135 questions in NEET practice bank match actual exam, Rajasthan cops probe
Concerns over a possible NEET 2026 paper leak have grown after investigators found that a handwritten "guess paper" circulated before the exam allegedly matched questions worth nearly 600 marks in the actual NEET paper held on May 3. The NTA, which conducts NEET, said it was aware of the alleged malpractice and awaiting the probe outcome.
There's concern about the NEET 2026 paper being leaked after a handwritten question bank that circulated before the exam was found to be similar to the actual exam paper.
A probe by the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group found a handwritten “guess paper” — likely a sample or practice question bank — containing 281 questions, of which 135 matched questions that appeared in the NEET exam held on May 3.
According to investigators, all 90 Biology questions and all 45 Chemistry questions in the exam were found in the guess paper.
The questions accounted for 600 marks out of the total 720 of the NEET exam. According to sources, the so-called guess paper began circulating on May 1 in Rajasthan's Sikar. Investigators are now trying to determine whether the material was just an unusually accurate question bank or part of an actual leak before the examination.
In a statement on May 10, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET, had acknowledged that it was aware of a Rajasthan SOG probe into "alleged irregularities around NEET (UG) 2026". The agency said that it had received inputs about "alleged malpractice" regarding the examination four days after it was held and that it had passed on the information to relevant agencies.
"Whatever the agencies determine, including findings that may require further action, will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure," the NTA said in its statement.
RAJASTHAN PROBE
The controversy has intensified because investigators claim even the sequence of answer options in several questions matched the material shared before the exam. Sources said the questionnaire first surfaced in Sikar two days before the NEET exam and was sold to students for prices ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh. By the night before the examination, copies were allegedly being circulated for around Rs 30,000 each.
The SOG investigation has traced the suspected document to a Churu-based MBBS student currently studying at a medical college in Kerala. He allegedly shared the material with a friend in Sikar on May 1, after which it spread rapidly through PG accommodations, coaching-linked networks, career counsellors and aspirants preparing for the exam.
Investigators claim the material included more than 300 handwritten questions from physics, chemistry and biology, with the handwriting appearing identical throughout the document. Around 140 questions are said to have matched exactly with those in the final exam. Since each NEET question carries four marks, investigators believe the overlap could have had a major impact on rankings and admissions if the allegations are proven true.
The probe has also revealed extensive circulation through encrypted messaging platforms and social media. Some chats recovered from mobile phones carried the “forwarded many times” tag, suggesting the material may have reached a large number of candidates before the exam. Officials are also examining whether printed copies were distributed offline.
A PG operator in Sikar has come under scrutiny after investigators found he had allegedly received and forwarded the material before later filing a complaint with police and the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the exam. Investigators suspect the complaint may have been an attempt to shield himself once fears of exposure grew.
The NTA is now awaiting the outcome of the Rajasthan SOG probe before taking a call on further action. The investigation is focusing on the scale of the network, the source of the alleged question bank and whether any organised racket was involved.
ALSO READ: NEET UG 2026 Cancelled Live
The allegations have revived memories of the massive NEET controversy in 2024, when claims of paper leaks, inflated marks and irregularities triggered nationwide protests by students and opposition parties. That controversy led to Supreme Court hearings, Opposition attacks on the Centre and questions over the functioning of the NTA after allegations emerged that leaked papers had circulated in Bihar before the exam.
Although the Supreme Court had declined to order a complete re-examination at the time, it acknowledged lapses in the conduct of the test and directed reforms to strengthen the examination process.
There's concern about the NEET 2026 paper being leaked after a handwritten question bank that circulated before the exam was found to be similar to the actual exam paper.
A probe by the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group found a handwritten “guess paper” — likely a sample or practice question bank — containing 281 questions, of which 135 matched questions that appeared in the NEET exam held on May 3.
According to investigators, all 90 Biology questions and all 45 Chemistry questions in the exam were found in the guess paper.
The questions accounted for 600 marks out of the total 720 of the NEET exam. According to sources, the so-called guess paper began circulating on May 1 in Rajasthan's Sikar. Investigators are now trying to determine whether the material was just an unusually accurate question bank or part of an actual leak before the examination.
In a statement on May 10, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET, had acknowledged that it was aware of a Rajasthan SOG probe into "alleged irregularities around NEET (UG) 2026". The agency said that it had received inputs about "alleged malpractice" regarding the examination four days after it was held and that it had passed on the information to relevant agencies.
"Whatever the agencies determine, including findings that may require further action, will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure," the NTA said in its statement.
RAJASTHAN PROBE
The controversy has intensified because investigators claim even the sequence of answer options in several questions matched the material shared before the exam. Sources said the questionnaire first surfaced in Sikar two days before the NEET exam and was sold to students for prices ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh. By the night before the examination, copies were allegedly being circulated for around Rs 30,000 each.
The SOG investigation has traced the suspected document to a Churu-based MBBS student currently studying at a medical college in Kerala. He allegedly shared the material with a friend in Sikar on May 1, after which it spread rapidly through PG accommodations, coaching-linked networks, career counsellors and aspirants preparing for the exam.
Investigators claim the material included more than 300 handwritten questions from physics, chemistry and biology, with the handwriting appearing identical throughout the document. Around 140 questions are said to have matched exactly with those in the final exam. Since each NEET question carries four marks, investigators believe the overlap could have had a major impact on rankings and admissions if the allegations are proven true.
The probe has also revealed extensive circulation through encrypted messaging platforms and social media. Some chats recovered from mobile phones carried the “forwarded many times” tag, suggesting the material may have reached a large number of candidates before the exam. Officials are also examining whether printed copies were distributed offline.
A PG operator in Sikar has come under scrutiny after investigators found he had allegedly received and forwarded the material before later filing a complaint with police and the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the exam. Investigators suspect the complaint may have been an attempt to shield himself once fears of exposure grew.
The NTA is now awaiting the outcome of the Rajasthan SOG probe before taking a call on further action. The investigation is focusing on the scale of the network, the source of the alleged question bank and whether any organised racket was involved.
ALSO READ: NEET UG 2026 Cancelled Live
The allegations have revived memories of the massive NEET controversy in 2024, when claims of paper leaks, inflated marks and irregularities triggered nationwide protests by students and opposition parties. That controversy led to Supreme Court hearings, Opposition attacks on the Centre and questions over the functioning of the NTA after allegations emerged that leaked papers had circulated in Bihar before the exam.
Although the Supreme Court had declined to order a complete re-examination at the time, it acknowledged lapses in the conduct of the test and directed reforms to strengthen the examination process.
