The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) retest conducted in Tiruchi on Sunday witnessed a sharp decline in attendance, with 1,799 candidates absent.

Of the 6,621 candidates registered for the re-examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), only 4,822 appeared, recording an attendance of 72.83%. A total of 1,799 candidates were absent. The examination was held across 12 centres in the district. In May, NEET saw 6,407 of the 6,688 registered candidates turn up, resulting in an attendance of 95.80%, with only 281 absentees.

Teachers attributed the decline to students opting for alternative courses instead of waiting for the retest. “Many colleges commenced classes in the first week of June and students have enrolled in engineering, arts, and science courses rather than appearing for the re-examination,” said S. Udhayakumar, in-charge of a higher secondary school, Tiruchi.

Several candidates said the exam was easy as they had already taken it earlier and that they were able to complete the exam in time. “The test was easy, but Chemistry was quite challenging. Physics was moderate, while Biology was comparatively easy. Compared to last time, this paper felt slightly easier,” said I. Beulah, a matriculation school student.

The free NEET coaching programme was conducted for students of government and aided schools in Tiruchi district. The month-long coaching included daily classes, regular revision sessions, and practice tests to help students prepare for the examination.

Candidates were asked to assemble between 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. for the test, which began at 2 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m. Elaborate arrangements were made at the exam centres for the smooth conduct of the re-test. Staff were deployed at the entry points to frisk students, verify documents, conduct biometric verification, scan them, and guide them to the stipulated examination halls.

In Nagapattinam, a total of 1,513 candidates, including 544 boys and 969 girls, and 12 persons with disabilities, had registered and the exam was held at 64 halls in five centres across the district. A total of 1,045 candidates (295 boys and 750 girls) turned up.

In Pudukottai district, 2,429 candidates took the exam out of 3,242 who were enrolled for the test. A total of 813 candidates were absent. The examination was held across nine centres in the district.