NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)
NTA
Complete guide to passing the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) exam on your first attempt.
~$20 (INR 1600)
~50% qualify
Annual exam
India
NTA
Medical school admission
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Complete Overview
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), NEET (UG), is the single entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, BSc Nursing and BVSc programmes in India, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) under Section 14 of the NMC Act, 2019 and Section 14 of the NCISM Act, 2020. Registration for NEET (UG) 2026 cost 1,700 rupees for General candidates, 1,600 rupees for General-EWS and OBC-NCL candidates, 1,000 rupees for SC, ST, PwBD, PwD and Third Gender candidates, and 9,500 rupees for candidates testing outside India.
The paper is pen and paper on an OMR sheet, single day and single shift, running 180 minutes from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Indian Standard Time. It carries 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions: 45 in Physics for 180 marks, 45 in Chemistry for 180 marks, and 90 in Biology across Botany and Zoology for 360 marks, giving a maximum of 720. A correct answer scores plus four. An incorrect answer scores minus one. An unanswered question scores zero. NTA publishes the paper in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
Qualifying is percentile-based, not mark-based. Under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, an Unreserved or General-EWS candidate must reach the 50th percentile, an SC, ST or OBC candidate the 40th percentile, an Unreserved or General-EWS candidate with a benchmark disability the 45th percentile, and a reserved-category candidate with a benchmark disability the 40th percentile. Because the threshold is a percentile, the mark that corresponds to it moves every year.
The scale of the 2026 cycle is worth stating plainly. NTA held NEET (UG) 2026 on 3 May 2026 and then conducted a re-examination on 21 June 2026, refunding the examination fee for the May sitting. Close to 20 lakh candidates appeared on 21 June at 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. NTA declared the result on 16 July 2026: 11.21 lakh candidates qualified. Two candidates, Aryan Gupta of Punjab and Panshul Bansal of Haryana, shared the highest score of 715 out of 720. Nineteen candidates scored above 700, 1,492 scored 650 or above, 10,160 scored 600 or above, and 90,780 scored 500 or above. More than 58 percent of qualified candidates were women, and women qualified at a higher rate than men, 56.8 percent against 55.1 percent.
Qualifying and getting a seat are different things. The National Medical Commission's Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses for academic year 2026-27, dated 14 July 2026 and excluding the Institutes of National Importance, lists 136,939 MBBS seats across 823 colleges: 63,296 seats in 441 government colleges and 73,643 seats in 382 private colleges. Against 11.21 lakh qualified candidates, that is the arithmetic every aspirant is actually facing.
There is no upper age limit and no cap on attempts. Candidates must have completed 17 years of age on or before 31 December of the year of the examination.
Why Get NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) Certified?
NEET (UG) is the only route into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, BSc Nursing and BVSc programmes in India, and Indian citizens and OCI candidates need it even to study medicine abroad.
The NMC Seat Matrix for 2026-27 lists 136,939 MBBS seats across 823 colleges, of which 63,296 sit in 441 government colleges where fees are a fraction of private-college fees.
Biology carries 90 of the 180 questions and 360 of the 720 marks, so half the paper sits in the subject with the highest recall-to-reward ratio.
The qualifying bar is percentile-based: 50th percentile for Unreserved and General-EWS, 40th for SC, ST and OBC, which meant 11.21 lakh candidates qualified in 2026 out of close to 20 lakh who appeared.
Registration costs 1,700 rupees for General candidates and 1,000 rupees for SC, ST, PwBD, PwD and Third Gender candidates, which is low against the value of a government MBBS seat.
There is no upper age limit and no cap on the number of attempts, so a repeat year is a real option rather than a closed door.
The paper runs in 13 languages, so candidates from Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu medium schooling sit it in their own language.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
180 minutes (three hours), 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Indian Standard Time. PwD and PwBD candidates with a physical limitation to write receive one hour of compensatory time, whether or not they use a scribe, ending at 6:00 PM.
Questions
180 compulsory questions. Physics 45, Chemistry 45, Biology (Botany and Zoology) 90. Maximum marks 720.
