NEET UG 2027 Goes Computer-Based: What Changes for 22 Lakh Medical Aspirants, and What Is Still Undecided

• Confirmed: NEET UG will move to a computer-based test from 2027, according to the NTA and reports by PTI.
• Expected: the exam may run over at least six days at more than 1,000 centres, according to an unnamed official quoted by PTI. This is not yet official.
• Likely: with several days and shifts, scores may be normalised, as in JEE Main and CUET. This too awaits confirmation.
• Not announced yet: exam dates, the official information bulletin and any change in syllabus or marking.

Why NEET is moving off paper

The 2026 exam showed the risks of paper. NEET UG was held on May 3, 2026, in pen-and-paper mode for more than 22.7 lakh candidates at over 5,400 centres in 551 Indian cities and 14 cities abroad, according to Medical Dialogues, citing PTI. On May 12, the NTA cancelled the exam after evidence of a leak. A Rajasthan Police probe reportedly found a "guess paper" with more than 100 questions resembling the real ones, and the CBI registered a case and arrested 13 people. A re-examination was held on June 21.

A paper exam has to be printed, transported and stored at thousands of centres, and every step is a chance for a leak. A computer-based test removes printed papers from the chain.

How the new exam is being set up

In September, the NTA asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to survey government institutions for possible test centres. They were asked to report:

• the number of working computers;
• network and internet connections;
• power backup;
• CCTV and security facilities;
• spare space for candidates.

An NTA official told PTI that centres "cannot be outsourced to small private players" and will be chosen only after strict checks. That is a direct response to past cases where problems arose at privately run centres.

What will the test look like?

The NTA has not yet published the format. Based on how it runs other computer-based exams such as JEE Main and CUET, students can expect:

• questions shown one at a time on a screen, answered with a mouse;
• an on-screen timer and a panel showing answered, unanswered and marked-for-review questions;
• different question sets in different shifts, of similar difficulty.

When an exam is spread over several shifts, the NTA typically uses normalisation, a statistical method that adjusts for small differences in difficulty between shifts, so that no student gains or loses because of the shift they were given. Whether NEET 2027 will use this is still to be announced.

What stays the same, as far as we know

• The stakes: about 1,08,000 MBBS seats, roughly 56,000 in government colleges and 52,000 in private ones, according to PTI, plus dental and AYUSH seats.
• The syllabus: there has been no announcement of any change. Many coaching institutes expect the syllabus and marking scheme to stay the same, but treat that as expectation until the NTA confirms it.

How to prepare for a computer-based NEET

1. Practise on a screen. Take full-length mock tests on a computer, not just on paper. Reading questions on a screen and marking answers with a mouse feels different, especially over three hours.
2. Learn the interface. Use the NTA's mock tests for other CBT exams to get used to the layout and review buttons.
3. Rough work: in most NTA computer tests, candidates get sheets for rough work. Practise solving on paper while reading from a screen.
4. Time each section. On a screen, it is easy to lose track of time. Build the habit of checking the timer.
5. Stay with your syllabus. The core preparation, NCERT concepts and steady practice, does not change.

What to watch for

• The NEET UG 2027 information bulletin from the NTA, with dates, fees and exam pattern.
• Any announcement on normalisation and the number of shifts.
• The list of test cities. With fewer, larger centres, some students may have to travel further.
• Wider reforms from the high-level task force on exams chaired by Nandan Nilekani. For other big exams this year, see our guides to JEE Main 2027 and CBSE's two board exams.

Always check neet.nta.nic.in and nta.ac.in for official notices, and be wary of social media posts claiming new rules.

Related reading

• JEE Main 2027: Registration, Exam Dates and What to Keep Ready
• CBSE Board Exams 2027: Two Exams for Class 10, and When the Date Sheet Is Due
• THE World University Rankings 2027: IISc Leads India