The NEET-UG re-examination was conducted across 15 centres in Ludhiana on Sunday under stringent security arrangements, with 4,503 of the 5,304 registered candidates appearing for the test.Police personnel were deployed across all venues to ensure the smooth conduct of the test. (Manish/HT)According to district authorities, a total of 801 aspirants remained absent, taking the attendance rate to nearly 85%.The NTA is conducting the re-examination for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test across India.This re-test follows the May 3 exam, which was cancelled due to a paper leak.For many aspirants, however, the second attempt was accompanied by lingering frustration and anxiety, with several candidates saying the month-long uncertainty had disrupted their preparation and affected their performance.Candidates underwent multiple layers of verification, including frisking, biometric authentication and identity checks before entering the examination centres. Police personnel were deployed across all venues to ensure the smooth conduct of the test.Many students who appeared for the examination described the paper as tougher than the original test, particularly the physics section, while others said the emotional toll of preparing for the examination again proved as challenging as the test itself.Pari Uppal, a student of the School of Eminence, Jawahar Nagar, said the re-test did not go as well as her first attempt. “My first attempt was much better. This time, physics was difficult. The cancellation of the earlier examination caused immense stress and the last month was mentally exhausting. I feel the paper was tougher than before and the cut-off is likely to come down,” she said.Her mother, Dr Sonia Uppal, said the cancellation had imposed a significant emotional burden on students.“The confidence and energy with which students attempt such an examination thefirst time cannot simply be recreated. The children put in their full effort, but the entire episode has been unfair to them,” she said.Several other candidates echoed similar sentiments.Ishitroop described the paper as moderate and said she was satisfied with her performance despite the uncertainty surrounding the examination.“Biology was easy and chemistry was moderate,” she said.Jaskirat Gill also termed the paper moderate but said the controversy surrounding the examination remained a concern.“I am expecting good marks, but after everything that has happened, it now depends on the NTA. Hopefully, there will be no more blunders,” he said.Praneet felt the original examination had been easier.“Preparing for and appearing in the examination again was not easy. This time the paper was moderate, but I felt the previous one was easier,” she said.