New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it plans to conduct the NEET-UG examination in computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year, replacing the existing pen-and-paper format.

The submission was made before a bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, which is hearing a batch of petitions related to the alleged paper leak that led to the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination.

In an affidavit, the NTA said a high-level committee of experts (HLCE) had recommended shifting the medical entrance examination to CBT mode, along with introducing multi-session and multi-stage testing.

The agency noted that NEET-UG remained the only major NTA examination conducted in pen-and-paper mode, primarily due to the examination scheme prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission. All other major examinations conducted by the NTA are already held online.

“The transition will be implemented from the next examination cycle in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” the affidavit stated.

The affidavit was filed following a May 25 direction by the apex court, which is also considering pleas seeking restructuring or replacement of the NTA with a more autonomous body for conducting medical entrance examinations.

The NTA said it had acted “in good faith” and with due diligence to protect the integrity of the examination system and safeguard the interests of genuine candidates.

The agency also informed the court that the Ministry of Education had constituted a high-level committee chaired by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan in June 2024 to recommend reforms to the NTA. The committee submitted a report containing 101 recommendations in October 2024.

Subsequently, a high-powered steering committee headed by Radhakrishnan was formed in November 2024 to oversee the implementation of those recommendations.

According to the affidavit, several reforms have either been implemented or are in advanced stages, including standard operating procedures for question-paper setting and vetting.

The NTA said over 22.05 lakh candidates appeared for NEET-UG 2026 at 5,432 centres across the country on May 3.

It added that the re-examination scheduled for June 21 would be conducted under a strengthened security framework with multi-layer authentication, enhanced surveillance and inter-agency coordination.

The agency also said AI-based tools would be used for at least 85 per cent of translation work in future examinations to reduce human intervention and minimise the risk of security breaches.

The NTA maintained that the cancellation of the May 3 examination and the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reflected the seriousness with which examination integrity was being treated.