CUET-UG Candidates Report Errors in Answer Keys; NTA to Conduct Retest

Several candidates who appeared for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG on Monday have alleged errors in the answer keys released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The complaints surfaced a day after the NTA published the answer keys. In response, the NTA has announced that it will conduct a retest for CUET-UG candidates from July 15 to 19 if any grievances about the exam are found valid. Candidates can challenge the answer keys online until 5 pm on July 9, with a fee of Rs 200 per answer.

One candidate, Rishabh, expressed his frustration on X, stating, "Sir, I found multiple errors in the CUET-UG answer key, and challenging all of them would cost more than my CUET application fee." Another candidate, Bishal Bhowmik, shared, "When I checked my Geography OMR sheet with the CUET-UG answer key, I found that 80% of the answers were wrong. Based on the wrong key, I got 26 marks, but I should have scored 122."

Another user criticized the NTA, saying, "Look @NTA_Exams, you provided so many wrong answers in the key. Who is going to pay thousands of rupees for your mistake? We are not going to pay or accept evaluation based on this bogus answer key."

Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak also highlighted an error in a Psychology question, noting that the correct answer was "crowd" according to NCERT, but the NTA's key listed it as "audience."

While NTA officials have not commented on the grievances, candidates reported issues such as loss of time at exam centers and technical problems. A senior official stated, "Challenges made by the candidates will be verified by a panel of subject experts. Based on the revised final answer key, the result will be declared."

The delay in CUET-UG results comes amidst controversies over irregularities in other competitive exams, including NEET and NET. The CUET-UG exam, conducted in a hybrid mode for the first time, faced logistical issues, leading to cancellations and rescheduling. Over 13.4 lakh candidates registered for the exam, which was held in pen-paper mode for 15 subjects and computer-based mode for 48 subjects. The first edition of the exam in 2022 was marred by technical glitches, requiring score normalization due to multiple shifts.