NTA allows JEE, NEET,CUET Candidates to choose preferred Exam City

Starting from 2026, your Aadhaar card will determine the city of your exam centre for JEE, NEET, and CUET!  It is obvious that you recently heard this news on social media as well as on YouTube. On the basis of a notice, it is circulated that NTA is likely to withdraw the facility to choose an exam city centre for the NEET/JEE/CUET 2026 session.  After circulating these NTA New Rules, several aspirants have shown their disagreement over this decision. The testing agency has denied that hopefuls will be unable to select their exam cities for JEE Main 2026, as reported. NTA confirmed that its current Aadhaar Card advice is not connected to test city allotment.

NTA exam city selection change for JEE, NEET, and CUET from 2026

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a crucial statement in the allocation of exam locations for national-level entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main, National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG), and Common University Entrance Test – Undergraduate (CUET-UG).

For a few weeks, it has been circulating that starting with the academic year 2026-27, candidates will no longer be allowed to choose their preferred exam cities. Instead, centres will be allotted exclusively based on the address on the candidate’s Aadhaar card. All the aspirants are now informed that this was just an assumption on the basis of the  NTA’s Aadhar updatation notice. Just like previous sessions,  students can now select three to four preferred cities when applying.

NTA requests Students for Timely Aadhaar Update

NTA has issued an official notification urging all JEE applicants to verify that their Aadhaar card, UDID card, and category certificate are properly 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,” the National Testing Agency (NTA) said in its notification.

Advisory and Instructions on Updating of Aadhaar Card/ UDID Card/ Category Certificate (EWS/SC/ST/OBC-NCL) before Filling of Online Application Form for Joint Entrance Examination (Main) – 2026 – Reg. Read more

NTA New Rule Results cause concerns among students

The decision has triggered concern among students and parents, particularly those studying or living away from their permanent address. Many people are concerned that if their Aadhaar data are out of date, they would face difficulties travelling during exams. The NTA has asked candidates to verify and, if necessary, update their Aadhaar details well in advance of the application deadline. “No changes will be entertained once the application window opens,” the government said. The new rule will initially apply to the January 2026 JEE Main session and will then be extended to other national-level exams.

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About the Author

Soumyadeep specializes in content creation for board exams, catering to the demands of CBSE, ICSE, and other state boards students. He has two years of experience in the education industry. He has a graduate degree in Zoology Honours, he delivers content across several domains, including CUET (UG and PG), NEET, JEE, and universities.