The Ministry of Education is working on a national examination-grade computer-based testing (CBT) infrastructure strategy that could pave the way for NEET-UG to move from pen-and-paper to online mode, officials said, as reported by PTI.
The plan is aimed at addressing the infrastructure and accessibility challenges involved in shifting India’s largest undergraduate entrance examination to CBT, including the availability of examination centres across the country and standardisation of centre-level facilities.
While the transition is under active consideration, a final decision on the move will be taken after the government receives the recommendations of the Nandan Nilekani-led high-powered task force set up to overhaul India’s public examination system.
“A national examination-grade Computer-Based Testing infrastructure strategy is being formulated to close the geographic gap in test-centre availability, standardise centre-level examination-grade specifications and to permit the migration to CBT from the pen-and-paper mode examinations. The strategy is under active consideration based on a multi-model sourcing architecture,” a senior Ministry of Education official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, already administers several major entrance examinations in CBT mode, including JEE-Main, CUET-UG and PG, UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC-NET. The broader plan is to eventually enable the migration of entrance examinations that are still conducted on paper to computer-based testing.
The proposed shift of NEET-UG, however, involves a significantly larger logistical challenge given the scale of the examination. Nearly 25 lakh candidates appear for NEET each year for admission to medical colleges across the country.
“The possible migration of NEET (UG) from the pen-and-paper mode to CBT, including the design of the transition, the sequencing, the infrastructure prerequisites, and the equity implications for rural, women and low-connectivity-district candidates, is being worked upon.
“However, the recommendations of the High-Level Task Force on exam reforms in structured consultation and concurrence of the Health Ministry and National Medical Commission, are awaited,” the official said.
The move comes as the government undertakes a wider overhaul of the NTA following the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG 2026. The Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case in May over alleged irregularities and unauthorised circulation of documents related to the examination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the high-powered task force under Nilekani’s leadership in July to recommend reforms to the country’s public examination system. The government has said the panel is examining issues including examination security, technology, infrastructure, accessibility and inclusion.
The proposed shift to CBT is not new. The possibility of conducting NEET online has been discussed several times in the past, but the recent examination controversies have given fresh impetus to efforts to overhaul the testing system.
The infrastructure strategy is expected to focus on expanding the pool of examination centres, particularly in areas where adequate computer-based testing facilities are not currently available, while ensuring that centres meet common examination-grade specifications.
Officials are also examining how the transition could affect candidates in rural and low-connectivity districts, as well as women candidates and other groups for whom access to examination centres could pose additional challenges.
NEET-UG is conducted annually by the NTA for admission to undergraduate medical courses. There are around 1.08 lakh MBBS seats in the country, of which approximately 56,000 are in government institutions and about 52,000 in private colleges.
NEET scores are also used for admission to undergraduate courses in dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha.
The NTA has already indicated that CBT is expected to play a larger role in its examination system. The agency’s director general has said the transition of NEET to computer-based testing is being worked on, with infrastructure expansion and safeguards required before the exam can be conducted online at its scale.
The Nilekani-led task force is continuing consultations before submitting its recommendations, with the government seeking inputs from students, parents, teachers, academic institutions, subject experts and examination bodies. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)
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