The National Testing Agency (NTA) is preparing to shift NEET-UG from its traditional pen-and-paper format to a computer-based test (CBT), with NTA Director General Abhishek Singh saying the move will happen “very soon”.
Speaking to media, Singh said NEET is now the only major NTA examination still conducted on paper and described CBT as “the future”. He added that the Nandan Nilekani-led High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms is working on the transition, which will require expanded testing infrastructure and stronger safeguards.
The government has already announced that NEET-UG is planned to move to CBT from 2027, following the disruption surrounding the 2026 examination. The scale of the challenge is considerable: nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for the 2026 re-examination across 5,440 centres in India and 14 centres abroad.
The Centre’s task force is examining examination security, technology, infrastructure, accessibility and student well-being, while state governments have broadly backed a shift towards computer-based examinations and government-supported testing centres.
CBT Move Gathers Momentum
NEET-UG, the country’s common entrance examination for undergraduate medical education, could soon undergo its biggest format change yet. NTA DG Abhishek Singh said on September 13 that the agency would move NEET to CBT “very soon”, noting that its other major examinations are already conducted digitally. “All our examinations are CBT except the NEET examination,” Singh told ANI, adding that the transition would require the country to augment testing infrastructure and build safeguards.
The proposed change comes as the examination continues to cater to a candidate pool of around two million students. In the June 21, 2026 re-examination, close to 20 lakh candidates appeared across 5,440 centres in India and 14 centres abroad, according to the NTA. Singh has also indicated that the agency is examining the use of artificial intelligence for testing and fraud prevention, including analysing examination logs, data and patterns to identify potential irregularities.
For students, however, the transition is about more than replacing an OMR sheet with a computer screen. A CBT system at this scale would require reliable computers, power and connectivity, trained staff, strong cybersecurity and contingency arrangements. It would also have to ensure that students in different parts of the country receive comparable examination conditions.
Why 2027 Matters
The latest announcement builds on a decision already announced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in May. After the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination, Pradhan said the examination would shift to computer-based mode from 2027. At the time, reports indicated that the new system could involve multiple sessions over several days, with normalisation mechanisms to account for variations between papers.
The background to the change is important. The original 2026 examination was cancelled amid a paper-leak controversy, before a re-examination was held on June 21. The re-test itself required extensive security and logistical arrangements, including biometric verification and other safeguards. The NTA later reported that nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared at thousands of centres.
The proposed CBT model is therefore being presented as part of a wider attempt to make high-stakes examinations more secure and less dependent on the movement and handling of physical question papers. However, a digital examination would bring its own challenges, including cyber threats, technical failures, uneven access to quality testing infrastructure and the question of how marks should be normalised if candidates sit the test in multiple shifts.
That is where the Nilekani-led task force becomes significant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms under Nandan Nilekani’s leadership in July 2026.
The government has tasked it with examining the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those conducted by the NTA. Its stated priorities include stronger examination integrity, technology adoption, expanded infrastructure, accessibility and inclusion, and student well-being.
The task force has also been consulting states. At a September 1 meeting, state governments reportedly gave broad support to computer-based entrance examinations while stressing the need for reliable, government-supported testing centres and consistent quality standards. Discussions also included how such infrastructure could be funded sustainably.
The Challenge Beyond Computers
The move to CBT could reduce some vulnerabilities associated with printing, transporting and distributing physical question papers, but technology alone cannot guarantee an examination free from malpractice.
The Education Ministry has previously acknowledged that while CBT can offer greater security than OMR-based testing, cybercrime presents a different set of risks. The latest NTA comments similarly point towards a combination of digital testing, infrastructure expansion, safeguards and data-driven monitoring rather than a simple shift in format.
The NTA’s own recent examination arrangements show the scale of the task. Its official account of the 2026 re-examination records more than 20 lakh candidates across 5,440 domestic centres, including over 10,000 candidates with disabilities, alongside centres abroad. For a future CBT system, comparable accessibility will have to be built into the infrastructure itself.
There is also the question of familiarity. Students who have spent years preparing using books, OMR sheets and paper-based mock tests may need time to adapt to a digital interface. If NEET is conducted across multiple shifts, transparency around question difficulty and normalisation will become equally important. The government has not yet finalised every operational detail of the proposed system, meaning aspirants will need to rely on official NTA notifications rather than speculation circulating online.
Importantly, NEET-UG 2026 remains a paper-based examination cycle; the NTA’s current NEET website continues to list the 2026 examination and its OMR-related notices. The latest “very soon” statement should therefore be understood as an indication of accelerating preparations for the announced future transition, rather than an announcement that the existing examination format is changing immediately.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
For students, the move to computer-based NEET could represent a much-needed modernisation of an examination that determines the future of millions of young people. But reform should not be measured simply by how quickly an exam moves from paper to screen.
The real measure of success will be whether the new system is secure, transparent, accessible and fair to every student regardless of where they live or what resources they have access to. The government, NTA and the Nilekani-led task force have an opportunity to rebuild confidence after years of examination-related controversies, but that trust will come from transparent processes, reliable infrastructure and meaningful accountability.
Also read: Gujarat: At Least 1 Killed, 3 Injured As Three-Storey House Collapses In Ahmedabad
