NEET-UG answer key released, students challenge questions, seek clarity

By Thursday, hundreds have challenged some questions and responses as shared by the examination authority

Mumbai Nearly six weeks after the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) was conducted, the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the answer key as well as students’ Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) on their official website on Wednesday.

Students pay ₹200 for every challenge they register (HT File)

By Thursday, hundreds have challenged some questions and responses as shared by the examination authority.

“There is one question in the Biology section wherein all four options given are right. Will the NTA consider all our answers correct? Or will there be any discrepancies in that?” asked one of the students who challenged the question.

As per information shared by NTA, the window to send challenges is open till 11:50 pm on Friday—September 2. Students pay ₹200 for every challenge they register. The NTA has not released any statement regarding allegations of discrepancies in OMR sheets and response sheets made by students.

In another instance, students have challenged a question from section B of the Biology section, where students can attempt any 10 out of the 15 questions. “My query is regarding a question from Section B, which not everyone will attempt. So, if my challenge gets accepted, will the marks be applicable to all students, or to only those who attempted that particular question? NTA needs to clarify all these queries,” said Anirudh Savle, one of the students.

Until 2020, the NEET-UG paper pattern consisted of 180 objective type questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Botany and Zoology) to be answered on a specially designed sheet using a ballpoint pen only. Each correct answer gives students four marks and each wrong answer deducts one mark. From 2021, the paper comprises two sections under each subject. Section A consists of 35 questions which students have to attempt compulsorily, and section B consists of 15 questions from which the candidate can choose to attempt any 10 questions.

“Challenges made by the candidates will be verified by the panel of subject experts. If any challenge is found correct, the answer key will be revised and applied in the response of all the candidates accordingly,” an official for NTA told HT.