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NEET exam in Dubai: Students start applying for slots

Dubai - Hundreds of students and parents heaved a sigh of relief after the UAE was chosen as a centre for the Indian medical college entrance exam for the first time.

UAE students who wish to take India’s NEET exam in Dubai have started applying for slots since July 23, while the early birds who had already submitted their forms are eagerly waiting for their turn to change their exam centre on August 8.

Hundreds of students and parents heaved a sigh of relief after the UAE was chosen as a centre for the Indian medical college entrance exam for the first time. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination (NEET) is a common entrance exam taken by students who aspire to pursue MBBS or any other medical course in India, and is set to be conducted on September 12 here.

Those who are sending their NEET forms for the first time have until August 6 to apply for a slot in Dubai. From August 8 to 12, exam centre corrections will be accepted.

“As my son has already filled out the form, he will be changing his examination centre to Dubai during the correction period, between August 8-12, as announced,” said Najalah Faiz, parent of a NEET aspirant.

“His previous choices of exam centres were all in Kerala. I live in Abu Dhabi, so it will entail a few PCR tests to go to Dubai, but it’s definitely much better than travelling to India at the moment as there are no return flights. Besides, both my husband and I are working.”

New centres in Dubai and Kuwait city were announced to assist the Indian students based in the Gulf countries to appear for the exam.

Annie Cherian, another parent of an NEET aspirant, said: “It’s been a welcome move [holding exams here], as travelling to India is fraught with challenges. We didn’t know if we could come back and the bigger worry is that both of us are working. My son will opt to change the exam centre to Dubai...as previously, he had selected all four exam centres in our hometown in Kerala.

While both students and parents are relieved, they have another worry: Will the Dubai centre be able to accommodate all aspirants?

“The only concern we have now is how many (approved) seats will be available for candidates to take the exam in Dubai. I know there are many candidates from the UAE who will choose Dubai as an option. I hope there is no cap on the number of people in a specific centre,” said Faiz.

Cherian added: “We were wondering if in Dubai, four different exam centres will be offered to students, or if one centre will be big enough to accommodate all the UAE students, given the fact that it’s pandemic times.

“Also, will it depend on how soon this centre(s) will be selected by candidates? Does that mean that some students may have to go back to choosing their previous options in India if all the spots are quickly taken? Therefore, we are still a bit uncertain.”

Afsal Abdul Nazar, who aspires to pursue his MBBS, is all set to send in his application.

“I haven’t filled out the form yet because I was hoping that the National Testing Agency would add Dubai as one of the exam centres this year. Luckily, it happened and this decision is definitely a welcome respite. I will apply now at the earliest. As for my remaining options, I’ll probably have to opt for places in Kerala, which will be my second, third and fourth options, as the form offers four venues of one’s choice. Kuwait City, though close to the UAE, is again not an option because of the travel bans.”

nandini@khaleejtimes.com