UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Shift to computer-based NEET-UG under ‘active consideration’: Centre
Q1. Which one of the following was the first examination that the newly created National Testing Agency was entrusted to conduct?
- A. JEE (Main), the engineering entrance test transferred to it from the Central Board of Secondary Education
- B. UGC-NET, the eligibility test for assistant professorship and research fellowships
- C. NEET-UG, the common entrance test for undergraduate medical admissions
- D. CMAT, the management admission test earlier conducted by the technical education regulator
Q2. With reference to Section 14 of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, the expression 'uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (UG)' is to be understood as a test for admission to
- A. every undergraduate as well as postgraduate course in all systems of medicine in India, in all government and private institutions without exception
- B. only such institutions of Indian systems of medicine as voluntarily choose to adopt the common merit list prepared by the Commission
- C. all nursing and allied health science courses, which alone are covered by the Commission's admission provisions
- D. undergraduate BAMS, BUMS and BSMS courses in all medical institutions governed by the Act
Q3. NEET-UG is at present conducted by which one of the following bodies?
- A. The Central Board of Secondary Education, a body under the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
- B. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- C. The National Medical Commission, the statutory regulator of medical education under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- D. The National Testing Agency, an autonomous testing organisation under the Ministry of Education
Q4. The High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms, whose constitution was announced by the Prime Minister in July 2026, functions under the chairship of
- A. K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation
- B. S. Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation
- C. Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and former Chairman of the UIDAI
- D. V. Kamakoti, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Q5. Which one of the following correctly describes the remit of the High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms?
- A. Recommending end-to-end reforms in the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including the use of technology, examination infrastructure, accessibility and student well-being
- B. Taking over from the National Testing Agency the actual conduct of NEET-UG 2027 in computer-based mode, and the printing and transport of its question papers
- C. Hearing and disposing of individual grievances of NEET-UG 2026 candidates, ordering re-evaluation of answer sheets and revising the merit list and counselling schedule
- D. Prosecuting persons accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and supervising the criminal investigation into it on behalf of the Central Government
Q6. The allegations of paper leak that led to the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 are being investigated by
- A. the Central Bureau of Investigation
- B. the National Investigation Agency, which has exclusive jurisdiction over all examination offences in India
- C. the Enforcement Directorate, the sole agency empowered to probe every organised paper-leak racket
- D. the National Testing Agency's internal vigilance wing, whose findings are final and binding on all courts
Q7. Approximately how many candidates were left in the lurch by the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, as reported when the matter reached the Supreme Court?
- A. About 12 lakh
- B. About 17 lakh
- C. About 22 lakh
- D. About 28 lakh
Q8. Consider the following statements regarding the mode of examination in NEET-UG as compared with other tests conducted by the National Testing Agency:
1. While JEE (Main) is conducted as a computer-based test, NEET-UG 2026, including its re-examination, was held in pen-and-paper mode.
2. In June 2026 the Supreme Court declined a plea to hold the NEET-UG re-examination in computer-based mode, pointing to the practical difficulty of altering the examination mechanism at that late stage.
3. When a separate plea for a computer-based NEET was moved in July 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed it outright and refused to connect it with the pending petitions on examination reforms.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- While JEE (Main) is conducted as a computer-based test, NEET-UG 2026, including its re-examination, was held in pen-and-paper mode.
- In June 2026 the Supreme Court declined a plea to hold the NEET-UG re-examination in computer-based mode, pointing to the practical difficulty of altering the examination mechanism at that late stage.
- When a separate plea for a computer-based NEET was moved in July 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed it outright and refused to connect it with the pending petitions on examination reforms.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q9. The announcement in May 2026 that NEET-UG would be shifted to computer-based mode from 2027 was made by
- A. the Director General of the National Testing Agency
- B. the National Medical Commission
- C. the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
- D. the Union Minister of Education
Q10. While hearing the batch of NEET-UG petitions in September 2026, the Supreme Court told the Government that the single most important requirement in the matter was
- A. recovery of the proportionate cost of the cancelled examination from the service providers engaged for it
- B. institutionalising the entire NEET process through a permanent setup, permanent staff and permanent verticals, with very little deputation
- C. shifting NEET-UG to computer-based mode before the 2027 cycle, all other reform measures being deferred until then
- D. dissolving the National Testing Agency and transferring the conduct of NEET-UG to the medical education regulator