The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday evening postponed the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2026 examinations scheduled for May 28 due to the revised date of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). The agency said all examinations planned in both shifts on May 28 have been deferred.

What did the NTA say in its official notice?

In an official notice, the NTA said the decision was taken after receiving a government communication regarding the change in the public holiday date for Eid-ul-Zuha. Candidates who were scheduled to appear for the examination on May 28 will now have to wait for the revised schedule, which will be announced separately.

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“The examinations scheduled for 28 May 2026 (both shifts) stand postponed — in view of the change in the date of the Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) holiday as per Government of India notification. Revised exam dates for affected candidates will be announced shortly,” the official statement reads.

The agency advised students to regularly check the official CUET and NTA websites for updates regarding the fresh examination dates and other announcements.

CUET UG 2026: Exam schedule and admission process

CUET UG 2026 began on May 13 and is being conducted in multiple shifts for admission to undergraduate programmes in central universities and other participating institutions across the country. The examination was originally scheduled to continue till early June across various subject papers.

The NTA also asked candidates to take note of the postponement and plan their preparations accordingly. Students facing difficulties or seeking clarification regarding the revised schedule can contact the NTA helpdesk or use the official email support provided by the agency.

Further details regarding the rescheduled dates for the postponed May 28 examinations are expected to be announced soon.

NTA under spotlight after recent NEET UG cancellation

Just two weeks prior to this CUET adjustment, the NTA faced its most severe operational crisis to date. On May 12, the agency completely cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination – which had been conducted on May 3 for over 22 lakh medical aspirants nationwide.

On May 7, the NTA received information regarding alleged malpractices linked to the NEET-UG examination. The allegations involved a PDF file containing exam questions that was being circulated, The Indian Express reported. 

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The matter was flagged to law enforcement agencies on May 8. The document surfaced four days after the examination, prompting authorities to verify whether it had actually been circulated before the test was held, the report mentioned.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the NTA said the matter is currently under investigation and asserted that “the effort and integrity of the very large majority of bona-fide aspirants is not in question, and will not be devalued.”

However on May 22, NTA opened the online portal for candidates to receive their examination fee refunds for the NEET UG 2026 exam. Over 22 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the re-test on June 21.