NEET 5th among world's largest exams: SBI research suggests NTA reforms
New Delhi: The National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) has emerged as the fifth-largest examination in the world by applicant volume, with around 2.5 million (25 lakh) candidates, according to a report by the State Bank of India (SBI) Research.
The SBI Research report, titled “The State of Higher Education in India since 2014”, compared major examinations across countries based on the number of candidates. NEET UG was the only Indian examination to feature among the world's 10 largest examinations by applicant volume.
As per the list, China's Gaokao topped the chart with around 12.9 million candidates, followed by Brazil's ENEM with 4.8 million candidates, China's Central Civil-Service Examination (Guokao) with 3.7 million candidates, and China's National Master's Entrance Examination with 3.4 million candidates.
Meanwhile, NEET UG, the single national-level entrance examination in India for students seeking admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses. ranked fifth with around 2.5 million candidates, followed by Türkiye's YKS with 2.4 million candidates and Nigeria's UTME with 2.2 million.
The report also compared the scale of major Indian examinations, in which NEET UG had around 2.5 million candidates, compared with approximately 1.2 million candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 1 million for JEE-Main, and 0.8 million for UGC-NET.
SBI Research suggests reforms for India
Drawing lessons from China's Gaokao on paper security, marking controls and emergency arrangements, SBI Research suggested that India should adapt accountable administration and recovery procedures while protecting candidate rights.
The report suggested that examination authorities should clearly identify officials responsible for question-paper security, accredit examination centres, verify examination staff, and maintain records of every question-paper handover, test controls against insider failures as well as candidate cheating.
It also recommended preparing measures in advance for situations such as paper leaks, technical problems, or other disruptions.
"Specify postponement and re-test criteria, secure reserve papers, alternative venues, accessible formats and replacement staff: Protect disrupted candidates in admissions schedules.
Strengthen marking and redress: Pilot anonymous double marking for written components, audit automated scoring and publish understandable moderation rules and time-bound appeals. Provide alternatives when identity technology fails.
Publish evidence and evaluate: Distinguish advance leaks, in-exam sharing and fabricated claims in incident reports. Track disruptions, re-tests, scoring corrections, appeals and costs. Assess inclusion by gender, disability, rurality and SC/ST/OBC category where lawful and privacy-safe," the report suggested.
Proposes changes in NTA structure
SBI Research has proposed changes to the structure of the National Testing Agency (NTA), including a clearer legal framework, permanent expertise and independent review.
The report proposed that Parliament define the NTA's role, reporting requirements and responsibility for contractors through law.
It also proposed an Expert Board comprising specialists in assessment, technology, security, logistics and accessibility. The board would approve examination readiness and monitor vendors.
Under the proposed model, NTA would handle question design, scoring, core technology, security and candidate support in-house.
The report also proposed a separate body to set standards, audit high-risk controls and hear the final administrative appeal.
SBI Research further recommended a Candidate Charter with public deadlines for answer-key challenges, score corrections, postponements, re-tests and accessibility failures.
For public accountability, the report proposed exam-wise accounts, CAG audits and annual data on incidents, appeals and vendor performance.
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