NTA Defends Rs 200 Answer Key Challenge Fee, Says Valid Objections Benefit All Students

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has defended its answer key challenge system, saying the process is designed to ensure fairness for all candidates and rejecting concerns that the fee charged for raising objections is excessive.

The NTA explained that the answer key challenge is an online mechanism through which candidates appearing for examinations such as JEE Main, NEET and UGC NET can raise objections against errors in the provisional answer key.

In a social media post, the testing agency said that if even one candidate challenges a question and the objection is accepted by subject experts, the revised answer key is applied to all candidates who appeared for the examination.

The agency said the fee for challenging an answer is intended to discourage frivolous objections rather than generate revenue.

According to the NTA, candidates are refunded Rs 200 for every question where their challenge is upheld by the subject experts.

The agency emphasised that a valid objection raised by a single candidate can lead to a correction that benefits lakhs of other students who appeared for the same examination.

“An accurate challenge from any candidate can correct the record for lakhs of others,” the NTA said, highlighting the role of the challenge mechanism in maintaining accuracy and fairness in competitive examinations.

The agency maintained that the fee structure is intended to ensure that objections are based on genuine concerns while allowing valid challenges to improve the accuracy of the final answer key.

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