The National Testing Agency (NTA) has invited applications from experienced educators, researchers and academicians for empanelment as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for question-setting, review and translation work.
Who Can Apply and Last Date
As per the official notice, serving or retired faculty members, professors, school educators and other domain specialists with demonstrable subject expertise can apply. The last date to submit the Expression of Interest is October 9, 2026. Eligible candidates can submit their applications through the official NTA website, nta.ac.in. Applicants need to provide academic credentials and subject specialization while submitting the form online.
Read: NTA CMAT 2027 Schedule Released: Check Exam Date, Registration Window, and Guidelines
Role of Subject Matter Experts
The empanelment will cover several stages of the assessment process, including question and item authoring, review and vetting, moderation, and translation or transadaptation. Selected experts will be expected to prepare syllabus-aligned and application-based questions, check test items for conceptual accuracy and clarity, and help maintain appropriate difficulty levels across examinations.
They will also review translations to ensure that they are linguistically and culturally appropriate across regional languages. This step will ensure fairness and uniformity for candidates appearing in different regional languages across the country.
NTA Reforms and High-Powered Task Force
The invitation comes as the NTA is undergoing wider changes in its examination and question-paper processes. The Centre has constituted a High-Powered Task Force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms in the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those conducted by the NTA.
The task force is examining issues such as examination security, use of technology, infrastructure, accessibility and inclusion. Its recommendations are expected to bring major changes in how national-level exams like JEE Main, NEET UG, CUET, UGC NET are conducted in future.
NTA's Global Expansion Plans
Meanwhile, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh recently said the agency is looking beyond India and exploring how its examination framework could eventually be used by other countries, including BRICS nations.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Singh said the immediate focus is to strengthen India's examination systems before moving towards cross-border examinations. He also pointed to China's Gaokao as an example from which examination practices and question-paper technology could be studied and shared among member countries.
Also read: NTA Exam Calendar 2026–27 Out: JEE Main Session 1, UGC NET, and CMAT Schedule Announced
