CUET UG 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that it will conduct a special re-examination for 3,765 candidates who left their examination centres after a technical glitch delayed the start of the CUET UG 2026 Shift 1 examination on May 30.
The decision comes hours after the agency acknowledged disruptions at some centres and assured affected students that they would be given another opportunity to appear for the test.
In its latest update, NTA said the technical issue had caused anxiety among candidates and parents and expressed regret over the inconvenience.
"We know this was stressful, and we're sorry for the anxiety it caused," the agency said in a post on X.
Nearly 95% of candidates completed the examination
According to NTA, the technical glitch led to delays in the commencement of the first shift examination at certain centres. Once the issue was resolved, the examination resumed and the vast majority of candidates were able to complete their papers.
The agency stated that around 95 per cent of candidates successfully took the examination after services were restored.
However, 3,765 candidates who had already completed biometric registration and were present at their respective centres chose to leave before the examination could restart.
Recognising the exceptional circumstances, NTA has decided to conduct a fresh examination for these candidates as a one-time measure.
"The new date and details will be announced separately," the agency said.
TCS iON asked to submit root-cause analysis
NTA has also sought an explanation from its technical service provider, TCS iON, regarding the disruption.
According to the agency, TCS iON has been directed to carry out a detailed root-cause analysis and submit a report immediately on what led to the technical failure.
Earlier in the day, NTA had informed candidates that a technical glitch reported by TCS had delayed the start of the examination at some centres. To ensure fairness, the agency provided full compensatory time to affected candidates and revised the afternoon session schedule, pushing the start time from 3 pm to 4 pm.
Fresh exam details to be announced soon
Before issuing the latest clarification, NTA had stated that candidates who completed biometric registration and were present at their centres but could not complete the examination due to the disruption would be given another opportunity to appear.
The agency has now confirmed that the special examination will be conducted specifically for the 3,765 candidates who left before the test resumed.
Candidates have been advised to rely only on official updates available on the NTA and CUET websites. For any assistance, students can contact the NTA helpline or write to the CUET UG support email.