Passing Score
Percentile-based, not a fixed mark. Unreserved and General-EWS candidates need the 50th percentile, SC, ST and OBC candidates the 40th percentile, Unreserved and General-EWS candidates with a benchmark disability the 45th percentile, and reserved-category candidates with a benchmark disability the 40th percentile. NTA publishes the corresponding mark ranges with each year's result.
Question Types
- Multiple choice with four options and a single correct or best answer. Every question on the paper is this type.
- All 180 questions are compulsory. NTA removed the optional Section B choice pattern; the 2026 bulletin states the paper consists of 180 compulsory questions to be attempted in 180 minutes.
- Answers are marked on an OMR sheet with the pen supplied at the centre. Candidates may not bring their own pen, and marks on the OMR cannot be corrected.
Delivery Method
Pen and paper, single day and single shift, at NTA-designated centres. The 21 June 2026 sitting ran at 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Entry closes at 1:30 PM and candidates arriving later are not admitted under any circumstances.
How scoring works
Score scale
Raw marks from minus 180 to 720, reported alongside a percentile score. Each of the 180 questions is worth plus four for a correct answer and minus one for an incorrect one, giving 180 marks each for Physics and Chemistry and 360 for Biology.
Score needed to pass
A percentile, not a mark. Unreserved and General-EWS candidates need the 50th percentile, SC, ST and OBC candidates the 40th, Unreserved and General-EWS candidates with a benchmark disability the 45th, and reserved-category candidates with a benchmark disability the 40th. In 2026 the UR and EWS band was reported as 715 to 213 marks and the reserved-category band as 212 to 177.
Roughly what that means raw
The raw mark is the score. NTA reports both the total marks out of 720 and the percentile derived from that year's distribution, so no conversion table exists or is needed.
When results arrive
No same-day result. In the 2026 cycle NTA published the provisional answer key four days after the exam, opened a challenge window at 200 rupees per question, displayed scanned OMR sheets and recorded responses from 13 to 15 July, then published the final answer key and declared the result together on 16 July 2026, 25 days after the 21 June sitting.
How the scale is built
Marks are added directly with no scaling or normalisation, because NEET (UG) runs as a single paper on a single day in a single shift, which removes the need for cross-shift equating. Wrong answers cost one mark each, so scoring is not compensatory within a question and there is no partial credit. Percentile is derived from the marks distribution of candidates who appeared in that cycle, which is why the mark equivalent of a percentile moves year to year. Ties are broken first by Biology score, then Chemistry, then Physics, then by the ratio of incorrect to correct answers.
Pacing and time budget
180 questions in 180 minutes gives you Exactly 1 minute per question across the whole paper. That average is misleading in practice: Biology questions typically resolve in 30 to 45 seconds, which is what funds the two to three minutes a hard Physics numerical takes. per question.
Minute 55
All 90 Biology questions, if you open with Biology. Biology carries 360 of the 720 marks and the highest recall-to-time ratio on the paper.
Minute 100
135 of 180, that is Biology plus all 45 Chemistry questions. Inorganic and organic chemistry should be moving at Biology speed; physical chemistry is where the clock slows.
Minute 155
All 180 attempted or deliberately left blank. Physics gets the last block because it is the subject where over-running costs the most.
Minute 170
Every intended answer transferred to the OMR sheet. There is no extra time for OMR transfer and no correcting a marked bubble.
Minute 180
All 180. The test concludes at 5:00 PM, and you may not leave your seat or the hall before handing the OMR sheet to the invigilator.
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| Minute 55 | All 90 Biology questions, if you open with Biology. Biology carries 360 of the 720 marks and the highest recall-to-time ratio on the paper. |
| Minute 100 | 135 of 180, that is Biology plus all 45 Chemistry questions. Inorganic and organic chemistry should be moving at Biology speed; physical chemistry is where the clock slows. |
| Minute 155 | All 180 attempted or deliberately left blank. Physics gets the last block because it is the subject where over-running costs the most. |
| Minute 170 | Every intended answer transferred to the OMR sheet. There is no extra time for OMR transfer and no correcting a marked bubble. |
| Minute 180 | All 180. The test concludes at 5:00 PM, and you may not leave your seat or the hall before handing the OMR sheet to the invigilator. |
- Subject order is yours to choose. Most high scorers open with Biology to bank 360 marks of the paper while fresh, then take whichever of Chemistry or Physics is their stronger subject.
