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NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a nationwide mock drill on June 20, a day before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled across the country, the agency said on Friday.The mock drill is being organised to ensure the smooth conduct of the re-examination, which will be held on June 21 after the original May 3 test was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the matter.The re-examination will be conducted for nearly 23 lakh candidates across more than 5,000 centres in India and 14 centres abroad.The agency has also stepped up communication with candidates ahead of the exam, sending reminder SMS messages, emails and WhatsApp notifications asking students to download their fresh admit cards.The NTA has cautioned candidates against fake messages and fraudulent communications related to the examination.The agency clarified that official messages will be sent only from the sender ID “NICPEP” and emails will originate from “no-reply.neet.nta@nic.in”. It also warned students that it will never ask for payments, share question papers, answer keys or send admit cards through unofficial links.The NTA said candidates who have already downloaded their admit cards for the June 21 examination do not need to download them again. It also clarified that admit cards issued for the May 3 examination are no longer valid, as several candidates have been allotted new examination centres and roll numbers.The advisory came amid concerns among students after some users posted screenshots on social media questioning the last-minute issuance of fresh admit cards and changes in examination details.Meanwhile, the NTA has rejected claims circulating online about the NEET-UG re-examination paper being leaked.NTA director general Abhishek Singh said such claims were “fake” and that the question papers were secure.”They are fake, and question papers are safe,” Singh, said, as qouted by news agency ANI.He added that multiple security layers had been implemented at every stage, including question paper preparation, translation, printing, transportation and storage.The agency has also coordinated with several government departments and security agencies to ensure a smooth examination process. Singh said the NTA was committed to conducting a “flawless” examination and preventing any malpractice.
