The National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced a series of candidate-friendly changes for the NEET (UG) 2026 examination, scheduled to be held on June 21, including extending the examination window to 195 minutes and doubling the rough work space available in question paper booklets, the agency said in a public notice on Friday.
The examination window has been extended and will now run from 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
NTA said the revision was based on feedback received from candidates over the years and was designed to account for the time taken up by mandatory examination formalities such as signing attendance sheets and other invigilation procedures.
The agency said the change was intended "to ensure that candidates are able to utilize the intended examination time without feeling that administrative processes are taking away from their opportunity to attempt the paper."
On rough work space, NTA said candidates would now be provided with four rough-work pages in the question paper booklet instead of the earlier two, giving them more room for calculations, diagrams, and other workings during the examination.
The agency also announced a change to the layout of the booklet itself. Previously, rough-work pages were placed only at the end of the booklet — an arrangement that feedback suggested was inconvenient for some candidates, particularly left-handed ones.
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Under the revised design, two rough-work pages have been placed immediately after the instruction page at the beginning of the booklet, with two more continuing to be available at the end. NTA said the revised layout had been incorporated in both English and regional language versions of the question paper.
"NTA believes that even small improvements in examination design can have a positive impact on the experience of candidates during a high-stakes examination," the agency said in its notice, adding that the measures had been introduced "with the objective of making the examination process more comfortable and candidate-friendly while maintaining the highest standards of fairness and security."
Candidates have been advised to read instructions in the Admit Card and Information Bulletin carefully and cooperate with examination staff for the smooth conduct of the exam, NTA said.
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