NEET-UG to Move Online Soon? Nandan Nilekani Panel Working on CBT Plan

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for undergraduate medical admissions (NEET-UG) is being prepared for a possible shift from the traditional pen-and-paper format to a computer-based test (CBT). National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh said the agency is working towards making computer-based examinations the standard for its major tests.

NEET-UG remains the only major NTA examination that is currently conducted offline. Other major exams, including JEE, UGC-NET, CUET and NIFT, have already adopted the computer-based format.

Singh said CBT represents the future of examinations and indicated that the NTA plans to move its examinations towards the online format in the coming years. However, conducting NEET-UG through computers would require substantial expansion of testing infrastructure and additional security measures because of the examination’s large nationwide scale.

A high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is working on the proposed transition. The panel is examining the infrastructure, technology and security requirements needed to conduct NEET-UG through a computer-based system.

The nationwide scale of NEET-UG makes the transition more challenging than simply changing the mode of examination. The NTA would need sufficient computer-based testing centres, dependable technical systems and strong safeguards to ensure that candidates across the country can take the examination under consistent conditions.

Alongside the proposed CBT transition, the NTA is also examining the use of artificial intelligence to improve examination security. AI-based systems could be used to analyse examination logs, data and other patterns to identify possible malpractice, fraud or technical irregularities.

The objective is to detect suspicious activity and system-level issues at an early stage while reducing opportunities for examination-related misconduct. Stronger technology-driven monitoring is also expected to support greater transparency and reliability in the examination process.

The NTA is focusing first on strengthening its examination systems within India. Once its infrastructure and security mechanisms become sufficiently robust, the agency could explore conducting examinations at international locations as well.

The proposed modernisation comes amid continued scrutiny of examination security, increasing the focus on measures to prevent issues such as paper leaks, impersonation and other forms of malpractice.