NEET UG 2026 Re-Test Begins Today For 22.8 Lakh Students Across India
The NEET UG 2026 re-test is being conducted across India today, June 21, 2026, with around 22.8 lakh candidates expected to appear for the medical entrance examination. The re-exam is being held for students who were issued fresh hall tickets for the test.
According to available candidate data, a large majority of aspirants are between 17 and 20 years of age, showing the scale of student participation in one of India’s most important entrance exams. The candidate pool includes 13.3 lakh female aspirants and 9.5 lakh male aspirants.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Among Top States
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of candidates, with around 3.6 lakh aspirants appearing for the NEET UG 2026 re-test. Maharashtra follows with nearly 2.2 lakh candidates.
Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also recorded strong participation, each crossing the one-lakh mark. Together, these six states account for nearly half of the total candidates appearing for the examination.
Rajasthan’s high candidate count also reflects its growing role as a major medical coaching hub, while Bihar’s numbers highlight the strong demand for medical education in northern India.
Southern States Show Strong Participation
Southern states continue to have a major presence in the NEET UG 2026 re-test. Karnataka has registered around 1.5 lakh candidates, followed by Tamil Nadu with about 1.4 lakh, Kerala with nearly 1.1 lakh, and Telangana with more than 73,000 aspirants.
The numbers show that NEET remains a highly competitive national-level examination, with students from both large urban centres and smaller towns depending on it for medical admission opportunities.
English Remains The Main Exam Language
English is the most preferred language for the NEET UG 2026 re-test. Nearly 18.1 lakh candidates are expected to take the exam in English, while Hindi is the second most-used language with around 3.5 lakh candidates.
Among regional languages, Gujarati, Bengali and Tamil recorded comparatively higher registrations. Other regional languages such as Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Kannada and Odia had smaller candidate numbers.
Strict Guidelines For Candidates
The NEET UG 2026 re-exam is being conducted under close monitoring, with candidates advised to carry their admit card, valid photo ID and required documents. Reports also mentioned enhanced security arrangements, including CCTV surveillance, jammers and strict frisking at exam centres.
Students were advised to reach their centres early, avoid prohibited items and follow the instructions mentioned on the admit card. The re-test is significant not only for medical aspirants but also for maintaining confidence in the national entrance examination process.
