NEET Re-exam Uncertainty Takes a Toll on Aspirants' Mental Health, Experts Warn

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026, initially held on May 3, was cancelled following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. With the re-examination now scheduled for June 21, lakhs of aspirants are confronting an extended period of intense preparation, reignited anxiety, and a growing mental health toll. Many describe a sense of life being suspended, as months and sometimes years of effort hang in balance.

For 19-year-old Liza, the pressure has manifested in a diminished capacity to feel joy—a condition clinicians call anhedonia. “I try to act strong, but I’ve started losing interest in everything I used to love,” she says. “I’m trying to figure out how to bring my spark back and stop feeling so emotionally numb.” Liza, who could not recall the last time she enjoyed an activity without guilt, says she now spends most of her waking hours studying and questioning her own identity.

Saad, also 19, has stopped venturing out, exercising, or speaking to friends. He believes the cancellation has jeopardised his chances and feels he cannot waste any time in his pursuit of a perfect score. Bhoomi, another aspirant, describes her body giving way under the strain. “My sleep cycle is all over the place. Some days I sleep for hours just to escape. Then I guilt-trip and force myself to stay awake for days,” she says. On the day of the cancelled exam, she experienced severe panic. “I was shaking inside the examination hall,” she recalls. “I had to keep drinking water just to calm down enough to write the paper. Now I am dreading that experience again.”

Mental health professionals say such reactions are not unexpected. Dr Trideep Choudhury, consultant psychiatrist at Fortis ADAYU, Gurugram, explains that the body operates in a state of overdrive during high-stakes exam preparation. Stress hormones like catecholamines and adrenaline keep the heart rate elevated and alter digestion. “Normally, once the exam ends, those hormone levels drop and the body begins to recover. But when uncertainty is prolonged, that recovery is denied,” he says. This leads to psychological burnout, harming concentration, memory, and emotional regulation.

Tiya Sharma, a psychologist and youth mental health advocate, notes that uncertainty itself can be more distressing than receiving bad news. “The human mind is not designed to sustain uncertainty indefinitely,” she says. “Research shows that not knowing an outcome is incredibly draining. This total lack of control leads straight to emotional exhaustion, making it nearly impossible for students to focus or concentrate.”

The crisis extends beyond individual cases. According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents globally lives with a mental health condition. Yet, as Sharma points out, emotional wellbeing is often treated as secondary to academic performance. “We need to remember that one exam does not define a person’s future. But severe mental illness absolutely can,” she says.

Clinicians urge a shift in perspective: while entrance exams are important milestones, prolonged distress without support can have lasting repercussions. As the re-examination date approaches, many young lives remain caught in what experts describe as a psychological limbo—a state that demands attention not just from families and educators but also from policymakers who design high-stakes testing systems.