The Ministry of Education is working on a national examination-grade Computer-Based Testing (CBT) infrastructure strategy as the Centre prepares for the possible shift of NEET-UG from its existing pen-and-paper format to an online examination. The plan is aimed at expanding the availability of suitable test centres, standardising their infrastructure and enabling large-scale examinations to move to CBT.
The Centre had earlier announced that NEET-UG would move to CBT from next year following the 2026 paper leak. However, officials have now clarified that the transition is still being worked out and that the final decision will follow the report of the high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. The plan will also require consultation with the Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission.
NTA has already begun identifying centres
The groundwork for a possible shift to CBT is already underway. Earlier this month, the National Testing Agency (NTA) asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to identify government institutions that could be used as computer-based testing centres for NEET-UG. AICTE subsequently sought information from state-run technical universities and government-run AICTE-approved institutions on their available IT infrastructure and space.
The information being sought includes details of computer systems, internet and networking facilities, power backup, CCTV and available space. The exercise is intended to help identify institutions that can meet the requirements for large-scale CBT examinations.
The move follows discussions within the Centre on expanding government-supported examination infrastructure. At a September 1 meeting with the Nilekani-led task force, state governments broadly supported the shift to computer-based examinations and stressed the need for reliable government testing facilities and common infrastructure standards.
What did the earlier committee recommend?
The shift to CBT was also examined by the High-Level Committee of Experts headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, constituted by the Education Ministry in June 2024 after the NEET-UG controversy.
The committee examined examination processes, data security and the functioning of the NTA. Among its recommendations were strengthening the NTA and giving state governments a greater role in conducting national examinations. The NTA later told a parliamentary committee that CBT could reduce vulnerabilities linked to the handling and transportation of physical question papers.
The Rajya Sabha Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, in a report presented in August 2026, recommended a phased transition of NEET-UG from pen-and-paper testing to CBT. It also proposed a Computer-assisted Secure Pen-and-Paper Test (CPPT) as an interim arrangement, involving encrypted, candidate-randomised question papers printed locally in secure rooms. The recommendation is from the parliamentary committee and does not by itself constitute a final government decision.
Why is the infrastructure a concern?
NEET-UG is significantly larger than most examinations already conducted by the NTA in CBT mode. Nearly 25 lakh candidates appear for the medical entrance examination, requiring thousands of centres across the country.
The Centre is therefore looking at the transition as an infrastructure exercise rather than simply a change from OMR sheets to computer screens. The proposed national strategy is intended to address the geographic gap in test-centre availability, establish common examination-grade specifications and use multiple sources of infrastructure.
A senior Ministry of Education official told PTI that a “national examination-grade Computer-Based Testing infrastructure strategy” is being formulated for this purpose. The strategy is under consideration through a multi-model sourcing architecture.
The government is also examining how the transition would affect candidates in rural and poorly connected areas, as well as women candidates.
What is the Nilekani panel looking at?
The High-Powered Task Force headed by Nandan Nilekani was constituted in July to examine reforms in the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those conducted by the NTA. Its mandate covers examination security, technology, infrastructure, accessibility and inclusion.
The panel has consulted students, parents, teachers, academic institutions, subject experts, industry organisations and examination bodies. It has also consulted K Radhakrishnan and held discussions with NTA officials. The Centre told the Supreme Court in September that the panel was expected to submit its first interim report by the end of the month.
NTA Director General Abhishek Singh has separately said that CBT is the future for the agency's examinations and that the infrastructure and security systems need to be strengthened before examinations such as NEET can be conducted online at scale. NTA is also examining the use of AI to identify patterns that could indicate malpractice.
What did the earlier committee recommend?
The move towards computer-based testing was examined by the High-Level Committee of Experts headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, which was constituted by the Education Ministry in June 2024 following the NEET-UG controversy. The committee submitted its report on October 21, 2024 after consultations with stakeholders.
Its recommendations included strengthening the National Testing Agency, establishing institutional links with state governments and involving test-indenting agencies as knowledge and examination partners. It also recommended standard operating procedures to prevent breaches in both pen-and-paper and computer-based examinations, along with protocols for question-paper setting and vetting.
The committee's recommendations have since been followed by changes in the examination system. The government created 16 new posts in the NTA and established district-level coordination committees headed by district collectors for conducting NEET. The government has also decided that examination centres should be located in state government or government-owned buildings, with the parliamentary committee recording that this requirement had been met for 94% of centres.