Exam agency builds huge question bank to stop leaks
After the medical entrance paper leak in May, the National Testing Agency is changing how it sets papers. About 5,000 experts have joined its panel, and it is building a big question bank so that no one knows the final paper in advance. Read it to revise NTA, the 2024 law against unfair means and exam reform.
- Agency
- National Testing Agency
- Experts
- About 5,000
- Dropped
- About 600 experts
- Law
- Public Examinations Act, 2024
The NTA overhaul: what happened?
If nobody knows the paper until minutes before the exam, there is nothing to leak. That is the idea behind the new question bank.
- About 5,000 experts have joined NTA’s panel to set, check and translate questions.
- After the May leak, about 600 experts were dropped and the office moved to the Government of India Press building on Minto Road, Delhi.
- With a big question bank, papers can be finalised minutes before the exam.
- Experts will not know which exam a question is meant for.
What is the National Testing Agency?
NTA was set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Education to conduct major entrance exams for higher education.
Paper leaks have hit several national and State exams, hurting lakhs of students.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 sets jail terms and fines for leaks and cheating in central exams.
How will papers now be made?
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Panel | About 5,000 vetted experts |
| Checks | Four layers: documents, subject committees, background checks |
| Question bank | Large pool of questions |
| Final paper | Picked minutes before the exam |
Which laws and Articles apply?
- National Testing Agency: set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Education.
- Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024: punishes leaks and cheating.
- Background checks include links with coaching institutes.
- Article 14: fair and equal chance in public exams.
Why does the NTA overhaul matter?
| Angle | What to note |
|---|---|
| Fairness | Leaks hurt honest students. |
| Trust | Public faith in exams must be rebuilt. |
| Technology | Question banks reduce human risk. |
| Law | 2024 Act gives a deterrent. |
What are the problems with the NTA overhaul?
- A large bank needs very strong digital security.
- Quality of thousands of questions is hard to keep even.
- Leaks often happen at printing or transport stages.
- Translation errors can harm non-English candidates.
What should be done next on the NTA overhaul?
- Secure the full chain: setting, printing, transport, centres.
- Use computer-based tests where possible.
- Audit the question bank regularly.
- Speed up trials under the 2024 Act.
What can Prelims ask on the NTA overhaul?
Prelims probability: Expect a question on the National Testing Agency (set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Education) and the 2024 law against unfair means in public exams.
- NTA was set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Education.
- Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
- About 5,000 experts empanelled.
- Question bank allows last-minute papers.
- Experts are not told which exam a question is for.
How to write about the NTA overhaul in Mains
Practice question (15 marks, 250 words): Paper leaks threaten the credibility of public examinations. Suggest measures to make exams leak-proof.
- Intro: May leak, NTA overhaul.
- Causes of leaks.
- New measures: experts, question bank.
- Legal steps: 2024 Act.
- Conclusion: secure the full chain.
Ready lines for your answer
- A paper no one knows cannot be leaked.
- Every leak steals a year from an honest student.
Quotable data pointAbout 5,000 experts empanelled; about 600 dropped.
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Exam angle
Prelims: NTA, Public Examinations Act, 2024. · Mains GS-II: education governance.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
The National Testing Agency, which conducts major national entrance examinations, is:
Answer (c) & explanation
The National Testing Agency was set up in 2017 as an autonomous, self-sustained society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, under the Ministry of Education.
Consider the following statements:
1. Offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.
2. Organised paper leaks under the Act can be punished with 5 to 10 years in jail and a fine of at least ₹1 crore.
3. The Act covers examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Commission.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
All three are correct. The Act covers exams of the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, railway and banking recruitment bodies and the National Testing Agency.
Questions students ask about this
What is NTA doing to stop leaks?
It has empanelled about 5,000 experts and is building a large question bank so papers can be finalised minutes before the exam.
When was NTA set up?
In 2017, under the Ministry of Education.
Which law punishes paper leaks?
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
How many experts were dropped after the leak?
About 600.