The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 after evidence of a paper leak surfaced. A re-test will be conducted at a later date, which is yet to be announced. The cancellation has impacted more than 22 lakh medical aspirants across the country.
My Kolkata spoke to several Kolkata-based aspirants, who expressed disappointment and frustration over the cancellation of an examination they had prepared for tirelessly.
‘Years of hard work disrupted overnight’
NEET is the first major step for students aspiring to enter the medical field, and we place our trust in the NTA to conduct the examination fairly and responsibly. Students like us have dedicated years of hard work and sacrifice to pursue this dream.
While I respect the NTA’s decision to cancel the exam following the alleged paper leak, it has come as a huge shock. Our momentum has been disrupted, and we now have to prepare all over again. Many students, who performed well and were hopeful about securing a medical seat, may struggle in the re-exam, which can severely affect their confidence.
This situation could have been avoided had greater care been taken to protect the futures and careers of over 22 lakh aspirants.
— Indrayush Saha, 17
‘Months of preparation now clouded by uncertainty’
I took coaching for a year, and now it feels like all that money and effort have gone to waste. I studied relentlessly, day and night. Even if I may not have secured an exceptional rank, I had prepared thoroughly for both my boards and NEET, and, I believe, I would have performed well in my first attempt.
Now, there is constant anxiety about what might happen in the re-examination. The new exam date has not even been announced yet, which is adding to the uncertainty. My exam centre was also far from home, and my parents travelled with me on the day of the test. Looking back, it feels like all that effort was in vain.
— Koustav Sandhukhan, 18
‘Frustration is high, but we have to start over’
There is definitely frustration over the cancellation of an exam we had poured our heart and soul into preparing for. But more than that, there is now a growing anxiety surrounding the re-examination. I was quite disheartened initially, but I resumed studying yesterday.
— Ayantika Baidya, 22
‘Mental anguish and no assurance that this won’t happen again’
“This is an extremely stressful situation. This was my second attempt at NEET.
In my first attempt, I could not perform well enough to secure a seat in a government medical college. This time, however, my exam went well and I was genuinely hopeful. But now, the examination itself has been cancelled. According to news reports, a similar situation had taken place in 2024 as well, and there is no assurance that it will not happen again.
There is a great deal of anxiety and mental anguish right now, but despite that, we have no choice except to begin preparing for the re-examination. I am also worried about the exam centre. I do not know how far it will be from my home or whether I will be able to reach it on time. After the exam, I had thought the tension was finally over, but clearly, it is not.”
— Sattwik Ghosh, 18
‘A systematic failure; the only option is to work hard without expectations’
My opinion is that this reflects a systematic failure on the part of the NTA. A lot of the good work done by the government risks being overshadowed if the functioning of the education ministry is not improved.
Personally, I feel disturbed by the entire situation, but there is no other option except to continue studying and keep moving forward. At the end of the day, we can only focus on performing our duties sincerely without having any expectations or hopes about the results. The only thing left for us to do is keep working hard and return to preparation mode.
— Shreya Das (Name changed on request), 17