NEET-UG candidates flag paper errors, layout flaws; NTA declines to comment on key complaints

Concerns over the integrity of this year’s NEET-UG examination are mounting, with candidates and parents alleging serious lapses in the conduct of the paper, particularly in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

While the National Testing Agency (NTA) maintains that all questions were within the prescribed syllabus, students are now pointing to faulty question papers, poor layout, and a lack of timely redressal of grievances.

The NEET-UG 2025 exam was conducted on May 4, and results are expected later this month. The test is the sole gateway for over 20 lakh aspirants seeking admission to MBBS, BDS, and other undergraduate medical programmes across India.

Faulty paper codes confuse candidates in Sikar, Jamnagar

Students in Rajasthan’s Sikar and Gujarat’s Jamnagar have reported receiving misprinted booklets, particularly under Paper Codes 47 and 48, where question pages were jumbled or non-sequential. For instance, students with Code 47 in Sikar said question 7 was followed by question 15, leaving them confused about which circle to darken on the OMR sheet.

"Students even raised the issue during the test but were told to solve the faulty paper," a parent said in a written complaint submitted to the Gujarat government and NTA. Scanned copies of the faulty booklets were attached as proof. A Gujarat state education official confirmed that such complaints had been received.

Due to the confusion, some candidates inadvertently marked incorrect responses, while others said they lost critical minutes trying to match questions with the correct answer circles.

When asked for a response, an NTA official declined to comment on the Sikar case, citing that the matter is sub judice.

Calculus question raises syllabus concerns

In addition to layout flaws, some coaching experts and students have flagged questions they say were beyond the medical entrance syllabus. One widely shared example is question 38 from Code 47, which reportedly asked candidates to solve a calculus-based derivative—a concept typically reserved for engineering exams like the JEE (Main).

An NTA official responded: “All questions were from the prescribed syllabus. The answer keys have been published and objections invited from candidates. These will be reviewed by a committee of subject experts.”

However, this clarification does not address the complaints about printing and sequencing errors, which remain a layout and execution issue rather than one of academic content.

With result day nearing, students and parents are demanding that the NTA not only correct such errors but also institute better mechanisms for grievance redressal, particularly in high-stakes exams like NEET-UG.

(With inputs from ToI)