NEW DELHI, MAY 12 — The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 after central agencies flagged alleged irregularities in the conduct of the test, prompting the Government of India to order a nationwide re-examination and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry.
The cancellation invalidates the earlier examination for all candidates who appeared in the country’s largest undergraduate medical entrance test.
Announcing the decision, the NTA said findings shared by law enforcement agencies had raised “serious concerns” over the integrity of the examination process, making it necessary to scrap the test in the interest of fairness and credibility.
“The present examination process could not be allowed to stand,” the agency said in an official statement, adding that it would extend full cooperation to the CBI during the investigation.
The government has now referred the matter to the CBI for a detailed probe into the alleged irregularities linked to the conduct of the May 3 examination.
To reduce inconvenience for candidates, the NTA said existing registration details and examination centre preferences submitted during the previous cycle would remain valid for the fresh examination. Candidates will not be required to pay any additional fee for the re-test.
The agency further stated that examination fees already collected would be refunded as the re-examination process would be conducted using internal resources.
Fresh dates for the re-conducted examination and the release of new admit cards will be announced through official channels in the coming days.
The NTA also urged students and parents not to rely on unverified social media claims and to follow only official notifications regarding the revised examination schedule and related procedures.