Technical Glitch Delays CUET-UG 2026 Exams at Multiple National Centres
On Saturday, a technical glitch delayed the CUET-UG 2026 examination by several hours at multiple centres across India, including Delhi, Noida, and Jodhpur, forcing the National Testing Agency (NTA) to revise schedules and announce a re-exam for thousands of affected students.
The disruption hit the morning shift of the three-hour computer-based exam. Candidates at several centres reported that despite completing entry formalities and being seated well before the scheduled 9:00 AM start, the test did not begin until 11:30 AM. At some centres, the examination reportedly began four hours behind schedule.
Students remained inside the exam halls while waiting relatives outside were left without clear information. Notices explaining the delay were eventually pasted outside the centres after parents staged protests.
In a statement, the NTA apologised for the inconvenience and explained that its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), had reported a technical glitch. TCS, which operationalises the computer-based test, stated that a brief technical issue caused a delay of around two hours in the morning shift, which was promptly identified and resolved.
To compensate for the disruption, the NTA announced that candidates were granted full compensatory time to finish their papers, allowing them to exit only after completing the full duration of the exam.
However, the delay in the morning session cascaded into the afternoon shift. The NTA had to revise the afternoon schedule, directing candidates to report starting at 2:30 PM and delaying the start of the exam from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Normally, candidates are required to report to the exam centre at least two hours before their scheduled shift.
For the estimated 3,700 candidates who chose to leave the exam centres without taking the test due to the delays, the NTA announced it would conduct a re-exam.
Approximately 15.7 lakh candidates were expected to appear for the CUET-UG examination nationally. The test is conducted across 306 centres in India and 15 international locations. While the exact number of affected centres remains unconfirmed, disruptions were reported in Delhi, Jodhpur, Noida, and several other places in Uttar Pradesh.
