Hyderabad: The first thing students want to do after writing the NEET UG 2026 re-examination is sleep. Speaking to Siasat.com, many candidates, who exited the exam centre moments ago, said they wished to sleep for hours, while others remained stressed, worried still about their future.
A hush fell outside the exam centre, where several students were minutes away from exiting as their parents waited with bated breath. It was 5:15 pm, the time the NEET retest was scheduled to end. With still no sign of the students emerging, anxiety grew, and parents began crowding closer to the gate.
With varying expressions, the students eventually got out, holding question papers. “The paper was extremely tough, definitely more difficult than the one we just wrote,” said Sameeha Tasnim while trying to spot her father in the crowd. She found the Physics and Chemistry sections particularly hard, although the Biology section fared better. When asked what the first thing she would do now that the examination is over, her reply was telling, revealing the burden that still hung over the teenagers.
“I don’t know yet, I’m not relieved yet,” said Tasnim.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET-UG 2026 re-test on Sunday, June 21, after the cancellation of the earlier May 3 exam amid an ongoing probe into the question paper leak.
“It was very difficult,” said Ghausia, a student attempting NEET for the first time. Showing the number of pages in the question paper, she said, “Just look at this, the question paper was very lengthy.” Despite looking tense while scanning the questions, Ghausia was sure of one thing. “I am going to sleep. For hours. Until somebody wakes me up.”
Offering a starkly different response, one student said she has to get back to studying. “Back to preparation. I am going to look for tuition now. Have to start preparations for next year.”
Another student, Priya, was relaxed, knowing that the exam’s results would not decide her future. She had already gotten into an Army College in Punjab, where she will pursue further studies. “My father told me it was ‘God’s second chance’ I mean, what is that? Writing this test did not matter much, so I went in very chill,” she said, adding that even with less preparation, she found the paper to be moderate.
The paper was “slightly easier” than the last time for Megha, who was initially relieved to hear the announcement of a re-examination. “It was a chance for me to score better. I was really happy that they announced a second test.”
Commenting on the suicides that followed after the retest announcement, Megha said NTA “did not even take any action against it. They were very careless about the process.” She added, “They can be more selfless, maybe care for the families, and the students’ mental health.”
Planning to finally relax, Megha said she can finally get some “good sleep.”
Puja, who still looked anxious, said, “The paper was lengthy and harder than last time. Biology was okay, but the rest was hard.” Feeling hungry too, Puja said she just wants to “lie on a bed first. I am so exhausted.”
