Unified entrance exam may replace JEE, NEET: Report

A proposal to introduce a common entrance examination for admissions to engineering and medical courses is under consideration, according to The Economic Times . The common test could replace separate national-level entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The ET report highlights that the proposed common entrance test may include separate subject sections- mathematics for JEE aspirants and biology for NEET candidates, all under a single examination structure.

The issue was discussed in a meeting of a parliamentary panel led by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA), including director general Abhishek Singh and higher education secretary Vineet Joshi, informed the committee about changes in exam rules after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy.

Also read ‘Most incompetent agency’: Re-NEET 2026 sparks student anger against NTA; 'unfair, harassment' say aspirants

The committee was told that the proposal is still being discussed and is not final yet. Officials also said they will talk to all concerned people before making a final decision.

Unified NEET-JEE proposal linked to NTA reforms

According to the ET , panel members raised concerns about responsibility, system failures, and the need for stronger measures to prevent exam paper leaks in the future. Officials told the committee that new security steps are being planned to make the examination system more secure and “foolproof” .

The report also said that the government may set limits on the number of students who can take the exam and may also introduce age rules for medical aspirants. This is being considered to make NEET similar to other national-level entrance exams, the report suggests.

Officials also discussed plans to slowly reduce the use of outside agencies for setting question papers and conducting exams. The NTA is reportedly developing its own software and systems to handle examinations on its own.

The parliamentary panel also asked for more details about moving to NEET computer-based tests (CBT) . They wanted clarity on whether the infrastructure is ready, how often exams will be held, and how long the tests will last.

Also read Same Exam, Old Nightmare: NEET 2026 cancelled, paper-leak probe, NTA reform, re-neet – the story so far

Panel discusses reforms after NEET-UG leak

NEET UG will fully move to computer-based tests from next year as part of wider exam reforms. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced this soon after the re-NEET date was announced.

The report suggests that different exam models, like holding exams in multiple sessions or stages, are being considered. These changes are aimed at making exams more flexible and reducing risks in important high-stakes tests, as reported by ET .

Officials told the committee that stricter safety measures have been introduced after the alleged NEET-UG paper leak . These reforms aim to make the national testing system more secure, fair, and transparent.

“The Centre’s next steps, especially on a unified entrance examination, will depend on discussions with stakeholders and the final details of the NTA reform plan ,” the report reads.