- A signal is given at the start, at half time and before closing time. Use the half-time signal as a real checkpoint: at minute 90 you should be past 120 questions.
- Mark the OMR as you finish each subject block, not at the end. Leaving 180 transfers for the final ten minutes is how candidates lose marks they had already earned.
- Negative marking makes pacing a decision problem, not a speed problem. If a question needs more than 90 seconds and you cannot eliminate two options, leaving it blank protects a mark you would otherwise lose.
- The paper is not sectioned by time, so there is no per-subject clock enforced by the invigilator. Your own subject budget is the only thing keeping Physics from eating Biology's minutes.
Where the marks are
Biology (Botany and Zoology) as a block
50% of the paper: 90 questions, 360 of 720 marks
Half the total marks in the subject that most closely tracks NCERT text. Questions frequently test a specific sentence, diagram label or table entry rather than an inference.
Human physiology (Zoology)
Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights
Digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, neural and chemical coordination recur every year. Questions ask what happens when a named process is disrupted, so mechanism beats memorised lists.
Genetics, molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology
Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights
Numerical genetics, pedigree reading and the biotechnology toolkit generate application-level questions that separate candidates who read NCERT from candidates who worked its problems.
Physics
25% of the paper: 45 questions, 180 marks
The block where negative marking does the most damage. Mechanics, electrostatics and current electricity dominate, and answers turn on picking the governing relationship before doing any algebra.
Chemistry
25% of the paper: 45 questions, 180 marks
Three distinct study modes in one 45-question block: physical chemistry needs calculation, organic needs mechanism, and inorganic needs direct NCERT recall.
Inorganic chemistry
Part of the 25% Chemistry block; NTA publishes no sub-topic weights
The highest-return revision block in the final month, because NEET lifts periodic trends, p-block and d-block properties and coordination chemistry close to verbatim from NCERT.
Organic chemistry reaction mechanisms
Part of the 25% Chemistry block; NTA publishes no sub-topic weights
Questions give a substrate and reagent and ask for the product, so knowing why a reaction proceeds is faster and more reliable than memorising individual conversions.
Ecology and environment
Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights
Short chapters with high question density relative to reading time, covering population interactions, ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental issues, almost entirely from NCERT.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Biology (Botany and Zoology) as a block | 50% of the paper: 90 questions, 360 of 720 marks | Half the total marks in the subject that most closely tracks NCERT text. Questions frequently test a specific sentence, diagram label or table entry rather than an inference. |
| Human physiology (Zoology) | Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights | Digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, neural and chemical coordination recur every year. Questions ask what happens when a named process is disrupted, so mechanism beats memorised lists. |
| Genetics, molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology | Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights | Numerical genetics, pedigree reading and the biotechnology toolkit generate application-level questions that separate candidates who read NCERT from candidates who worked its problems. |
| Physics | 25% of the paper: 45 questions, 180 marks | The block where negative marking does the most damage. Mechanics, electrostatics and current electricity dominate, and answers turn on picking the governing relationship before doing any algebra. |
| Chemistry | 25% of the paper: 45 questions, 180 marks | Three distinct study modes in one 45-question block: physical chemistry needs calculation, organic needs mechanism, and inorganic needs direct NCERT recall. |
| Inorganic chemistry | Part of the 25% Chemistry block; NTA publishes no sub-topic weights | The highest-return revision block in the final month, because NEET lifts periodic trends, p-block and d-block properties and coordination chemistry close to verbatim from NCERT. |
| Organic chemistry reaction mechanisms | Part of the 25% Chemistry block; NTA publishes no sub-topic weights | Questions give a substrate and reagent and ask for the product, so knowing why a reaction proceeds is faster and more reliable than memorising individual conversions. |
