Tens of thousands of aspirants are preparing to take the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) again on Sunday, barely a month and a half after sitting for the same examination.
The May 3 test had initially brought relief to close to 23 lakh after months of preparation. But that relief was short-lived.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts higher education entrance examinations across the country, cancelled NEET-UG 2026 following allegations of irregularities.
The re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
Many students said preparing for the same high-stakes exam twice within such a short span had left them mentally drained.
“It’s difficult to stay focused, avoid distractions and keep away from social media when you have already spent months preparing for the exam. I am exhausted,” said Vivek Agarwal.
Based on the answer keys released after the first examination, Vivek estimated that he had scored 640 out of 720. The prospect of having to match or better that score in the re-test has only added to his anxiety.
“Now the pressure is whether I will be able to score the same marks again,” he said.
A score of 640 is generally regarded as competitive and often enough to put a candidate in contention for admission to a government medical college. However, the cut-offs fluctuate each year depending on the difficulty of the question paper and the overall performance of candidates.
“It is upsetting for students who had scored 590 and above this year because that range would have been a safe score, and they have a high chance of getting into a government college. Candidates who scored between 480 and 580 perhaps can make use of the second chance,” said Krishanu Tewary, assistant general manager of coaching centre Aakash West Bengal.
In the final week before the exam, students spend most of their time solving mock papers and timing themselves to finish within the stipulated time.
Many students are worried about the paper’s strength. “Since it is a re-exam, most of them are apprehensive that it will be a tougher paper, and that has also become a cause of stress,” said Tewary.
Souvik Jati said his daughter is alternating between good days and bad days.
“There are many days when she is feeling negative, lost, and disappointed. I have to motivate her constantly. Keeping the same tempo up for a re-exam is not easy,” Jati said.
“It’s like they are playing a soccer match and are waiting for the final whistle to return to the dressing room after 90 minutes. For these students, the dressing room corresponds to a free, relaxed mind space that would not be preoccupied with the thoughts of the exam,” said Jati.
Students who have consulted mental health professionals are waiting for their “extended ordeal” to end on Sunday.
“There are students who somehow want the exam to be over, and this entire
period from the cancellation to the re-exam has become a prolonged ordeal for them,” said psychiatrist Sanjay Garg.
The uncertainty has taken a toll on families as well, with many putting other plans, including vacations, on hold until the examination is finally over.
“NEET happens once a year, and individuals have been studying for nine months, 12 months, or even taken a year’s drop. Now, fatigue has set in as to how many times they revise the same thing, added to which is an uncertainty because they don’t know whether the rank will be what they are aspiring for,” said Garg.
NEET is not like the board exam, but “a high-stakes exam”.
“The individual has expectations from themselves, the family wants them to excel, and there is peer pressure. It is not just an exam which an individual is writing, but the whole family is,” he said.