NTA has announced candidate-friendly changes for NEET UG 2026, including a 195-minute exam window and a revised question paper layout. The move adds more rough-work space and is aimed at making the exam smoother for candidates.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a set of student-friendly changes for NEET (UG) 2026, scheduled to be held on 21 June 2026.
The official public notice issued on June 12, 2026 states that the measures aim to make the examination “fair, secure and responsive to the needs of candidates,” while improving exam-day comfort and clarity.
EXAM WINDOW MADE LONGER
Based on feedback from previous years, NTA has revised the examination duration to 195 minutes, with the exam scheduled from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm.
The agency clarified that this includes mandatory pre-exam formalities such as signing attendance sheets and invigilation procedures. The aim is to ensure candidates do not lose usable writing time due to administrative steps and can fully focus on attempting the paper.
MORE SPACE FOR ROUGH WORK
In another major change, NTA has increased the space provided for rough work in the question paper booklet. Candidates will now get four rough-work pages instead of two, giving them additional room for calculations, diagrams and working notes during the examination.
The structure of the question paper booklet has also been revised. Earlier, rough-work pages were placed only at the end of the booklet.
Now, in response to candidate feedback, two rough-work pages will appear immediately after the instruction page, while the remaining two will stay at the end. This revised format will be available in both English and regional language question papers.
NTA noted that this change particularly helps candidates, including left-handed students, who found the earlier layout less convenient. The agency said the updated design is meant to improve usability without affecting exam security or fairness standards.