NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday announced that students can challenge the recorded responses on their Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets submitted during the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) [NEET-UG] 2026 retest until July 15.
The OMR sheets have been individually emailed to the registered email IDs of each of the over 20 lakh students who appeared for the exam on June 21. The challenge can be made by paying Rs 200 for each response challenged. The move also implies that the NTA is on track to announce the results before July 20, as indicated to this newspaper earlier.
An official statement said, “The NTA has uploaded the scanned images of OMR answer sheets and the recorded responses for NEET-UG 2026 on the website https://neet.nta.nic.in/. To facilitate easy access for candidates, a scanned image of the OMR answer sheet has been sent to the registered email address provided by the candidates at the time of registration.”
Candidates are being given an opportunity to submit an online response challenge by paying Rs 200 for each response challenged, which is non-refundable, until July 15 (11 am), the statement said.
The payment can be made through a debit card, credit card or net banking, the statement said, adding that no challenge will be entertained without the processing fee.
The statement reiterated that the challenge process for the answer keys has been completed and no further challenges will be accepted.
The responses are captured automatically by an OMR scanner or reader by reflecting light off the page, permitting instant and highly accurate data capture.
Speaking to TNIE, Harpreet Singh, Director, Visionary MasterZ, said: “NTA's decision to provide scanned OMR sheets and recorded responses reinforces transparency in the examination process. Candidates should use this window judiciously by cross-checking every response with their original OMR markings. Any genuine mismatch should be challenged promptly, as this is the last opportunity to ensure that the final result accurately reflects their performance.”
Ashutosh Pande, a representative of the same institute, said, “In the circles to be filled by the student, there may sometimes be light shading which may not be picked up by the automated software. Hence, permitting students to cross-check the responses will help them detect such discrepancies.”
Steps to be taken to submit a challenge
Students must visit the official NTA examination website and log in using their application number and password.
Two-factor authentication must be completed by entering the registered mobile number and email ID.
The second step is to access the challenge portal by clicking the link designated as 'View Challenge OMR Sheet & Recorded Responses'.
A high-resolution scanned copy of the submitted OMR sheet, along with the data fields and options, will be available.
If the recorded response differs from the response submitted by the student, the student can select the question number and tick the claimed option.
