The cancellation of the NEET undergraduate medical entrance exam by the National Testing Agency amid allegations of irregularities has pushed thousands of students back to their books and a demanding routine that leaves little time for recreation.

The cancellation on Tuesday has forced most students to change their plans, requiring them to devote more hours to study as they juggle different competitive exams.

Many students who appeared for the NEET exam on May 3 said they had spent two years studying for eight to 10 hours a day, if not more.

It can be gruelling when everything else takes a backseat, said a medical aspirant.

Many students now have to divide their time among several competitive exams.

Sanjana Gandhi is scheduled to appear for the CUET-UG (Common University Entrance Test) at the end of this month. “NEET is my first choice, but we cannot depend on only one option. So forensic science is my second option, for which I have to appear for CUET-UG. Now I have to prepare for two fiercely competitive exams at the same time,” said Sanjana, who appeared for the ISC exams from G.D. Birla Centre for Education this year.

The cancellation has left many serious aspirants shocked and disheartened.

“A re-exam may at least ensure that no section of students gets an unfair advantage, but this alleged leak should never have happened. It has left us shocked and disheartened,” said Debdeepta Ray, 18, who appeared for the ISC exams from St Xavier’s Collegiate School.

Debdeepta, a student of Shrutinandan, has been learning Hindustani classical music for more than a decade. He has several performances lined up this month.

“I had thought I would be able to take part in a few programmes after the exam, but now that is no longer possible,” the 18-year-old said.

Debdeepta said he had expected to score between 620 and 630 out of 720.

“The only thing I can hope for now is that my score does not go down,” he said.

The challenge for most students is going back to the same academic rhythm after a 10-day break.

Anxious and agitated students have been calling their teachers and coaching institutes to figure out their next move.

Most coaching centres are set to restart preparations immediately, offering test series and additional classes ahead of the re-examination.Aakash Institute conducted a webinar on Tuesday evening to reassure students.

“We have been flooded with calls from students since the cancellation. We have planned a test series and a crash course for all our students who appeared for the May 3 exam. It will be free for our internal students. For those who were not enrolled with us but now need support, we will charge a nominal fee of ₹99 for the test series and ₹5,000 for the crash course,” said Kishanu Tewary, assistant general manager of Aakash West Bengal, onTuesday.

Those running coaching institutes said mock tests were crucial because they helped students stay in practice for the examination.

A teacher at a coaching institute said even a 10-day break could affect performance.“What was earlier 70-80% efficiency in a test may drop to 60-70% if students are out of practice,” the teacher said.

“When you are used to writing tests regularly, it improves your speed,” Sanjana said.The number of mock tests taken varies from student to student, but most aspirants begin taking them at least three to four months before the exam, the teacher added.

The first thing we need to work on is rebuilding students’ confidence, which has taken a hit because many feel their two years of preparation have gone to waste, said Dilshad Ahmed, head of a coaching institute in Ballygunge.