NEET UG re-exam 2026: Fee refund portal goes Live today, NTA clarifies rules

The National Testing Agency has issued a fresh set of clarifications for students preparing to appear for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, while also announcing that the fee refund portal will become active today.

The detailed FAQ document released by the agency comes weeks after the cancellation of the original NEET UG exam conducted on May 3 following the paper leak controversy that triggered nationwide outrage and a CBI investigation.

According to the NTA, the NEET UG 2026 re-test will now be held on June 21 in offline pen-and-paper mode across centres in India and abroad.

NEET UG Re-Exam Date And Timing

The agency stated that the examination will take place on Sunday, June 21, from 2 pm to 5:15 pm.

The test will continue to be conducted in 13 languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Kannada and Odia.

Addressing confusion among students regarding the exam duration, the NTA clarified that the additional 15 minutes are reserved for verification, documentation and other pre-examination formalities before the paper begins.

Refund Portal Goes Live Today

One of the biggest concerns among candidates was related to the refund of examination fees after the cancellation of the May 3 exam.

The NTA said a dedicated portal for submitting bank account details for the refund process will be activated by May 21, 2026.

The agency also clarified that candidates will not have to pay any additional fee for appearing in the re-examination.

According to the official notification:

“Fees already paid will be refunded to the students, and the exam will be re-conducted using NTA's internal resources,”

The testing body further confirmed that no fresh application process would be required for the re-test.

“The registration data, candidature, and examination centres opted for in the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward to the re-conducted examination. No fresh registration will be required, and no additional examination fee will be levied,” the notification added.

Can Students Change Exam Language Or City?

The NTA also addressed queries related to exam cities and language preferences.

According to the agency, the medium of examination selected during the original application process will remain final and cannot be changed now.

Responding to complaints from students who said certain city options were unavailable, the NTA explained that the issue is linked to language availability.

The agency said some exam mediums are offered only in selected states and cities mentioned in the NEET UG 2026 Information Bulletin.

What Should Students Do If They Faced Problems Earlier?

Candidates who experienced difficulties during the May 3 examination have been asked to contact the NTA Helpdesk through email along with supporting evidence.

The agency directed affected students to send complaints to:

neetug2026@nta.ac.in

The NTA also clarified that despite concerns raised about clashes with other competitive examinations, the June 21 re-exam schedule “will not be changed”.

NEET Paper Leak Investigation Continues

The re-exam announcement comes amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged NEET paper leak case.

According to several reports, nine accused have so far been arrested from multiple cities, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the money trail and identifying individuals who may have knowingly accessed leaked exam material.

The controversy began after reports emerged that a so-called “guess paper” circulating online allegedly matched questions from the May 3 NEET examination.

According to official statements, the NTA received information from a whistleblower on May 7 regarding the suspected leak.

The agency reportedly verified the claims over the following days and found that some of the circulated questions appeared to match the original paper.

Following the controversy, the government handed over the investigation to the CBI.

The NTA stated:

“NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and provide all materials, records, and assistance the inquiry requires,”

NTA Chief Speaks On Investigation

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh also addressed the issue during a conversation with ANI.

He said:

“Whether it is somebody from inside or somebody from outside, CBI will do a complete fair inquiry and will identify anyone, whoever it may be - whether inside or outside, that doesn't matter,”

He further added:

“Whosoever is guilty, whosoever has caused us to come to this situation will be identified, punished and sent to jail,”

With lakhs of students once again preparing for the crucial medical entrance examination, the re-test and ongoing investigation continue to remain under intense public scrutiny.