The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), the highly-competitive medical entrance that has been plagued by controversies, is preparing for a shift to computer-based testing (CBT) format from 2027.
The move comes after mounting scrutiny following the NEET 2024 controversy, subsequent recommendations of the K. Radhakrishnan Committee, which examined reforms to strengthen the examination process, and the paper leak this year.
Experts say the shift is fundamentally about restoring trust in a high-stakes examination taken by over 2.2 million students every year. NEET has always been held in offline pen-and-paper mode, built around a familiar ritual of black ballpoint pens, bubbling OMR (optical mark recognition) sheets and examination halls packed with anxious aspirants chasing a medical seat.
That’s now set to change. “The government has chosen the CBT model because it reduces vulnerabilities associated with the traditional paper-based process,” says Venkat Raman Umarkant, chief business officer, HireMee, an online assessment platform.
Since CBT question papers would no longer require large-scale printing and physical transportation, the possibility of leaks through printing presses or distribution chains could reduce significantly.
However, experts caution that technology alone cannot guarantee fairness. “If the source itself is contaminated, changing the delivery system alone can’t solve the problem,” says Dr Anand Mani, founder of Dr Anand Mani Residential Coaching and Mentorbox.ai, a platform for NEET preparation. “The question-setting process itself needs stronger monitoring, decentralisation and accountability.”
Both experts stress that the reform must go beyond replacing paper with screens. Encryption protocols, secure paper creation systems, tighter rules and continuous monitoring would become equally critical. The biggest challenge will be fairness across multiple shifts of the exam.
Unlike the current single-session OMR exam, the CBT format would require NEET to be conducted across multiple sessions because of the sheer scale of candidates and limited number of testing centres. That creates a new challenge. “If examinations happen across multiple shifts, maintaining absolute parity in difficulty becomes extremely challenging,” says Dr Mani.
In such cases, the National Testing Agency (NTA) may need to adopt a normalisation model similar to JEE Main (engineering entrance), where scores are adjusted according to session difficulty and candidate performance. But this is where the concerns intensify. “The same raw score may produce different percentiles or rankings,” notes Umarkant. “Even small differences in marks can create massive rank swings in a highly competitive exam like NEET.”
Experts, therefore, warn that unless the process is transparent and scientifically calibrated, litigation and public scrutiny could increase significantly. “We have already seen students complain about easier and tougher shifts in exams like JEE Main,” says Dr Mani. “In NEET, where every four marks can alter admission outcomes, perceptions of unfairness become even more serious.”
Both experts believe the NTA’s biggest responsibility will be ensuring uniform question quality, calibrated difficulty levels and transparent communication around ranking methodologies. While urban students increasingly practise through online mock platforms, hundreds of thousands of NEET aspirants still prepare through handwritten notes, textbooks and offline coaching classes.
For many students from rural or low-digital access backgrounds, the real challenge may be the computer screen itself. “Many students may have limited exposure to computers and CBT interfaces, and could face a psychological disadvantage,” says Umarkant.
Dr Mani agrees. “For some students, NEET could become the first time they are sitting in front of a computer for a high-stakes examination. That would not be fair,” he emphasises.
Experts warn that unless the transition is carefully managed, CBT could unintentionally widen educational inequity between urban and rural aspirants. To prevent that, they recommend large-scale familiarisation programmes before implementation. The suggested measures include free mock tests, demo portals, practice centres in rural districts and awareness campaigns explaining the CBT interface.
“NTA and edtech players will have to work hand in hand,” says Dr Mani. “Students should be able to practise exactly how to navigate the interface, mark answers for review and manage time digitally.”
The transition may also reshape student behaviour and preparation strategies. Interestingly, experts say CBT could reduce certain disadvantages associated with OMR-based exams. Students would no longer spend valuable minutes filling bubbles or worrying about shading errors. “In CBT mode, students may effectively save 10-15 minutes otherwise spent on OMR filling,” says Dr Mani.
But repeat aspirants accustomed to years of pen-and-paper practice may initially struggle to adapt, while first-time candidates raised in digital environments could adjust more naturally. For now, students remain cautiously optimistic.
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