| Ecology and environment | Part of the 50% Biology block; NTA publishes no chapter-level weights | Short chapters with high question density relative to reading time, covering population interactions, ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental issues, almost entirely from NCERT. |
The numbers
1,700 rupees General; 1,600 rupees General-EWS and OBC-NCL; 1,000 rupees SC, ST, PwBD, PwD and Third Gender; 9,500 rupees for centres outside India
Registration fee, NEET (UG) 2026
Source: National Testing Agency, Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2026
Close to 20 lakh candidates appeared on 21 June 2026 at 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad; 11.21 lakh qualified
Scale of the 2026 examination
Source: National Testing Agency press release, NTA Declares Result of NEET (UG) 2026, New Delhi, 16 July 2026
Highest score 715 of 720, shared by two candidates; 19 candidates above 700; 1,492 at 650 or above; 10,160 at 600 or above; 90,780 at 500 or above; 138 candidates above 690
Score distribution, 2026
Source: National Testing Agency press release, NTA Declares Result of NEET (UG) 2026, 16 July 2026
136,939 seats across 823 colleges, excluding Institutes of National Importance: 63,296 seats in 441 government colleges and 73,643 in 382 private colleges
MBBS seats available, 2026-27
Source: National Medical Commission, Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses (excluding INIs) for the Academic Year 2026-27, dated 14 July 2026
50th percentile for Unreserved and General-EWS; 40th for SC, ST and OBC; 45th for Unreserved and General-EWS candidates with a benchmark disability; 40th for reserved-category candidates with a benchmark disability
Qualifying percentiles
Source: National Testing Agency, Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2026, citing the Graduate Medical Education Regulations
More than 58 percent of qualified candidates were women; 56.8 percent of women who appeared qualified against 55.1 percent of men
Women candidates, 2026
Source: National Testing Agency press release, NTA Declares Result of NEET (UG) 2026, 16 July 2026
If you fail
Wait before retaking
One year in practice. NEET (UG) is conducted once annually on a single day in a single shift, so the next attempt is the next cycle. NTA publishes no separate cooling-off rule because the calendar supplies one.
Attempt limit
None. There is no cap on the number of times a candidate may sit NEET (UG), and the 2026 bulletin confirms there is no upper age limit. The only age condition is completion of 17 years on or before 31 December of the examination year.
Retake fee
The full fee again at the rate for your category in that cycle. For 2026 that was 1,700 rupees for General, 1,600 for General-EWS and OBC-NCL, 1,000 for SC, ST, PwBD, PwD and Third Gender, and 9,500 rupees for centres outside India. There is no reduced repeat rate.
Before committing to a repeat year, use the transparency mechanism rather than memory. NTA displays the scanned image of each candidate's OMR answer sheet and the recorded responses, and emails each registered candidate a copy of their own sheet, with a formal window to challenge the answer key at a non-refundable 200 rupees per question. That gives you a question-by-question record of where the marks went, including how many marks were lost to negative marking rather than to gaps. NTA has also warned publicly, in a notice dated 20 July 2026, that submitting fabricated, digitally altered or AI-generated OMR sheets or score cards is an offence under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and that every genuine document carries verifiable identifiers that resolve to the record on its servers.
Exam Domains & Topics
45 questions for 180 marks, a quarter of the paper. The subject where candidates lose the most marks to negative marking, because a numerical answer is either right or minus one and there is no partial credit.
Key Topics to Master:
- Mechanics: kinematics, laws of motion, work energy and power, rotational motion, gravitation
- Thermodynamics and kinetic theory of gases, plus thermal properties of matter
- Oscillations and waves, including simple harmonic motion and sound
- Electrostatics, current electricity, magnetic effects of current, electromagnetic induction and alternating current
- Optics: ray optics and optical instruments, wave optics
- Modern physics: dual nature of matter and radiation, atoms, nuclei, semiconductor electronics
45 questions for 180 marks. Splits into physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, and the inorganic portion rewards direct NCERT recall more than any other part of the paper.
