CUET PG 2026: Was normalization applied? NTA issues a major clarification
The NTA has issued a statement regarding CUET PG 2026. The agency stated that a re-examination was conducted for 565 candidates and advised students not to pay attention to rumors circulating on social media.
Amidst questions and speculation on social media regarding the Common University Entrance Test Postgraduate (CUET PG) 2026, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has clarified the situation. The agency stated that the exams for certain subjects were held on two different dates in March 2026 due to special circumstances, and a re-examination was conducted solely for the 565 affected candidates.
In a statement released on the social media platform X, the NTA clarified that the exams held on March 29 and 30, 2026, were not separate examinations but a special arrangement for candidates who could not appear for the test on their originally scheduled dates. The agency also clarified that no normalization of marks was carried out for any candidate in CUET PG 2026.
NTA has seen queries on social media about some CUET (PG) 2026 subjects being held on more than one date, and about normalization not being applied.
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) June 13, 2026
In order to avoid speculation, the following is being clarified.
In March 2026, due to the law-and-order disruption at Tura…
According to the NTA, some candidates were unable to take the exam on their scheduled dates due to law-and-order issues in the Tura region of Meghalaya and security-related concerns at certain overseas exam centers. These circumstances were beyond the candidates' control. Consequently, keeping the students' interests in mind, the agency decided to conduct a re-examination for them.
Number of candidates affected
The agency reported that a total of 565 candidates were affected by this issue. A rescheduled examination was conducted for these students on March 29 and 30. The NTA maintains a policy that no candidate should suffer due to circumstances for which they are not personally responsible.
Number of subjects in the re-examination
Examinations for a total of 28 subjects were conducted during the re-examination phase. The NTA stated that separate question papers were prepared for these subjects, but their difficulty level was kept on par with the papers used in the main examination. Subject experts had previously reviewed these papers and certified that the difficulty levels of both sets were equivalent.
Many students had raised questions on social media regarding whether the marks of candidates who took the exam on different dates—given that the same subject's exam was held on two separate days—were normalized. In response, the NTA has clearly stated that no normalization of scores was carried out for any candidate.
What the NTA said
According to the agency, the marks for all candidates were calculated using the same method. Whether a candidate appeared for the main examination or the re-examination, the results for everyone were prepared based on actual (absolute) marks. No candidate was given any undue advantage or disadvantage. The NTA stated that students appearing for the re-examination were not given easier question papers, nor were their marks adjusted upwards or downwards. The evaluation process remained entirely uniform for all candidates.
