The National Testing Agency has announced retests for thousands of students after technical glitches delayed the CUET-UG examination on Saturday. Timings were revised after multiple centers faced delays while starting the online test — with many candidates leaving the examination venue after completing biometric registration and waiting for several hours.
“Most candidates (about 95%) were able to complete their exam once it resumed. We understand that 3,765 candidates who were present and had completed biometric registration chose to leave before the exam could restart. For these candidates, NTA will hold a rescheduled examination as a one-time measure,” the testing agency wrote on X.
Chaos, uncertainty and ‘zero clarity’
A total of 73,106 candidates had completed biometric registration at their allotted examination centres when the issue first emerged. The NTA said Tata Consultancy Services (which was involved in conducting the test) had reported a technical glitch. The agency said it had initially revised the afternoon session timing and allowed full compensatory time. The technical service provider was also asked to conduct a root-cause analysis and submit its report immediately.
Candidates told the Indian Express that there received no updates for several hours as technical failures crippled exam centres across multiple cities. They publication quoted several students as saying that they had been told the exam was “cancelled” after the initial delay.
“This is absolutely unacceptable. First-shift students are still stranded at the centres with zero clarity. Nobody is telling them whether their exam has been cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled,” a faculty member at PhysicsWallah told Indian Express.
Many of the Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate) candidates also said they had reported to the venues on time, completed biometric registration and been seated inside examination halls before being informed of technical issues.
“We reached the centre on time for the 9 am exam and were repeatedly told there would be a brief delay. Around 11.30 am, we were informed that the exam had been cancelled, but later NTA stated on X that the morning session had only been delayed,” a student told Indian Express.