Key Topics to Master:
- Physical chemistry: thermodynamics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, solutions
- Organic chemistry: general organic chemistry, hydrocarbons, haloalkanes and haloarenes, alcohols phenols and ethers, aldehydes ketones and carboxylic acids, amines
- Inorganic chemistry: periodic classification, chemical bonding, p-block, d-block and f-block elements, coordination compounds
- Biomolecules and polymers
- Structure of atom and states of matter
- Practical and analytical content, including qualitative salt analysis concepts
NTA's published table gives Biology (Botany and Zoology) as one block of 90 questions and 360 marks, half the paper. The question paper presents Botany and Zoology as separate sections, which is the 25 percent shown here. Botany is the most NCERT-literal part of the paper.
Key Topics to Master:
- Diversity in the living world: taxonomy, five-kingdom classification, plant kingdom
- Structural organisation in plants: morphology and anatomy of flowering plants
- Cell structure and function, cell cycle and cell division
- Plant physiology: transport in plants, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, respiration, plant growth and development
- Reproduction in flowering plants and reproductive strategies
- Genetics and evolution, biotechnology principles and applications, ecology and environment
The other half of the 90-question Biology block. Human physiology dominates, and it is the single densest scoring area of the whole paper for a candidate who has read NCERT line by line.
Key Topics to Master:
- Human physiology: digestion and absorption, breathing and exchange of gases, body fluids and circulation, excretory products, locomotion and movement, neural control, chemical coordination
- Animal kingdom classification and structural organisation in animals
- Human reproduction, reproductive health and reproductive strategies
- Human health and disease, including immunity, pathogens and lifestyle diseases
- Genetics: molecular basis of inheritance, principles of inheritance and variation
- Biotechnology and its applications in medicine, evolution, ecology and environmental issues
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Read NCERT Class 11 and 12 Biology cover to cover, including diagrams, tables, boxed text and summary lines. Biology is 90 of the 180 questions and 360 of the 720 marks.
- 2For each chapter, write a one-page index of terms, processes and named examples rather than copying paragraphs.
- 3Solve NCERT in-text and end-of-chapter exercises before touching any coaching material.
- 4Start a previous-year question log: for every Biology chapter, note how many questions the last ten NEET papers drew from it.
- 5Take a 45-question Botany or Zoology sectional test every Sunday under a 45-minute clock.
- 1Cover physical chemistry with worked numericals: thermodynamics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, kinetics and solutions.
- 2Cover organic chemistry by reaction mechanism rather than by product list, since the paper tests why a reaction goes a given way.
- 3Cover inorganic chemistry directly from NCERT text, because this is where NEET most often lifts statements verbatim.
- 4Build a single formula and reaction sheet you rewrite from memory once a week.
- 5Sit a 45-question Chemistry sectional test weekly and record whether losses were content gaps or negative marking from guesses.
- 1Cover mechanics thoroughly first: it underpins rotational motion, gravitation and oscillations.
- 2Cover electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism and electromagnetic induction, then optics and modern physics.
- 3Drill dimensional analysis and unit checking, which kills a wrong option faster than solving.
- 4For every problem you solve, write the concept name next to it. Chapters you can name but not apply are the ones costing minus one each.
- 5Sit a 45-question Physics sectional test weekly, and separately track how many wrong answers came from guesses you should have left blank.
- 1Re-read all NCERT Biology at higher speed, marking only what you failed to recall.
- 2Solve the last ten years of NEET papers subject by subject, under sectional timing.
- 3Rebuild your chapter-frequency log from the papers you have now solved, and rank chapters by marks per hour of study.
- 4Work the NTA final answer keys for recent years: the 2026 key shows a dropped question and a question with two credited options, which is normal and worth understanding before test day.
- 5Move from note-making to note-testing: cover the page and reproduce it.
- 1Sit one full 180-minute mock every week, starting at 2:00 PM to match the real timing.
