- NTA invites academicians, educators, researchers and professionals to join a three-year Subject Matter Expert panel for question-setting, translation, answer-key verification and other confidential examination assignments.
National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued Expression of Interest (EoI) for the selection of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on a three-year panel. As per the invitation, the empanelled Subject Matter Experts would be involved in various confidential academic and examination processes such as the development of question papers, translation, moderation, answer key validation, and research. The last date for receipt of applications is October 9, 2026.
It is anticipated that the panel of SMEs will help in different stages of the assessment process. According to the area of expertise of the chosen experts and the needs of NTA, the assigned experts can write test questions according to the prescribed formats, level of difficulties and curricular requirements. The experts may also evaluate questions written by others with regard to correctness, relevance and fairness.
Expertise could equally be needed for the verification of answers and resolution of candidates’ disputes. Some of the duties include consideration of disputes regarding provisional answer keys and coming up with a logical response to those complaints. Furthermore, the team could help in ensuring that the question bank remains secure through the calibration of questions.
Academic duties of empanelled experts are elaborated by the NTA as well. They encompass involvement in the committee work at the subject level, examination schemes review, curricula mapping, development of test specifications and blueprints, piloting, psychometric analysis, and research related to the improvement of examinations. Question translation and trans adaptation may be included in the tasks as well.
Individuals who wish to join the panel should satisfy certain criteria of independence and conflicts of interest. The candidate should not have any direct or indirect links with institutions offering coaching services, test-preparation services or examination coaching institutes for NTA or other entrance tests. They should not have written or edited any commercially available material or questions for preparation for the entrance examination in the last five years.
Apart from the aforementioned requirements, the NTA further expects that applicants do not have any current or past commercial involvement in test preparation services for candidates in the last three years. Family members of the candidate should not appear for any NTA exam when the candidate is empaneled for the same. The selected experts are made to go through background and integrity checks, and then a Non-Disclosure Agreement is signed.
This program offers skilled teachers and experts in their subjects a chance to get involved in ensuring the standards of national level exams, along with improving their confidentiality and independence.
