No, NEET-UG 2024 Was Not Held on May 3 or Cancelled — Here's What Actually Happened

A widely shared claim states that the recent NEET-UG exam was conducted on May 3 and subsequently cancelled on May 12 following a coordinated question paper leak. The verdict is partially false. The exam date is wrong, and the cancellation never happened.

According to official National Testing Agency (NTA) records, NEET-UG 2024 was held on May 5, 2024 — not May 3. Around 2.4 million students sat the exam that day across centers in India and abroad. A two-day error might seem minor, but it signals the claim was not drawn from any official source.

The bigger error is the cancellation. The exam was never called off. Allegations of paper leaks did emerge — and they were serious. Reporting by The Hindu and the Indian Express confirmed that leaked papers were traced to specific locations, particularly Hazaribagh and Patna. The controversy intensified after results were declared on June 4, 2024, not on May 12 as claimed. Protests erupted nationwide and multiple court petitions were filed.

However, neither the government nor the courts cancelled the exam. The Supreme Court of India heard the petitions and ultimately declined to order a full re-test, ruling that the leak was not widespread enough to invalidate the entire examination. What did change: grace marks awarded to roughly 1,563 students were withdrawn, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a formal probe, making multiple arrests.

This misinformation likely spread because the underlying controversy was real and emotionally charged. Students and activists pushing for cancellation may have circulated claims that described the outcome they wanted — or expected — rather than what actually occurred. When a story moves fast and stakes are high, exaggerated versions travel further than accurate ones. If you see a claim about NEET-UG, check NTA's official site or Supreme Court records before sharing.