National Testing Agency (NTA) has postponed the issuance of NEET 2020 admit card for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG). As per the statement given by the NTA officials, the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the nation are catastrophic and due to the lockdown of 21 days, the release date for NEET 2020 admit card will be delayed.

NEET is one of the largest medical examinations for granting students admission to 79,248 MBBS, 26,949 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH and 525 BVSc & AH courses administered by top medical institutions of India. NEET 2020 was scheduled to be carried out on May 3, 2020, however, the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus has altered the timeline of NEET 2020. 

As per the recent public announcement made by the exam conducting body on their official website (nta.ac.in), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET-UG 2020 is expected to be held in last week of May 2020 and all the exam-related notifications will be tentatively out by April 15, 2020. So applicants for NEET and other common entrance tests held by NTA are advised to wait for 21 days now as the nation is in a total lockdown state. Until then is advised to stay safe and keep preparing! Practising NEET practice papers daily might give you an edge in the exam. 

Several students applying for NEET 2020 requested the Central Government to push the exam date forward. However, as per the statement released on March 25, 2020, the HRD Secretary on these requests declared that NEET 2020 will be conducted as per the schedule and clarified that the decision to reschedule NEET 2020 will be taken considering the situation. 

As per the earlier schedule, NEET Admit Card was expected to release on March 27, 2020 but due to the recent outburst of COVID-19, NTA has decided to withhold all exam related events until the nationwide lockdown is ended (April 15, 2020). NEET applicants are advised to keep a check on the official website - ntaneet.nic.in for all the latest updates on NEET 2020.  

NTA officials on March 25 stated - “We will not be issuing the admit cards on March 27, 2020, as scheduled. The new date for downloading admit cards will be issued later following a review on April 15, 2020” (Times of India). Thus, a new date for the availability of NEET 2020 Admit Card will be announced after the lockdown.

• The admit card or hall ticket for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test 2020 is a mandatory document to enter the examination hall. 

• Candidates must bring two passport-sized photographs along with a government-approved identification and must adhere to the exam day instructions. 

• NEET exam conducting authorities have advised the applicants to keep track on the official website - ntaneet.nic.in for any latest happenings. 

NTA has put a hold on the issuance of NEET 2020 Admit Card for now and it will not be released on the expected date of March 27. It is also suspected that the new dates for the release of the NEET admit card 2020 will be released by the authorities on or after April 15, 2020. 

Latest Notice from NTA

The public notice released by NTA on March 27, 2020 notifies about rescheduling the exam to the end of May.

Why NTA Postponed NEET 2020? 

NTA has also postponed the exam date for NEET 2020. There are certain reasons as to why it happened -

• To control the repercussions of the deadly COVID-19 which has crossed a death toll of 17 patients as we speak. 

• Lockdown across the nation for 21 days has affected all the sectors, including education, severely.

• As the NTA is working with limited resources, staying updated with the timeline and handling all exam related events is easier said than done. 

• Furthermore, CBSE, NIOS, TN, and several state boards have postponed their exams due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and will all hold them after April 15, 2020; some of them may clash or overlap with the NTA NEET UG exam date of May 3, 2020. 

Hence, we can see why NEET exam timeline will linger this year. Those of you who applied for NEET 2020 Exam might use this time to solve the latest sample papers to get a brief about the exam and understand NEET exam pattern.

What should I do? 

Those who applied for NEET 2020, might have mixed feelings about the exam now. However, we recommend you to stay on track and be regular with the practice. Here are a few tips to ensure maximum productivity during this tough time - 

• Concentrating on preparations - although it is a no-brainer, students are recommended to focus on their current preparation strategy and devote an ample amount of time for practice. 

• Staying updated - candidates are advised to stay tuned to information from official websites regarding any recent happenings of the exam. Students can also contact NTA officials on the helpline numbers set up for updates regarding the exam.

• Staying at home - in case any student needs any help to understand any topic or overcome any roadblocks, then they are advised to call their teachers rather than meeting them. 

• Students can also plan video calls where teachers can explain certain topics or clear doubts using a whiteboard or pen-paper. Furthermore, as per the joint initiative taken by the MHRD and UGC, websites like – SWAYAM Online courses, Shodhganga, SWAYAMPRABHA, etc. will provide one-on-one teachings and study material to increase productivity among students and broaden their horizon of learning. 

There is no reliable information to back this up but NTA will supposedly announce the new date for downloading NEET 2020 Admit Card on or after April 15, 2020. The hall tickets might be available for download on the official website in April, or it could be in May, depending upon the situation.

Is NEET 2020 postponed?

The verdict on whether NEET 2020 has been delayed due to coronavirus (COVID-19) or not has been announced on March 27, 2020 at 8:42 p.m. Considering the exam is now postponed, students must use this time to revise. Candidates are, however, advised to keep visiting Collegedunia.com for any recent updates regarding NEET 2020 and other major common entrance tests.