CUET UG 2026 exam delayed at some centres due to technical glitch; NTA revises afternoon shift timing

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG 2026 was delayed at some examination centres on Saturday after a technical glitch affected the start of the test, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA).

In a statement posted on X, the agency said the problem was reported by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which is involved in conducting the examination. The NTA said the issue has now been resolved and arrangements have been made to ensure that candidates do not lose examination time.

"TCS has reported that a technical glitch at their end delayed the commencement of CUET UG 2026 at some centres on Saturday. The issue has since been resolved, and the exam is being conducted with full compensatory time so that no candidate is disadvantaged," the NTA said.



Following the disruption, the agency revised the schedule for the afternoon session. Candidates were asked to report from 2:30 pm, while the examination was scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm instead of the originally planned 3:00 pm.

The NTA also said that candidates appearing in the morning session would receive the full duration of the examination and would be allowed to leave only after completing the allotted test time.

"NTA sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to students and parents," the agency said.

In a post later, NTA said candidates who did their Biometric Registration and were present at their examination centres in Shift-I, but couldn't complete their examination due to this technical glitch, will get an opportunity for examination, the details of which will be notified soon.

To assist candidates facing difficulties, the NTA has provided a helpline number, +91-11-40759000, and an email address, cuet-ug@nta.ac.in, for support and queries.

CUET-UG was introduced in 2022 as a common entrance examination for admission to undergraduate programmes offered by central, state and several private universities. Conducted by the NTA, the examination provides a single platform for admissions and assesses candidates on language skills, domain-specific subjects and general aptitude.

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