NEET 2026 leak fears grow after Rajasthan probe finds match between guess paper and exam

Fresh doubts over the credibility of NEET 2026 have triggered anxiety among lakhs of medical aspirants after investigators in Rajasthan uncovered a “guess questionnaire” that allegedly matched a large portion of the actual examination paper.

The controversy surfaced from Sikar, Rajasthan’s major coaching hub, where investigators now probe whether an organised network circulated exam content before the national medical entrance test on May 3.

According to officials linked to the Rajasthan Special Operations Group investigation, hundreds of questions from the circulated material showed similarities with the final NEET paper. Investigators also found matching answer sequences in several questions, which deepened suspicions of a possible leak.

Students in Sikar first discussed the material quietly inside hostels and paying guest accommodations two days before the exam. Then, screenshots and handwritten pages began spreading rapidly through Telegram groups, WhatsApp chats and local coaching circles.

Several aspirants now claim they saw the document before NEET but dismissed it as another routine “guess paper” common during competitive exam season. However, panic spread after candidates compared the questionnaire with the actual exam after leaving centres.

Outside coaching institutes in Sikar, students and parents gathered through the weekend and demanded clarity from authorities. Some students expressed fear that another controversy could damage honest candidates who spent years preparing for the exam.

Parents also questioned how such detailed material reached students before one of India’s most competitive entrance tests.

Investigators traced the suspected document to a Churu-based MBBS student currently studying in Kerala. Officials suspect he shared the questionnaire with a contact in Sikar on May 1. After that, the material allegedly travelled across coaching-linked networks and student groups.

Sources involved in the probe said the handwritten document carried more than 300 questions from physics, chemistry and biology. Investigators reportedly found that around 140 questions matched exactly with the final NEET paper.

That overlap now worries authorities because each question carries four marks. Even a limited match could significantly alter rankings, cut-offs and admissions.

The probe also uncovered signs of commercial distribution. Officials suspect some people sold copies of the material for amounts ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh. By the night before the exam, several students allegedly purchased copies for lower rates as circulation widened.

Investigators now examine encrypted chats, forwarding patterns and digital trails recovered from mobile phones. Some messages reportedly carried the “forwarded many times” label, suggesting large-scale distribution before exam day.

A paying guest operator in Sikar also came under scrutiny after officials found evidence that he allegedly forwarded the material before later approaching police and the National Testing Agency with a complaint after the examination.

Officials now suspect he may have attempted damage control after fears of exposure increased.

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency has not announced any immediate action. Authorities currently wait for the Rajasthan SOG’s detailed findings before deciding the next step.

The latest allegations revived memories of the NEET 2024 controversy, which sparked nationwide outrage over claims of leaked papers, inflated marks and irregularities in Bihar and other states.

Last year, angry students staged protests across cities and demanded cancellation of the examination. Opposition parties attacked the Centre and questioned the functioning of the NTA. The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, where judges acknowledged procedural lapses but stopped short of ordering a complete re-test.

Now, with another controversy emerging within two years, concerns over the integrity of India’s largest medical entrance exam have resurfaced sharply.

For lakhs of students waiting for results, uncertainty has once again replaced relief after months of preparation and pressure.