NEET UG 2026: NEET exam time increased to 195 minutes, students will get 4 rough-work pages
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced student-friendly measures for NEET (UG) 2026, including additional rough-work space and extended exam times.
The medical entrance exam, NEET-UG, will be rescheduled for June 21. According to the NTA, the exam will be held from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM, with a total duration of 195 minutes. The exam time has been extended by 15 minutes.
The NTA stated that the extended examination window is designed to facilitate the completion of monitoring formalities at the start and end of the exam, such as the need for signatures, which candidates previously felt reduced their effective working time.
The NTA has also increased the number of pages provided for rough work in the question paper booklet from two to four, providing candidates with more space for calculations and reasoning. The agency stated, “Candidates can use the rough work pages provided at the beginning and end of the booklet for this purpose.”
In another change, the NTA has redesigned the rough work page placement to accommodate left-handed candidates. Previously, rough work pages were provided only at the end of the booklet. In the revised format, for both the English and regional language versions of the question papers, the rough work pages are provided at the beginning of the booklet, immediately after the instructions page, and at the end. In addition to the two additional rough work pages, the rough work pages are provided at the end, immediately after the instructions page. will be.
The NTA statement said, “The booklet now has rough-work space on both the front and back, allowing each candidate to use it comfortably, and this is especially helpful for left-handed candidates, who constitute approximately 10% of the total.”
The NTA said these steps demonstrate its recognition that small, well-thought-out changes to the exam design can make a significant difference to a candidate’s comfort during the demanding exam hours. The statement said, “The NTA reiterates its commitment to conducting the NEET (UG) 2026 in a fair, secure, and candidate-friendly manner and to continuously improve the exam experience for the millions of candidates who appear.”
The NEET-UG entrance exam for admission to medical courses was held on May 3 this year, but the government canceled the exam on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating the paper leak case.
