empanelment as observers to monitor its examinations, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG), Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and other exams.

The NTA observer registration process began on November 7, and eligible candidates can submit their forms through the NTA observer management portal, observermanagement.nta.gov.in, until December 6, 2026.

The public notice states that observers will be deployed for examinations conducted in computer-based test (CBT) and pen-and-paper test (PPT) modes. The agency plans to create a pre-verified pool of observers who can be assigned to examination centres across the country and overseas.

The empanelment will be valid for two years, subject to satisfactory conduct. However, inclusion in the observer panel does not guarantee deployment in every examination cycle.

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NTA Observer Registration 2026: Eligibility criteria

Applications are open to three categories of candidates:

• Category A: Retired central and state government officers who retired from posts above Pay Level 8 under the 7th Central Pay Commission. Applicants must be between 60 and 65 years of age.
• Category B: Retired Indian Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel of the rank of Subedar Major or equivalent and above. Applicants must be up to 65 years old.
• Category C: Serving and retired teachers and professors from government schools, colleges and universities. Retired applicants must be between 60 and 65 years of age. Serving applicants must provide a no-objection certificate from their employer and have no upper age limit while in service.

Applicants must be physically fit, willing to travel outside their headquarters if required, and free from pending disciplinary or vigilance proceedings.

NTA exam observer duties and remuneration

Selected observers will attend a mandatory briefing meeting one day before the examination and report to their assigned centres ahead of the examination reporting time.

Their responsibilities will include monitoring candidate identity verification, frisking procedures, seating arrangements, distribution and collection of examination material, CCTV and webcasting compliance, and electricity backup facilities. They must report examination irregularities, security lapses or malpractice directly to the NTA.

As per the notice, observers will receive Rs 2,000 as remuneration and Rs 1,000 as fixed conveyance for the briefing meeting, taking the total to Rs 3,000. For examination-day duties, they will receive Rs 3,000 as remuneration and Rs 1,000 as conveyance, totalling Rs 4,000.

Separate travel and accommodation reimbursements will be provided for outstation deployments, subject to the prescribed conditions.

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NEET UG 2027 exam mode

The NTA notice includes NEET UG among the examinations covered by its observer empanelment process and refers to both CBT and PPT examinations. However, it does not confirm whether NEET UG 2027 will be conducted online or in the traditional pen-and-paper format.

The Centre had earlier announced that NEET UG would move to computer-based testing from 2027. However, the proposed transition is being reviewed as part of wider examination reforms following the NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy.

The Centre has extended the tenure of the six-member, Nandan Nilekani-led High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms until January 2027. The panel has received more than 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, teachers, academic institutions and other stakeholders on strengthening examination security and preventing paper leaks.