National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to release the provisional answer key for the National Eligibility Entrance Examination (NEET) 2021 soon on the official website neet.nta.nic.in. While the exact date for answer key release is yet to be confirmed, candidates can take a guess by referring to the previous-year records. The most accurate guess will be based on what happened in 2020. Referring to last year, NEET 2021 aspirants can expect the provisional answer key to release by September 26-27, 2021.
Aspirants will also get two days’ time to raise objections or challenges against the answer key. Right now however, the answer key release date is a more pertinent question that candidates are wondering about.
Last year, the NEET examination was conducted across the country on September 13. Provisional answer key for the same was released 14 days later, on September 27. However, a longer gap between the two events was observed in 2019 and 2018.
NTA authorities conducted the NEET 2019 examination on May 05. Thereafter, almost 24 days later, authorities released the provisional answer key on May 29, 2019. Candidates received time up to May 31, 2019, to raise objections against the answer key. However, this timeline of events will create a further delay in the new academic year and hence, it’s highly unlikely for NTA to follow this schedule.
Similarly, in 2018, the national-level medical entrance exam was conducted on May 06. Provisional answer key for the exam was released 21 days later, on May 27, 2018. This schedule again, may create a delay in the upcoming academic year and hence, authorities are likely to stick to the 2020 schedule.
In simple terms, the NEET 2021 provisional answer key is likely to release on September 26 or 27, 2021. Candidates are likely to be given time up to September 29, 2021, to raise objections against the answer key. NTA authorities will be considering all objections and making changes in the answer key, wherever required. However, this facility is not free-of-cost and hence, candidates are advised to raise objections wisely.
Candidates are instructed to provide adequate representation, justification or proof to support their claims. After making changes in the provisional answer key, a final draft will be released later, preferably in the second week of October 2021. NEET 2021 results are likely to release around the same time as the final answer key. Hence, while waiting for the answer key to release, candidates are advised to use unofficial answer keys available online. This is to help them determine a tentative score and invariably, a probable rank in the examination.
