NTA Rule Alert: JEE, NEET, CUET Aspirants Can No Longer Select Exam City Centre? Here's What We Know So Far

NTA Rule Alert: The aspirants of JEE, NEET, CUET and other exams may see a major change as, National Testing Agency has reportedly announced changes in rules to allocate exam centres. From 2026-27 onwards, candidates appearing for national-level entrance tests like JEE Main, NEET-UG, CUET-UG, etc, will no longer be able to choose their preferred exam cities, reported Network 18.

Candidates of NEET, JEE, CUET and other national-level entrance tests will no longer be able to give their exam city preference; rather, centres will be allocated strictly on the basis of the address mentioned on their Aadhaar card, reported News18, citing NTA notice.

GoodReturns couldn't independently confirm or verify the development, and an official confirmation is awaited.

NTA Releases Notice For Aadhaar Update For JEE Exam 2026

The speculations around the change in exam centre rules came days after NTA released an official notice urging JEE Exam 2026 candidates to update their Aadhaar details. Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a national-level entrance examination for students to take admission in undergraduate engineering, architecture, and planning programs.

JEE is mandatory for students who aspire to take admissions in prestigious institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), etc.

The NTA will organise the JEE (Main) 2026 examination in two sessions, ie Session-1 in January 2026 and Session-2 in April 2026. The online application form for JEE Main 2026 session 1 will be available from October this year.

JEE Main 2026: Mandatory Aadhaar Update

NTA has urged all the candidates of JEE to ensure that their Aadhaar card, UDID Card , and category certificate are fully updated with accurate information and details.

"To streamline the process for JEE (Main) 2026, all eligible aspirants are advised to ensure that the following documents are updated well in advance/ before applying for the JEE (Main)-2026, in order to avoid any discrepancies, grievances or rejection at a later stage," stated NTA in a notice.

Candidates are required to update their Aadhaar card with correct name spelling, date of birth (as per Class 10th certificate), latest photograph, address and father's name.

At present, students can select three to four preferred cities when filling out their application forms. Now, candidates from smaller towns and villages will be assigned centres near their Aadhaar card address, according to the media report.

Document Verification Process

To ensure accuracy in the verification process, the NTA mandates that personal details on the Aadhaar card must match exactly with those on the Class 10 marksheet. Even minor discrepancies could lead to application cancellation. Students are advised to visit their nearest UIDAI centre to correct any errors promptly.