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Why was NEET 2026 re-conducted?
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NEET-UG 2026 was re-conducted because the exam held on 3 May 2026 was cancelled after a paper leak. NTA notified a fresh examination on 16 May 2026, and it was held on Sunday 21 June 2026. Only the 21 June exam counts for the 2026 result and for admissions.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 May 2026 | Original NEET-UG 2026 held, later cancelled |
| 6 May 2026 | NTA's provisional answer keys for the original exam |
| 15 May 2026 | Education Minister announces computer-based NEET from 2027 |
| 16 May 2026 | NTA notifies the re-examination and publishes FAQs |
| 17 June 2026 | Admit cards for the re-exam |
| 21 June 2026 | Re-examination, 2:00 to 5:15 PM |
| 16 July 2026 | Result declared |
The CBI took over the investigation into the leak, according to news reports. We do not describe the details of the leak, as the case is for the investigators.
What candidates were told
NTA's FAQ for the re-exam set out these rules:
- No extra fee for the re-exam, and the fee paid for the original exam was to be refunded through a bank-details module.
- Candidates could update their address and give two city choices, so your centre could change.
- No fresh registration was needed.
- The medium of the question paper could not be changed, even for the re-exam.
- The timing was 2:00 to 5:15 PM because the extra 15 minutes were for documentation and verification, not for answering. The answering time stayed at 3 hours.
Who actually appeared
Registered candidates numbered 22,79,743 and 19,99,895 appeared, so roughly 2.8 lakh registered candidates did not sit the re-exam. 11,21,176 qualified. The qualifying score for General and EWS rose to 213, from 144 in 2025. Those figures are as reported from NTA's result press note.
Why the paper you see online matters
If you come across a "NEET 2026 question paper", check which exam it is. The 3 May paper is the cancelled one. Papers and keys that matter for study are from the 21 June re-exam. NTA also warned on 20 July 2026 about fake, altered or AI-generated NEET 2026 documents, so use only the official site.
What changed afterwards
The most visible change was the announcement that NEET will become a computer-based test from 2027, with 720 marks unchanged. The bulletin for 2027 is awaited; read whether NEET 2027 is computer-based for what is confirmed. The pattern itself, 180 questions in 3 hours, is on NEET exam pattern.
Official source
NTA's notice of 16 May 2026 and its FAQs on the re-examination are on nta.ac.in. Results and notices are at neet.nta.nic.in.
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- NEET 2027 computer-based?The Education Minister announced that NEET-UG goes computer-based from 2027 with 720 marks unchanged. What is confirmed, what is not, and how to prepare.
- NEET 2026 result dateThe NEET-UG 2026 (Re-NEET) result came out on 16 July 2026: 22.79 lakh registered, 19.99 lakh appeared, 11.21 lakh qualified. Cut-offs and a 2025 comparison.
- Is NEET held twice a year?NEET-UG has one valid exam per admission cycle. The 2026 re-examination replaced a cancelled exam and was not a second chance. What that means for how you plan.
- NEET exam patternThe NEET-UG pattern: 180 compulsory questions, 720 marks, 3 hours, +4/−1 marking, 13 languages, OMR mode in 2026 and the computer-based test announced for 2027.
More in NEET
- Who runs TN NEET counsellingTamil Nadu NEET counselling is run by the Selection Committee, DME&R, Kilpauk, Chennai. Which seats it fills, what MCC fills instead, and the websites.
- Writing NEET in TamilNEET-UG can be written in Tamil at centres in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. How the bilingual booklet works, which version is final and why the medium is locked.
- TN government MBBS seatsTamil Nadu has 36 government medical colleges with about 5,050 MBBS seats in 2026-27: 753 All India Quota, 4,247 state quota and 50 ward seats.
- TN government MBBS feeIn 2026-27 the MBBS fee in Tamil Nadu government colleges is ₹18,073 a year, of which ₹6,000 is tuition. Plus application, counselling and deposit amounts.
- State Board students and NEETNEET-UG follows the NMC syllabus aligned with NCERT, not a school board, so State Board students sit the same paper. What to check and how to close any gap.
- Other-state students and TN MBBSTamil Nadu's state quota needs a TN Nativity Certificate. Other-state students can compete for the 15% All India Quota, and some count as Open Category.
- Number of questions in NEETNEET-UG has 180 compulsory questions: 45 Physics, 45 Chemistry and 90 Biology, for 720 marks in 3 hours. What changed from the 200-question format.
- NRI and OCI students and NEETNRIs, OCI/PIO cardholders and foreign nationals can apply for NEET-UG. How OCI/PIO candidates are treated in Tamil Nadu and where the NRI quota sits.