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NTA Financial Report: Over the past six years, the NTA generated a total revenue of ₹3,512.98 crore through various examinations. During the same period, ₹3,064.77 crore was spent on conducting exams and other operational arrangements.

NTA Financial Report: The National Testing Agency (NTA)—responsible for conducting major national exams like NEET, JEE Main, CUET, and UGC-NET—is once again in the spotlight. Recently, a Parliamentary Standing Committee presented data regarding the NTA's income and expenditure, emphasizing the need to strengthen the examination system. The committee questioned why—given the agency's surplus funds amounting to crores of rupees—there is no rapid progress toward making the examination system more secure and effective. Let us now look at how much the NTA earns annually from student exam fees and the extent of its profits.

What did the Parliamentary Committee report reveal?

According to the Parliamentary Committee report, the NTA generated a total revenue of ₹3,512.98 crore from various exams over the last six years. During this time, ₹3,064.77 crore was spent on conducting the exams and other arrangements. After accounting for expenses, the agency was left with a surplus of approximately ₹448 crore, averaging about ₹74.5 crore per year. The Parliamentary Standing Committee stated in its report that the NTA's surplus funds should be utilized to further strengthen the examination system. The committee suggested that the agency improve its technical infrastructure, strengthen monitoring mechanisms, and establish more effective control over the vendors involved in the examination process.

Which exams generate revenue for the NTA?

The NTA conducts several major entrance and eligibility examinations in the country. These include examinations such as NEET UG, JEE Main, CUET UG, CUET PG, UGC NET, CMAT, GPAT, ICAR, CSIR-UGC NET, and NCHM JEE. Lakhs of students apply for these exams annually and pay the prescribed examination fees; this fee revenue is considered the agency's primary source of income.

NEET Exam Generates the Largest Share of NTA's Revenue

The NTA derives its highest revenue from the NEET UG exam, which is one of its largest examinations. In 2026, approximately 22.79 lakh candidates applied for this exam. The application fee is ₹1,700 for General category candidates, ₹1,600 for OBC and EWS categories, and ₹1,000 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. Given the volume of candidates, the revenue generated from NEET alone is estimated to run into hundreds of crores of rupees.

Additionally, a large number of students participate in exams like JEE Main and CUET, providing the agency with substantial annual income. Although the NTA's revenue has reached the scale of thousands of crores of rupees, the cost of conducting these exams is also high. The agency incurs heavy expenses for booking exam centers, security arrangements, biometric attendance systems, CCTV surveillance, software services, printing and distributing question papers, technical management, and payments to exam personnel and experts. Consequently, a major portion of the NTA's total income is spent on conducting the exams and managing the associated logistics.