NEET Retest Attendance Drops to 72% in Tiruchi, Thousands Skip Exam

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) retest conducted in Tiruchi on Sunday recorded a sharp decline in attendance, with 1,799 candidates absent. Of the 6,621 registered candidates, only 4,822 appeared, resulting in an attendance rate of 72.83%. The examination was held across 12 centres in the district.

This is a significant drop from the May NEET exam, where 6,407 out of 6,688 registered candidates turned up, achieving an attendance of 95.80% with only 281 absentees.

Teachers attributed the decline to students choosing alternative academic paths rather than waiting for the retest. S. Udhayakumar, in-charge of a higher secondary school in Tiruchi, said, 'Many colleges commenced classes in the first week of June, and students have enrolled in engineering, arts, and science courses rather than appearing for the re-examination.'

Several candidates found the exam manageable. I. Beulah, a matriculation school student, noted, 'The test was easy, but Chemistry was quite challenging. Physics was moderate, while Biology was comparatively easy. Compared to last time, this paper felt slightly easier.'

To support students, a free NEET coaching programme was conducted for government and aided school students in Tiruchi district. The month-long coaching included daily classes, revision sessions, and practice tests.

Candidates were required to assemble between 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. for the test, which began at 2 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m. Elaborate arrangements were made at exam centres, including staff deployment for frisking, document verification, biometric scanning, and guiding students to examination halls.

In Nagapattinam district, 1,513 candidates registered, including 544 boys, 969 girls, and 12 persons with disabilities. Of these, 1,045 candidates (295 boys and 750 girls) appeared for the exam, held across 64 halls in five centres.

In Pudukottai district, 2,429 candidates took the exam out of 3,242 registered, leaving 813 absent. The examination was conducted across nine centres.