- 2Use an actual OMR sheet. Transferring 180 answers is a physical skill and there is no extra time for it.
- 3After each mock, split every loss into three buckets: did not know, knew but misread, and guessed and lost one mark.
- 4Set a personal attempt threshold from your mock data, that is, the confidence level below which leaving a question blank scores better than guessing.
- 5Rework the weakest 10 chapters from your frequency log between mocks.
- 1Move to two or three full mocks a week with a full analysis day after each.
- 2Track your Biology accuracy specifically: at 360 of 720 marks, a two-point accuracy gain in Biology outweighs a large gain anywhere else.
- 3Redo every question you got wrong across all mocks, without looking at the solution.
- 4Practise the tie-break scenario mentally: NTA breaks ties first on Biology score, then Chemistry, then Physics, then on the ratio of incorrect to correct answers. Accuracy matters beyond the raw total.
- 5Complete your application steps and confirm your three city choices are within your state of permanent or present address.
- 1Read NCERT Biology a third time, chapter summaries and diagrams first.
- 2Revise inorganic chemistry directly from NCERT, since it is the highest-return revision block in the last month.
- 3Revise physics formulas and the standard problem types rather than attempting new question sets.
- 4Sit two full mocks a week, no more, to hold stamina without exhausting yourself.
- 5Download the admit card as soon as NTA releases it and check every detail against your application.
- 1Revise only your own notes and NCERT summaries. Start no new material.
- 2Prepare the document set: printed admit card with the uploaded passport photograph pasted on it, one loose passport photograph for the attendance sheet, one 4x6 inch postcard-size colour photograph on the proforma downloaded with the admit card, and one original valid photo ID such as PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, passport, Aadhaar, DigiLocker ID or APAAR ID.
- 3Check the barred items list against everything you plan to carry: no pen, calculator, log table, scale, eraser, writing pad, wallet, belt, cap, goggles, watch, bracelet, ornaments or metallic items, no mobile phone, Bluetooth device, earphones or health band, and no food or water except the diabetic exception.
- 4Plan to reach the centre well before the 1:30 PM entry close. Candidates in customary or cultural dress should arrive at least an hour, and where objects of faith are worn at least two hours, before last reporting time for frisking.
- 5Sleep on a schedule that has you fully alert at 2:00 PM, not at 8:00 AM.
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Best Study Resources
NCERT Class 11 and 12 textbooks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology
Core textbookThe syllabus NEET is built on. Biology in particular rewards literal familiarity with NCERT sentences, diagrams and tables, which is why it is the first and last thing serious candidates read.
A few hundred rupees per book from NCERT; free PDFs on ncert.nic.in
NEET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin, NTA
Official rules documentThe authoritative source for fees, pattern, marking scheme, eligibility, medium of the paper, barred items, dress code, reporting times, tie-break rules and the list of 566 exam city codes. Read it before you apply and again before test day.
Free
NTA final answer keys and previous year question papers
Official past papersNTA publishes provisional and final answer keys for each sitting, and the archive holds earlier years. The 2026 final key is a worked example of how dropped questions and multiple-correct questions are handled.
Free on neet.nta.nic.in
NCERT Exemplar Problems
Practice bookHigher-order questions written against the same syllabus. Useful specifically for the application-level Biology and physical Chemistry questions that plain NCERT exercises do not reach.
Low cost from NCERT; free PDFs on ncert.nic.in
NMC Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses
Official admissions dataCollege-by-college seat counts. The 2026-27 matrix lists 136,939 seats across 823 colleges, with 63,296 in 441 government colleges. Use it to set a realistic score target rather than a borrowed one.
Free on nmc.org.in
Medical Counselling Committee (mcc.nic.in)
Official counselling portalRuns counselling for the 15 percent All India Quota in MBBS and BDS, plus AIIMS, JIPMER, central universities, AFMC, ESIC and deemed universities. State quotas run through separate state portals.
