New Delhi, June 12: In a public notice issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 12, 2026, the agency announced a series of student-friendly measures for the conduct of NEET (UG) 2026, scheduled for June 21, aimed at making the examination experience easier and more comfortable for every candidate.
Among the key measures announced are an extended examination window, additional space for rough work, and a redesigned question-paper booklet for left-handed candidates.
The examination will be conducted from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM, a window of 195 minutes. This window is designed to accommodate the invigilation formalities at the start and end of the examination, such as the signing requirements, which candidates earlier felt reduced their effective working time. By setting the window at 195 minutes inclusive of these formalities, NTA has ensured that the time available to candidates for the examination is protected.
NTA has also doubled the number of pages provided for rough work in the question-paper booklet, from two pages to four pages, giving candidates more room to work through calculations and reasoning.
Earlier, the rough-work pages were provided only at the end of the booklet. While this suited right-handed candidates, who could fold the booklet back and work on the last pages with ease, it was inconvenient for left-handed candidates.
Under the revised arrangement, NTA has now placed two rough-work pages at the beginning of the booklet (immediately after the instruction page), in addition to those at the end, in both the English and the regional-language versions of the question paper.
The booklet now offers rough-work space at both the front and the back, allowing every candidate to work comfortably, and is especially helpful for left-handed candidates, who account for nearly 10% of all candidates.
NTA said these measures reflect its recognition that small, thoughtful changes in examination design can make a meaningful difference to a candidate’s comfort during the high-stakes hours of the examination.
NTA reaffirms its commitment to conducting NEET (UG) 2026 in a fair, secure and candidate-friendly manner, and to continuously improving the examination experience for the lakhs of aspirants who appear for it.