NTA will pay retired teachers Rs 4,000 a day to watch over NEET, JEE and CUET exams
By TUF News Desk · Published 11 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Retired teachers and government officers have till December 6 to apply for paid work watching over India’s biggest entrance exams. The National Testing Agency (NTA) opened applications on November 7 for a two-year panel of exam observers, and the job pays Rs 4,000 for each exam day.
An observer is the agency’s person inside the exam hall. NTA places one at every test centre on exam day, and the new panel covers NEET UG, JEE Main, CUET UG and PG, UGC NET and CSIR NET. Apply through the official observer management portal; the full notice is published as an expression of interest on the NTA website.
Who can apply
NTA is taking applications in three groups. Retired central and state government officers who left service above Pay Level 8 can apply between the ages of 60 and 65. Retired armed forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel of Subedar Major rank and above can apply up to the age of 65. The third group is serving and retired teachers and professors from government schools, colleges and universities. Those still in service need a no-objection certificate from their employer, and they have no upper age limit while they are employed.
Applicants must be physically fit and willing to travel outside their home city if needed. They must also be free of pending disciplinary or vigilance proceedings.
What observers do, and what they are paid
Every observer attends a briefing a day before the exam and reports to the assigned centre before the reporting time. On exam day they watch identity checks, frisking, seating, the handling of exam material, CCTV and webcasting, and power backup. Any irregularity, security lapse or malpractice goes straight to NTA.
The pay is Rs 2,000 plus Rs 1,000 conveyance for the briefing day, a total of Rs 3,000. For exam day it is Rs 3,000 plus Rs 1,000 conveyance, a total of Rs 4,000. Travel and stay are paid separately for outstation duty.
Why NTA is building this panel now
NTA runs its exams across more than 5,000 centres in 13 languages, and a single cycle can involve lakhs of candidates. A pre-verified pool lets the agency staff centres quickly instead of finding observers from scratch each time. It also fits the wider clean-up of exam conduct after the NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy.
The notice gives one more clue. It covers both computer-based and pen-and-paper exams and lists NEET UG among them, but it does not say whether NEET UG 2027 will be online or on paper. The Centre had earlier said NEET UG would move to computer-based testing from 2027, and that change is now under review. The Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms has had its tenure extended till January 2027, after receiving more than 50,000 suggestions.
For students, these are the same exams that decide university seats across the country. Our guide to choosing a university in India explains how these entrance scores feed into admissions once the results are out.
Exam centres and experts too
The observer panel is one of three drives NTA opened on November 7. The agency is also asking schools, colleges and universities to apply as permanent exam centres, with the same December 6 deadline, and inviting subject experts and translation reviewers, for whom it has set no closing date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date to apply for the NTA observer panel?
December 6, 2026. Applications opened on November 7; apply through the NTA observer management portal.
Who can apply to become an NTA exam observer?
Retired government officers above Pay Level 8 aged 60 to 65, retired armed forces and CAPF personnel of Subedar Major rank and above up to 65, and serving or retired teachers and professors from government institutions.
How much does an NTA observer earn?
Rs 3,000 for the briefing day and Rs 4,000 for the exam day, including conveyance. Travel and stay are paid separately for outstation duty.
Does joining the panel guarantee work at every exam?
No. Empanelment lasts two years, but deployment is decided exam by exam, based on centre allocation and availability.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date to apply for the NTA observer panel?
December 6, 2026. Applications opened on November 7; apply through the NTA observer management portal.
Who can apply to become an NTA exam observer?
Retired government officers above Pay Level 8 aged 60 to 65, retired armed forces and CAPF personnel of Subedar Major rank and above up to 65, and serving or retired teachers and professors from government institutions.
How much does an NTA observer earn?
Rs 3,000 for the briefing day and Rs 4,000 for the exam day, including conveyance. Travel and stay are paid separately for outstation duty.
Does joining the panel guarantee work at every exam?
No. Empanelment lasts two years, but deployment is decided exam by exam, based on centre allocation and availability.
Sources: Careers360, Times Now, National Testing Agency