NEET Re-Exam: Nagpur student assigned to Abu Dhabi center; NTA explains the full story
A student from Nagpur was assigned an Abu Dhabi center for the NEET re-exam. Following the controversy that arose from this, the NTA has now clarified the situation. Here are the details of the matter.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has stepped forward amidst questions regarding the assignment of an Abu Dhabi exam center to a Nagpur-based candidate for the NEET (UG) 2026 exam. After the NEET (UG) 2026 exam was postponed to June 21, candidates were given another opportunity to modify their exam city preference for their convenience. The agency stated that approximately 3.2 lakh candidates utilized this correction window, and over 99.5 percent of them were allotted their preferred exam city.
What was the issue?
Abdullah Mohammad Talib from Nagpur was shocked when he downloaded his admit card for the NEET UG exam; it displayed an exam center located in Abu Dhabi. This sparked significant questioning of the NTA on social media, prompting the agency to issue a response.
Abu Dhabi center selected via candidate's login
According to NTA records, the process of changing the exam city to Abu Dhabi in this specific case was carried out through the candidate's own registered login. The agency stated that system logs indicate the change was initiated by the user themselves.
Last-minute request for Nagpur center
However, on the evening of June 19—just 48 hours before the exam—the NTA received an informal request to change the center from Abu Dhabi to Nagpur. Acting promptly, the agency contacted the candidate's father that same evening and assisted in completing the necessary procedures.
Reference the issue with regard to allotment of a centre in Abu Dhabi to a candidate in Nagpur, NTA would like to state the following:
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) June 20, 2026
Following the rescheduling of NEET (UG) 2026 to 21 June, the National Testing Agency reopened the examination-city correction window to assist…
Abu Dhabi Centre Appeared Three Times
The NTA states that, according to records, the examination centre was changed to Abu Dhabi once using the candidate's ID, and on two other occasions, the centre appeared as Abu Dhabi during the preview stage. Despite this, the agency acceded to the student's request and completed the process of changing the centre.
Emphasis on 'Student-First' Policy
The NTA stated that its priority is always to place the interests of students above all else. The agency aims to ensure that no candidate faces unnecessary inconvenience in appearing for the exam and that all possible assistance is provided whenever needed.
