The medical entrance exam- NEET would now be conducted online and twice a year by the newly formed National Testing Agency (NTA), HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said on July 8.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination (NEET) will be held by newly formed examination conducting agency, NTA, Javdekar told reporters. The NTA would conduct its first exam NET, that was till now conducted by the CBSE, in December, he added. JEE (Mains) would be conducted twice a year, in January and April. NEET (UG) would be conducted in February and May, the minister said.

The NTA would also conduct National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test(GPAT), Javadekar said. CMAT and GPAT would be conducted in January next year. The students can appear both the times in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and JEE (Mains) and the best of the two scores would be taken in account for admission, the minister said. NEET is conducted for admissions to medical institutions across the country.

"This will give more chances to students thereby giving adequate opportunity to bring out his/her best and reduce stress which develops due to a single exam being conducted on one day in the year. However, sitting in both the tests will not be compulsory," he said. The two tests -- JEE (Mains) and NEET -- would be equated using psychometric methods, standardisation techniques and best of the equated scores would be used for the admissions.

The minister said that the exams would be more secure and at par with international norms. There would be no issues of leakage and it would be more student friendly, open, scientific and leak-proof, he stressed. "The examinations for all candidates will be conducted in computer-based mode only. These examinations will use highly secured IT software and and encryption to ensure delivery of tests just in time. This will ensure no leakages and other malpractices," he told reporters.

Javadekar assured that the syllabus, the pattern of the question paper would remain the same and there would no increase in the examination fees. The exams would be held in the existing number of languages. "All the tests would be set in a scientific manner with the test items developed jointly by the subject matter experts and psychometricians.

"Before developing the question papers, the item writers for the exams will be given on the functioning of the previous years' items so that they are able to make test items which are more valid and reliable," he said. All the tests would be conducted in multiple sittings and a candidate would have an option of choosing from the dates. Scores of different candidates in multiple sittings would also be equated using standardisation techniques.

NTA would establish a network of test practice centres for students from rural areas so that everyone would have an opportunity to practice before the exam. Schools/engineering colleges with computer centres would be identified and kept open on Saturday/Sunday starting from third week of August and any student can use the facility free of charge, he added.

The time table of the exams to be conducted by the NTA would be uploaded on the ministry's website. The IITs would continue to conduct Joint Entrance Examination-Advanced exam, he said. The online submission of application forms for NET would start from September 1 and would be on till September 30. The examinations would be held between December 2 to December 12 in two shifts per day on Saturdays and Sundays. The results would be declared in the last week of January 2019.

The online submission of application forms for JEE (Mains) would start from September 1 and be on till September 30. The examinations would be held between January 6, 2019 to January 20, 2019 in eight different sittings and candidates can choose any one. The results would be declared in the first week of February 2019.

The online submission of application forms for the second phase of JEE (Mains) would start from second week of February 2019. The examinations would be held between April 7, 2019 to April 21, 2019 in eight different sittings and candidates can choose any one. The results would be declared in the first week of May 2019.

The online submission of application forms for NEET (UG) would start from October 1 and be on till October 31. The examinations would be held between February 3, 2019 to January 17, 2019 in eight different sittings and candidates can choose any one. The results will be declared in the first week of March 2019.

The online submission of application forms for second phase of NEET (UG) would start from second week of March next year. The examinations would be held between May 12, 2019 to May 26, 2019 in eight different sittings and candidates can choose any one. The results would be declared in the first week of June.

The online submission of application forms for CMAT and GPAT would start from October 22 till December 15. The examinations would be held on January 27 next year and the results would be declared in the first week of February. The Union Cabinet had approved setting up of the NTA to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. So far, The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted NEET on behalf of the Medical Council Of India and the Health Ministry and NET on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC).