NTA

What is NTA?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, established in 2017. NTA was set up to conduct entrance examinations for admission to higher educational institutions across India in a scientific, efficient, and transparent manner. It took over the conduct of several major examinations previously held by CBSE and other bodies, and has since become the central agency for most national-level entrance tests in India.

NTA conducts some of India's most high-stakes examinations, including JEE Main (for engineering admissions), NEET UG (for medical admissions), CUET UG/PG (for central university admissions), UGC NET (for college teaching eligibility), CSIR NET, and several others.

NTA at a Glance

Major Examinations Conducted by NTA

JEE Main — Key Facts

• Conducted in two sessions: Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April)
• Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech: 90 questions (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) — 300 marks total
• Paper 2A for B.Arch and Paper 2B for B.Planning also available
• Computer-based test (CBT) mode; some drawing questions in Paper 2A are pen-and-paper
• Best of the two session scores is used for NIT/IIIT/GFTI admission rankings
• Top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers are eligible to sit for JEE Advanced (IIT admission)

NEET UG — Key Facts

• Single national entrance test for all MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, and BHMS seats across India
• Conducted once a year (May); pen-and-paper (OMR) mode
• 180 questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany + Zoology) — 720 marks total
• Qualifying marks: 50th percentile for General; 40th for SC/ST/OBC; 45th for General-PwBD
• All government and private medical/dental college seats (except AIIMS and JIPMER, which now use NEET) are filled through NEET scores

CUET UG — Key Facts

• Mandatory for admission to undergraduate programs in all 44 central universities including Delhi University, JNU, BHU, Jamia Millia, and others
• Many state universities and private universities also accept CUET scores
• Computer-based test; tests offered in 13 languages
• Consists of: Domain-specific subjects, General Test (optional for some programs), and Language test

Resources for NTA Exam Aspirants on AglaSem

• Syllabus: Official NTA syllabus for JEE Main, NEET UG, CUET, UGC NET, and others
• Previous Year Question Papers: JEE Main, NEET UG, and CUET papers from multiple years
• Free Mock Tests: Chapter-wise and full-length mock tests for JEE Main and NEET UG
• Cut-off Marks: NTA-released cut-off scores for JEE Main qualifying marks
• Answer Keys: Official NTA provisional and final answer keys as released

Frequently Asked Questions about NTA

Does NTA conduct JEE Advanced?

No. JEE Advanced is conducted by the IITs on a rotational basis — not by NTA. NTA conducts JEE Main, which is the qualifying examination for JEE Advanced. Students who clear JEE Main (top 2.5 lakh) become eligible to appear for JEE Advanced conducted by one of the IITs.

How many times can I appear for JEE Main?

A student can appear for JEE Main in the year of appearing in Class 12 and in the year immediately after. Since JEE Main is now held in two sessions per year, this allows up to 4 attempts in total (2 per year over 2 consecutive years).

Is there negative marking in NTA exams?

Yes, for multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in most NTA exams. In JEE Main, 4 marks are awarded for correct answers and 1 mark is deducted for wrong MCQ answers. Numerical answer-type questions carry no negative marking. NEET UG has +4 for correct and -1 for wrong answers.

Where can I download my NTA admit card?

All NTA admit cards are released on the official NTA website (nta.ac.in) and the respective exam portals (jeemain.nta.ac.in, neet.nta.nic.in, cuet.samarth.ac.in, etc.). Admit cards are not sent by post.