Chandigarh: As candidates walked out of examination centres across the city on Sunday after appearing for the NEET-UG re-examination, the common sentiment was that the paper was tougher than expected. The sense of unease was palpable, with candidates feeling that cut-offs this year could be lower.The re-exam was conducted following the cancellation of the previous examination, forcing students to undergo another taxing period of preparation and uncertainty.While the prospect of taking the test again initially left many aspirants anxious, several candidates said the fresh examination ultimately gave them greater confidence in the fairness of the process.Many students described the paper as lengthy, with Physics proving particularly challenging. Candidates said the exam demanded a stronger conceptual understanding and better time management than they had anticipated.For 17-year-old Satvik, who hopes to pursue a career in medicine and is also interested in medical research, the paper was among the toughest he has encountered.“This was quite tough. It felt like a 2025-level paper. I think the cut-offs will be lower this time because of the difficulty level,” he said.Satvik said that although the cancellation of the earlier exam had initially come as a shock, he eventually viewed it differently.“I took the cancellation in a positive way. There is more satisfaction this time. It feels better because the exam was conducted properly and everyone got a fair chance,” he said.Another 17-year-old candidate, Aditya, whose centre was in Sector 29, shared a similar assessment.“Most students found it difficult. Physics was especially challenging and time-consuming. Many candidates coming out of the centre were discussing how tough the paper was,” he said.Harleen Kaur, an aspirant from Chandigarh, said the examination tested students’ ability to remain calm under pressure.“The questions were not impossible, but they required a lot of thinking. Time management became a major challenge, especially in Physics,” she said.Arjun Jagpal, another candidate, felt the paper favoured students with strong conceptual clarity.“It was not a paper where you could rely only on memorisation. You had to understand concepts well. Biology was manageable, but Physics and parts of Chemistry required careful analysis,” he said.Several candidates also said the re-examination brought a sense of closure after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the cancelled test. While discussions on expected scores had already begun outside centres, many students believed the overall difficulty level could lead to lower qualifying marks and reduced cut-offs compared with earlier expectations.For Chandigarh’s medical aspirants, Sunday’s examination marked the end of an emotionally draining chapter. Whether the anticipated drop in cut-offs materialises will become clear only when results are declared, but for now, many candidates appeared relieved to have finally put the controversy and uncertainty behind them.
