NEET-UG 2026 conducted on May 3 canceled after paper leak
What's the story
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has canceled the NEET UG 2026 exam, which was conducted on May 3. The decision comes after allegations of a "guess paper" leak in Rajasthan. "On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination," it said.
CBI investigation
CBI probe ordered into 'guess paper' leak
The Government of India has now ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. The NTA said the CBI will look into how the alleged "guess paper" was leaked before the exam and if there was any organized malpractice involved. It has assured full cooperation with the investigation by providing all necessary records and data.
Twitter Post
Read order here
National Testing Agency- "The Government of India has further decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations therein. NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records, and… pic.twitter.com/3wPDmXSMXh
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
Re-examination
Re-exam to be conducted on new dates
The NTA has also confirmed that a re-examination for NEET UG 2026 will be conducted on new dates, which will be announced soon. The agency further said it would not require fresh registration from candidates and no additional examination fee would be charged. Fees already paid will be refunded to the students and the exam will be re-conducted using NTA's internal resources. Existing registration data and exam centers will remain valid for the re-exam.
Rajasthan
120 questions from NEET UG appeared in 'guess paper'
Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) earlier said that it was investigating the leak after it found a "guess paper' with as many as 120 questions, which appeared in the actual exam. "There is a 'guess paper' with 410 questions. Of those 410 questions, it is said that about 120 questions appeared in chemistry. And this guess paper was with students weeks before the examination, as far back as a month," Vishal Bansal, ADGP, SOG, said.
NTA
Remain committed to fair, secure, and credible examinations: NTA
After the leak, the NTA said it "remains committed to fair, secure, and credible examinations and to working closely with all investigating agencies in support of the integrity of the examination system." It said that four days after the examination on May 7, it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice activity around the examination. "These inputs were escalated by NTA to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for independent verification and necessary action," it added.