A clarification from the National Testing Agency (NTA) has put to rest concerns surrounding the conduct of the Common University Entrance Test for Postgraduate programmes (CUET PG) 2026 after questions emerged online over examinations being held on multiple dates and the absence of score normalization.The agency has stated that the rescheduling affected only a small group of candidates who were unable to appear for their examinations due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control. Stressing that all candidates were evaluated under the same marking system, NTA said the special examination did not alter the way scores were calculated and that no candidate received any undue advantage.
NTA responds to social media concerns
The clarification comes after several posts online raised concerns about certain CUET (PG) 2026 subjects being conducted on more than one date. Questions were also raised about the absence of score normalization for candidates who appeared in the rescheduled tests.Addressing these concerns, the NTA said the rescheduling was carried out only for a small group of candidates who were unable to take their examinations on the originally allotted dates because of circumstances beyond their control.
Why were some exams rescheduled?
According to the agency, a law-and-order disruption in Tura, Meghalaya, and security-related issues at certain overseas examination centres affected the participation of 565 candidates across 28 subjects in March 2026.As a result, these candidates missed their scheduled examinations despite being ready to appear. To ensure that they were not disadvantaged, the NTA organised special examinations on March 29 and 30, 2026.The agency described the move as a welfare measure aimed at protecting candidates from being penalised for events they had no role in causing.
No normalisation, same marking system for everyone
One of the major concerns raised online was whether candidates who appeared in the rescheduled tests were exempted from score normalization.The NTA rejected this claim and clarified that CUET (PG) follows an absolute marks system. Under this policy, candidates receive scores based on the marks they obtain in the examination, and no normalization is applied to anyone.The agency emphasised that this rule applies equally to candidates who appeared in the main examination as well as those who took the rescheduled tests. Since normalization is not part of the CUET (PG) evaluation process, the rescheduled candidates did not receive any exemption or special treatment.
Numbers too small for statistical comparison
The NTA also explained why normalization between the two groups would not have been meaningful. It pointed out that the main examination involved tens of thousands of candidates in several subjects, while the rescheduled examinations involved only around a hundred candidates in each paper.For example, nearly 16,000 candidates appeared for English in the main examination compared to about 120 in the rescheduled test. Political Science saw around 26,000 candidates in the main examination against roughly 100 in the reschedule. In History, around 13,600 candidates took the main examination, while fewer than 80 appeared later.Given this huge difference in numbers, the agency said any attempt to statistically normalize the two groups would lack validity.
Question papers checked for equivalent difficulty
To address concerns about fairness, the NTA stated that the rescheduled examinations used question papers that had already been approved and finalised by subject experts.These experts certified that the difficulty level of the rescheduled papers was equivalent to that of the papers used in the main examination. This was done to ensure that all candidates faced a comparable assessment regardless of the date on which they appeared.
NTA reaffirms commitment to fairness
The agency concluded by reiterating that every CUET (PG) 2026 candidate was assessed through the same absolute-marks method and that the rescheduling exercise did not alter the evaluation process in any way.With doubts continuing to surface online, the NTA has sought to reassure students that the examination process remained fair, transparent and centred on the interests of candidates, even in situations where unexpected disruptions forced changes to the examination schedule.
