A technical glitch affected candidates at several centers during the CUET (UG) 2026 examination on Saturday, prompting the National Testing Agency (NTA) to announce a one-time opportunity for some students to retake the exam.According to the NTA, more than 3,700 candidates who had completed their biometric registration but left their exam centers before the resumption of the test will be allowed to appear in the rescheduled exam.The issue delayed the start of Shift 1 at some centres. The agency said that after the issue was resolved, most of the candidates were able to complete their exams. However, 3,765 students chose to drop out before the exam resumed.“Most of the candidates were able to complete their examination after the resumption of the examination. We understand that 3,765 candidates who were present and had completed biometric registration chose to leave before the resumption of the examination,” NTA said on X.“For these candidates, the NTA will conduct a rescheduled examination as a one-time measure,” it added.The agency said that the details of the fresh exam date will be announced separately. It also apologized for the disruption and said the technical services provider, TCS iON, has been asked to analyze the root cause and submit a report immediately.“We know it was stressful, and we’re sorry for the trouble it caused,” the NTA said.Earlier in the day, the NTA said the technical issue has been resolved and candidates are being given full compensatory time. Morning shift candidates were allowed to complete the entire duration of the paper, while the afternoon session started later than the scheduled time.The revised reporting time for the afternoon session was 2.30 pm, and the exam started at 4 pm instead of 3 pm.TCS CEO and Managing Director K Krithivasan said a “short technical glitch” caused the morning shift to be delayed by about two hours. “The issue was immediately identified and resolved by our technical teams and the exam has since resumed without affecting the sanctity of the exam. We regret the inconvenience,” the company said.Meanwhile, several students and parents took to social media to complain about long waiting times and lack of communication at some centres.“CUET 2026 students forced to wait for 3-4 hours due to technical glitches. Proper communication, no management, students and parents suffering from extreme heat,” wrote a user.Another user claimed that students and parents had reached an exam center in Delhi early in the morning, only to find that the exam had not started even after a few hours.CUET-UG is a national level entrance examination for admission to undergraduate programs in central, state and several private universities. Conducted by the NTA, the exam has also faced operational challenges in previous years, including delays, technical issues, center changes and rescheduled tests.
