Why does NTA charge a fee to challenge the answer key, unlike IIT or UPSC exams?

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts exams like NEET-UG, allows candidates to raise objections after the provisional answer key is released. A fee of ₹200 per question is charged for this process.

NTA Answer Key Challenge Fee: Irregularities surfaced in several exams conducted by the NTA this year, leading to widespread questioning of the agency and protests across the country against paper leaks. Questions continue to be raised regarding the NEET-UG exam conducted by the NTA. One such question concerns why the NTA charges students a fee to challenge the answer key, whereas this practice does not exist for IIT or UPSC exams. Let us explain why the NTA charges a fee for challenging the answer key.

Fee payable to NTA for challenging the answer key

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts exams like NEET-UG, provides candidates with the opportunity to raise objections after the provisional answer key is released. A fee of ₹200 per question is charged for this. Following the Re-NEET 2026, the NTA also allowed candidates to compare their scanned OMR sheets with the machine-recorded answers. If a student detects an error in the OMR recording, they can raise an objection, but this also requires a payment of ₹200 per objection. This system raises questions among many students: if the error occurred within the examination agency’s process, why should candidates be charged a fee to identify it?

Objections raised without a fee for IIT exams

For exams conducted by IITs—such as JEE Advanced, GATE, and JAM—provisional answer keys are also released, and candidates are given the opportunity to raise objections. However, no fee is charged for this. Candidates are simply required to provide verified academic sources to support their claims. Subsequently, subject matter experts review all objections, and if any error is detected, the final answer key is rectified. All candidates benefit equally from this measure.

UPSC Also Adopts a Transparent Model

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) also introduced a system—starting with the 2026 Civil Services Preliminary Examination—to release a provisional answer key and allow candidates to submit objections against it. UPSC does not charge any fee for this process; however, candidates are required to provide at least three authenticated and reliable academic references to support each objection. An expert committee then examines the objections, and the final answer key is modified if necessary.

Why Does the NTA Charge a Fee for Challenging Answer Keys?

The NTA charges a fee of ₹200 per question for candidates to raise objections regarding the answer key or OMR sheet. The agency believes this ensures that only serious, fact-based objections are submitted, thereby curbing frivolous claims or a flood of baseless challenges. Candidates must also provide academic evidence to substantiate their objections. However, this system has frequently faced criticism. Experts argue that if an error in the answer key or OMR sheet stems from the examination agency’s own processes, charging a candidate a fee to identify and rectify it is unjustifiable; this is because an error in a single question affects not just one student, but all candidates who attempted that question.