NEET-UG 2022 likely to be held in June-end

NEET-UG 2022 likely to be held in June-end

TNN | Feb 28, 2022, 11.15 PM IST

NEW DELHI: The Medical Advisory Council of the National Medical Commission has asked the National Testing Agency to consider the third and fourth week of June, 2022 for conducting the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (undergraduate). The council in its meeting last week suggested the period and asked NTA to work on the schedule as per its convenience.

NTA would be conducting multiple entrances starting April 2022, which include two JEE (main) for admissions to engineering and architecture programmes, NEET-UG for medical and allied courses and a common entrance test for admission to central universities.

According to a member present in the meeting, “The members discussed the probable period for conduct of the medical entrance test this year and suggested NTA to pick a date from either the third or fourth week of June. Representative from the ministry of education who was also present in the meeting presented the position of NTA which is conducting other exams as well.”

Last year, the NEET-UG exam was held on September 12 with over 95% of the registered candidates appearing for the medical entrance exam.

Unlike the other entrances, NEET-UG would continue to be single day, pen-paper mode exam. “There no change in the format for NEET-UG,” said the official.

Over 15.44 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam which was conducted at 3,858 centres in 13 languages in 2021. Over 8.70 lakh candidates had qualified the exam.

According to NTA sources, the agency is likely to announce the schedule for JEE (main), NEET-UG and CUCET around March 10 and registration for JEE (main) April is also likely to start immediately.

Last year, Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Main was conducted four times a year to offer flexibility to students and a chance to improve their scores. As first reported by the TOI, the ministry of education however has decided to conduct the exam twice this year with the merit list to be decided based on the best of the two scores.

Last year the first phase was held in February and the second in March. The next phases were scheduled for April and May but those were postponed in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that raged through the country affecting lakhs.