BT Explainer | Not so NEET: The challenges of conducting an online exam for medical entrance

Days after the NEET-UG 2026 exam was cancelled following a "guess paper" leak, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said that NEET should be shifted to a computer-based test system from next year as it will prevent future leaks. But will it?

Students and parents aren't convinced as moving millions of medical aspirants to a digital exam is no simple task — and history shows that online exams aren't immune to fraud either. For millions of medical aspirants already shaken by repeated NEET controversies, the big question remains: can India actually pull off a leak-proof online NEET?

Here's what the shift really means, and whether it can actually fix India's most controversial entrance exam.

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Why was the NEET-UG exam cancelled? 

The NEET-UG 2026 exam was cancelled after an alleged "guess paper" was leaked on social media and messaging platforms before the exam. According to investigators, nearly 120 questions in Biology and Chemistry from the leaked paper matched the actual question paper. 

Why is Dharmendra Pradhan vouching for CBT?

In his press conference, Pradhan called the computer-based test a "better version than OMR" as paper sheets are susceptible to physical tampering, damage, loss, or manipulation during sorting or transportation.

A computer-based test system would remove the physical paper trail, which, according to the CBI, made the 2026 paper leak possible from the printing press in Nashik. According to officials, the benefits of conducting the exam online include better protection against paper leaks, stronger impersonation control, a digital audit trail, and faster result processing. 

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About the new CBT format

The new CBT format is likely to have at least 20 sessions spread across 10 days to accommodate around 23 lakh candidates, as per media reports. Candidates would no longer mark their answers on OMR sheets, but directly on computer terminals at designated centres, just like other entrance tests like JEE and CUET. 

On the issue of score normalisation, an official told Times of India, "Normalisation is already practised for JEE, and we have a template for that. However, NTA will also work on it to ensure fairness."

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But, is it a cakewalk? 

Absolutely not. Online exams are not leak-proof as impersonators use either deepfakes or stolen IDs to bypass the standard biometric verification systems. Tech-savvy candidates bypass secure browser locks using virtual machines or hardware HDMI splitters. 

Massive concurrent traffic spikes from candidates during the exam can crash exam platform servers. 

Moreover, conducting an online medical entrance exam for around 23 lakh students would require massive infrastructure expansion — more computer terminals, stable internet connectivity, and setting up more exam centres. 

There are also concerns over the digital divide in rural areas, unequal access to computers/internet, cybersecurity risks, and fair score normalisation across multiple shifts. Besides, automated proctoring systems flag harmless eye movements or background noises, causing candidates to panic. 

Storing sensitive biometric data and video recordings creates massive risks for cybersecurity breaches.