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New Delhi: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET UG), a mandatory entrance exam for admission to medical and other courses, is always in the news even before the official notification is released. The debate over conducting the NEET UG exam in online or offline mode continues, leaving lakhs of candidates in uncertainty.
As the Ministry of Education (MoE) is conducting data analysis to understand the feasibility of conducting the NEET UG entrance exam in online mode, the debate has resumed on whether it would be beneficial to move the entrance exam in CBT mode for students from rural or remote areas.
Aspirants should note that the organiser of NEET UG, National Testing Agency (NTA), has not confirmed whether the upcoming NEET UG exam will be held in online or offline mode. For now, only the deliberations are being done between the education and health ministries on the NEET UG exam mode.
“The data is being analysed to understand if conducting the exam in CBT mode will cause loss to a certain set of students. The data is also being analysed to understand the existing infrastructure and how helpful has been the practice of conducting major exams in CBT mode…whether some students faced disadvantage or not…once the analysis is complete, the same will be discussed with the health ministry,” PTI quoted a senior official as saying.
The idea of shifting the NEET UG entrance exam to the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode is not new and has been discussed many times before. However, it was only after the paper leak controversy last year and NTA's irregularities that the focus shifted to the NEET UG exam in the online mode. The Centre has set up a panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to ensure that the NTA exams are conducted in a transparent, smooth and fair manner.
The 7-member panel report, headed by K Radhakrishnan, suggested that a multi-stage test for NEET-UG is a viable option. It also highlighted the phased shift to online testing with an aim to reduce the risks associated with paper-based tests like NEET. One of the key recommendations from the panel is a hybrid model, where question papers should be transmitted digitally to the examination centres. And students can record their answers on paper. The panel felt that this approach would reduce the number of people involved in administering the question papers.
The debate over whether to conduct the NEET UG exam online or offline is never-ending. For many students, the NEET UG exam format is more than just a format that affects their mental well-being and preparation. The online mode always offers transparency and access to a hassle-free assessment. When it comes to the NEET UG exam in offline mode, this traditional way allows students to avoid thinking too much about technicalities, and also benefits students from remote and rural areas.
“Moving NEET-UG towards a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format is a step in the right direction. It can curb malpractices, speed up evaluation, and enhance transparency. But CBT isn’t just about changing the mode of delivery; it demands a complete ecosystem shift. Today’s exam infrastructure is still not well-suited for large-scale Computer-Based Tests (CBT), with hardware and software gaps leading to cheating, remote access issues, paper delays, and server breakdowns. To overcome these challenges, we urgently need standardised, student-first examination centres with robust digital systems, power backup and trained personnel to ensure fairness and inclusivity. Only when such centres are uniformly accessible, including in rural areas, will CBT truly deliver a stress-free and equitable exam experience for every candidate,” said Ashish Mittal, Director of Innovatiview India Ltd.
On the other side of the coin, many argue that conducting the NEET UG exam in offline mode would allow students to focus on the exam preparation instead of thinking too much about technicalities and attempting mock tests online. As the data analysis is under review between the education and health ministries, the decision on whether the NEET UG in CBT mode or pen-paper mode will be announced while releasing the official information bulletin. Every year, over 22 lakh candidates register for NEET UG entrance exam for admission to a total of 1,08,000 seats for admission to the MBBS and dental courses.
