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The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set for a major overhaul of its examination system, with the agency removing around 600 experts from its examination team, bringing in new specialists and introducing a four-tier scrutiny mechanism for question papers.The changes were discussed during a follow-up review meeting with the Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, following directions to strengthen the security and infrastructure involved in conducting NTA examinations.
The latest measures come amid concerns over errors in question papers, including issues reported in the UGC-NET June 2026 examination. The NTA had identified wrongly worded questions and factual defects in the English, Commerce and Sociology papers, leading to a decision to conduct a retest for these subjects.
600 Experts Removed, New Team To Be Onboarded
As part of the restructuring, the NTA has undertaken a revamp of its examination team, with around 600 experts being removed and new experts being brought on board.
The figure of 600 refers to experts associated with the examination process and should not be confused with the agency’s sanctioned or regular posts. The NTA’s permanent staffing structure is separate from its wider pool of subject experts, reviewers and other personnel involved in examination-related work.
The agency has also planned further inductions. According to the details shared after the review meeting, around 20 to 25 officials are expected to join within the next two to three weeks, while a broader induction plan is also being worked out.
Four-Tier Question Paper Checking System
One of the key changes is the introduction of a four-tier checking system for question papers.
Under the revamped process, question papers will undergo multiple levels of scrutiny before they are used in an examination. The aim is to reduce the possibility of factual, language or content-related errors making it into the final paper.
The move also builds on NTA’s existing stated approach to test development. The agency says its question-development process involves subject experts, test specialists, reviewers and psychometricians, with questions undergoing multiple reviews and revisions. Its existing framework also provides for independent checking of questions and answer keys before a test is published.
The new four-tier mechanism is therefore intended to make these checks more structured and stringent.
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NTA Offices To Shift, CISF Security Planned
Security is another major focus of the overhaul.The NTA is preparing to shift its offices to new premises on a “war footing”, with additional security arrangements planned at the new location. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel are expected to be deployed as part of the strengthened security setup.
The move is aimed at tightening control over sensitive examination-related operations, particularly the handling of confidential material and question papers.
The agency has faced heightened scrutiny over examination security in recent years. In June 2026, the NTA also issued a statement concerning the misuse of Telegram to create fabricated claims of question-paper leaks by editing previously posted messages.
