3 May 2026 NEET UG Exam Cancelled Following Alleged ‘Guess Paper’ Leak; CBI Probe Ordered

Key Points:

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced that the NEET UG 2026 examination, which was held on May 3, 2026, has been cancelled. The decision came after allegations of a large-scale paper leak and irregularities linked to a leaked “guess paper.” The move follows growing controversy, investigations, and concerns regarding the credibility of one of India’s biggest entrance examinations and the repeated news of paper leak allegations.

Around 22.7 lakh candidates had registered for NEET UG 2026, and the examination was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The controversy began after a probe was launched by the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) into a handwritten “guess paper” that allegedly contained strong similarities to the actual NEET question paper. According to investigators, the document contained more than 400 questions, out of which over 100 reportedly matched or closely resembled the questions asked in the examination.

As per reports, the material had started circulating among students in Rajasthan’s Sikar area from May 1, 2026, nearly two days before the examination. The matter has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed inquiry.

See Also: Dharmendra Pradhan keeps close watch as 23 candidates appear in NEET UG 2026

Earlier, in a post on X, the NTA had maintained that the examination was conducted under a “full security protocol,” which included GPS-tracked transportation of question papers, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring, biometric verification, and 5G jammers at examination centres.

However, the exams were later cancelled after the agency received inputs from central agencies and investigative findings shared by law enforcement authorities. The NTA confirmed that a re-examination would now be conducted. The dates for the re-examination and the reissued admit cards will be announced through the official channels of the agency.

On May 12, 2026, the NTA made another post stating that it was a continuation of the statement released on May 10, 2026. The agency explained that after reviewing information provided by central agencies and findings shared by investigating authorities, it concluded that there were serious concerns regarding the integrity and transparency of the NEET UG 2026 examination.

The statement said “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 and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026.”

See Also: SC to hear PIL challenging reduction in qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG on April 28

The agency further stated “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.”

According to the statement, the fees already paid by candidates will be refunded, while the re-examination will be conducted using the agency’s internal resources. The NTA also urged students and parents to rely only on official announcements regarding the new examination dates and admit cards.

Many people condemned the decision and criticised the NTA in the comments section of its post. One user wrote, “#NTAHataao nhi chahiye aisi agency! Btw - This isn't your school test.” Another commented, “I THINK NTA SHOULD QUIT. They are not able to conduct one exam properly and they tweet that they are 10 step ahead.”

Several students also demanded a fast and transparent investigation. One user wrote, “When integrity of exam is in question at this level, Govt must do rapid investigation and declare within a week if the exams were fair or arrange complete re-exam immediately ensuring fairness. Students who have studied will shine again because class is permanent.”

Another user wrote, “NTA should find out which private coaching institutes were involved and punish all faculty and owners of these corrupt and unethical coaching centres.”

Suggested Reading: