The government’s decision to shift NEET-UG from an optical mark recognition (OMR)-based offline examination to a computer-based test (CBT) format from 2027 marks the biggest structural change proposed in the system since NEET became a unified entrance test for MBBS admissions in April 2016.
Currently, NEET is conducted in pen-and-paper mode using OMR sheets. Question papers are physically printed, transported under security protocols, stored at multiple locations and distributed to thousands of centres across India on the examination day. Candidates mark their answers on OMR sheets, which are later scanned and evaluated digitally. This system carries inherent vulnerabilities.
Since the paper exists in physical form and passes through multiple stages, including printing presses, packaging units, transport channels, bank storage systems and local distribution networks, investigators say there are several possible leakage points. Most recent paper leak investigations across India, including NEET-related probes, have focused on alleged breaches during this chain rather than inside examination halls.
The proposed CBT model significantly changes this architecture. Under CBT, candidates answer questions directly on computers at designated centres. Instead of physical movement of papers across states, encrypted digital question sets are delivered electronically to systems shortly before the examination begins. This sharply reduces risks associated with printing, transportation and physical handling of papers.
“This can help reduce paper transportation leaks, printing press vulnerabilities, early access to question papers, mass photocopy circulation, courier-based leak networks and OMR tampering concerns,” a former NTA official said.
The shift also reflects the government’s assessment that organised leak rackets have evolved from old-style impersonation or “Munna Bhai” methods into technologically driven networks using encrypted apps, Telegram channels and digital circulation. However, many experts believe that even CBT is not entirely leak-proof.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan himself acknowledged on Friday that cybercrime remained a growing challenge and that continuous improvements would still be necessary.
CBT systems will have to be protected against vulnerabilities such as hacking attempts, server attacks, software manipulation, remote access threats, technical glitches, internet connectivity issues and unequal digital familiarity among rural candidates.
The biggest operational challenge remains the scale of the examination. NEET-UG currently sees participation from nearly 25 lakh students, making it one of the world’s largest entrance examinations.
Unlike JEE Main or the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), which are already conducted in CBT mode and in multiple shifts, conducting NEET digitally would require massive infrastructure expansion, thousands of additional computer terminals and session-wise score normalisation.
That is one reason why the government had continued with the OMR mode despite earlier controversies.
The Radhakrishnan Committee constituted after the 2024 NEET controversy had recommended a gradual transition towards technology-driven examination systems along with stronger cybersecurity measures and encrypted delivery systems. Pradhan admitted on Friday that only around 70 per cent of the committee’s recommendations had been implemented so far.
The proposed shift, therefore, is not merely a technical upgrade. It represents the government’s attempt to redesign the examination security chain itself by reducing human handling and physical movement of question papers.
However, the current controversy has also shown that technology alone may not guarantee trust unless the broader administrative ecosystem surrounding examinations is secured.
