NEET-UG – Physics Paper Errors Raise Fresh Questions After Re-Exam
NEET-UG – The NEET-UG examination has returned to scrutiny after reports of two errors in the Physics section of the re-exam held on June 21. The development emerged shortly after the re-test was completed, reopening concerns around question-paper accuracy and the evaluation process. One disputed question reportedly had no correct option, while another included two answers that could both be considered valid.
Two Physics Questions Under Review
The National Testing Agency is expected to remove the question that did not contain a correct answer among the available choices. Under its stated marking policy, every candidate who appeared in the examination will receive four marks for a dropped question, whether or not they attempted it.
The second issue relates to a question on electromagnetic waves. According to subject experts, two of the four answer choices appear to be correct. In such cases, candidates who selected either of the valid answers are likely to be awarded marks under the agency’s evaluation rules.
Neither the NTA nor the Ministry of Education issued an immediate response to requests for comment on the reported discrepancies.
Details of the Vernier Callipers Question
Harpreet Singh, director of Delhi-based coaching institute Visionary Masters, said the question concerning Vernier Callipers contained four incorrect options. He said the correct measurement should have been 1.6 cm, but that value was missing from the choices provided in Question 40.
“The question has four options, but none of them matches the correct answer,” Singh said. He added that the issue could affect students because the question was part of a high-stakes national entrance test where even a small difference in marks can influence rankings.
The reported error has drawn attention because Physics is one of the four sections in the NEET-UG paper and carries significant weight in the final score.
Electromagnetic Waves Question Had Two Valid Options
The second discrepancy was identified in Question 22, which was based on electromagnetic waves. Singh said that options three and four could both be treated as correct answers.
Multiple-choice examinations are generally designed to have only one correct response for each question. However, testing agencies often have provisions to address situations where more than one option is found to be correct after expert review.
The final decision on marks will depend on the official answer key and the agency’s review of objections raised by candidates and academic experts.
NTA Policy on Dropped Questions
The NTA’s examination portal outlines the procedure for questions that are found to be incorrect or have no valid answer. It states that if a question is wrong, dropped, or contains no correct option, all candidates who appeared for the test will be given four marks regardless of whether they attempted the question.
This rule is intended to prevent candidates from being disadvantaged because of an error in the examination paper. In the present case, the dropped Physics question would therefore add four marks to the score of every student who took the June 21 re-exam.
For questions with more than one correct answer, candidates selecting any officially accepted option are generally awarded marks, subject to the final answer-key decision.
NEET-UG Paper Structure
The NEET-UG examination consists of 180 multiple-choice questions carrying a total of 720 marks. Each correct answer is worth four marks, while the paper is divided equally across Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology.
Each subject includes 45 questions, making accuracy in paper-setting and answer-key preparation especially important. The latest reports have again highlighted the need for detailed academic checks before question papers are used in national-level examinations.