Retest was held on June 21,2026 but attendance dropped badly,with only 4,822 out of 6,621 registered candidates actually turning up.
That means attendance was just 72.83% . And when you compare this with earlier exam in May,where attendance was 95.80%,difference is not small ah.
Around 1,799 candidates staying absent has naturally raised concerns among educators and officials . Because this is not just few students missing exam,this is big chunk of registered candidates choosing not to come.
And teachers are pointing toward one very practical reason . Many students had already moved on to alternative courses,especially engineering and arts programs,after colleges started classes in early June.
S. Udhayakumar ,in charge of higher secondary school in Tiruchi,also noted this same thing . Many students enrolled elsewhere and once regular college life started,the retest probably stopped feeling like main priority for them.
Few things standing out clearly here:
- Attendance down to 72.83% from May's 95.80%.
- Students opting for alternative courses,with many joining engineering and arts classes.
- Exam arrangements were smooth,with staff handling biometric verification properly.
But for those who did attend,exam experience seems to have been slightly better . Several candidates said paper felt easier compared to previous attempt,though Chemistry section still troubled them .
“The test was easy, but Chemistry was quite challenging,” said I. Beulah ,a matriculation student . That one line pretty much sums up mood of many students who came prepared but still found one section tough.
At same time,exam structure apparently allowed students to complete paper within allotted time,so there was some confidence among candidates who actually appeared . And honestly,that also makes low attendance more interesting,because exam itself was not reported as chaotic or badly managed .
There was also free NEET coaching program in Tiruchi for students from government and aided schools,with daily classes and practice tests . Still,overall participation in re-test shows student priorities had already shifted somewhere else .
And this is where question remains open . If students are already choosing other academic paths by early June,then how much does retest timing itself affect their decision to even show up…
