Lucknow: The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination ordered after the paper leak controversy turned into an unexpected advantage for several high scorers from the city and adjoining districts, with many candidates improving their ranks in the second attempt. While the rescheduled test triggered anxiety and disrupted preparation plans, top performers said the additional window helped them consolidate concepts through revision and practice, and that tighter security at centres restored confidence in the process.Among those who benefited was Shivansh Anand of Mahanagar, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 152.“I intend to pursue BDS, diverging from the more common MBBS choice,” said Anand, who comes from a family of dentists.Anand said his preparation focused on discipline, attending regular classes and steady self-improvement rather than stretching study hours. He also felt the retest was a more accurate yardstick. “The earlier paper was too easy and could not properly differentiate between students. The re-exam was more balanced and tested competency better,” he said.Shrinarayan Hari Mishra, a Maharajganj native who shifted to Aliganj for classes XI and XII, secured AIR 105 after using the retest period to boost his performance.A student of GCRG International School alongside coaching, he said repeated revision of his self-made biology notes was central to his improvement.Mishra plans to pursue MBBS and decide a speciality later. Calling the leak unfortunate, he said the re-exam ultimately worked in his favour. “My performance in the first exam wasn’t satisfactory. When the re-exam was announced, I was anxious like everyone else, but I treated it as an opportunity and improved significantly,” he said.Yasir Athar (AIR 157), originally from Siddharth Nagar and educated in Indira Nagar, said consistent question practice and revision helped him climb further in the re-examination. Inspired by his doctor parents, he plans to study medicine and said that while he was content with his initial score, the second attempt improved his rank.Athar also voiced support for Sonam Wangchuk’s movement, describing it as youth-driven and urging the govt to respond.For Saumya Gupta (AIR 345) of Vikas Nagar, the first prospective doctor in her family, the extra attempt reinforced the value of systematic revision. She said she relied heavily on NCERT and repeated review of her notes, but described the uncertainty around the retest as emotionally difficult despite being confident in her preparation.Savez Alam of Jankipuram, who secured AIR 738 in his first attempt, said restarting after the cancellation was challenging. Motivated by his father, a dentist, Alam said he prepared with short notes, weekly mock tests and regular practice, and called for stricter accountability and reforms to prevent similar disruptions.City Montessori School (CMS) reported strong results, with seven students crossing the 99th percentile and 78 clearing NEET-UG 2026. Amol Sagar led the school with 644 out of 720 (99.90 percentile), followed by Prashasti Tripathi with 643 (99.89), Aakriti Srivastava with 626 (99.79), Anamika Yadav with 602 (99.52), Harshit Verma with 593 (99.36), and Vidisha Singh and Shreya Verma with 590 each (99.30). Founder director Bharti Gandhi said the students would make meaningful contributions to society.