Free
NTA scanned OMR and recorded responses display
Official transparency mechanismAfter each sitting NTA displays scanned images of each candidate's OMR sheet and recorded responses, and emails each registered candidate a copy of their own sheet, with a formal challenge window. In 2026 that display ran 13 to 15 July.
Free
Allen, Aakash and Physics Wallah test series
Third-party mock testsThe main sources of full-length 180-question mocks at NEET timing. Their value is the timed OMR rehearsal and the rank feedback, not the content, which still comes from NCERT.
Priced per package by each provider
MTG NCERT at your Fingertips and Arihant chapterwise question banks
Third-party question banksChapter-mapped question sets that let you attach practice directly to the NCERT chapter you just read. Useful for building the chapter-frequency log that drives revision priority.
Priced per title
NTA NEET (UG) public notices page
Official announcementsWhere schedule changes appear first. The 2026 cycle shows why this matters: the 3 May 2026 exam was followed by a re-examination on 21 June 2026 with a fee refund process, all announced through this page.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Guessing to fill the answer sheet
A wrong answer costs minus one and an unanswered question costs zero. Across 180 questions, guessing on 20 items you cannot narrow to two options is a statistically losing trade. Set an attempt threshold from your mock data and hold to it.
Treating all three subjects as equal study blocks
Biology is 90 of 180 questions and 360 of 720 marks. Physics and Chemistry are 180 marks each. Study time split evenly across three subjects underweights the half of the paper that carries the most recoverable marks.
Reading NCERT once and moving to coaching modules
Biology questions frequently test a specific NCERT sentence, table entry or diagram label. One pass produces recognition, not recall. Candidates who score well in Biology have typically read it three or more times.
Ignoring accuracy because only the total seems to matter
NTA breaks ties first on Biology score, then Chemistry, then Physics, then on the proportion of incorrect to correct answers overall and then subject by subject. Two candidates on the same mark are separated by how cleanly they got there.
Practising on a screen and never on an OMR sheet
The paper is pen and paper on an OMR sheet, marks cannot be corrected, and there is no extra time for transferring answers. Marking 180 bubbles under a closing bell is a rehearsed skill, not an afterthought.
Bringing a pen, watch or water bottle to the centre
NTA's barred items list explicitly includes pens, scales, erasers, writing pads, calculators, log tables, watches and wristwatches, wallets, belts, caps, goggles, ornaments, metallic items, and food or water. No arrangement is made at centres to store your belongings. Diabetic candidates may carry sugar tablets or fruit and a transparent water bottle with prior intimation.
Arriving close to the start time
Entry closes at 1:30 PM and NTA states a candidate arriving after that is not permitted to enter under any circumstances. Frisking with metal detectors, biometric verification and face authentication all happen before that cut-off.
Chasing a mark target instead of a percentile
The qualifying bar is the 50th percentile for Unreserved and General-EWS candidates and the 40th for SC, ST and OBC, so the mark that qualifies moves each year. Set your target from the NMC seat matrix and previous years' closing ranks, not from a number a senior quoted.
Assuming qualifying means a seat
In 2026, 11.21 lakh candidates qualified. The NMC seat matrix for 2026-27 lists 136,939 MBBS seats across 823 colleges, of which 63,296 are in government colleges. Qualifying is the entry ticket to counselling, not to a college.
Leaving Physics numericals until the last month
Physics is where negative marking does the most damage, because a partially remembered formula produces a confident wrong answer. It needs the longest runway of the three subjects and the most timed practice.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Carry exactly four things: the printed admit card with your uploaded passport photograph pasted on it, one loose passport photograph for the attendance sheet, one 4x6 inch postcard-size colour photograph with a white background pasted on the proforma downloaded with the admit card, and one original valid photo ID. Candidates without these are not allowed to sit.
- 2
Acceptable photo IDs are PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, passport, Aadhaar card, DigiLocker ID or APAAR ID. It must be original and valid.
- 3
Reach the centre early enough to clear entry by 1:30 PM. Candidates in customary or cultural dress should report at least an hour before last reporting time, and candidates wearing objects of faith at least two hours before, so that frisking can be done without a rush.
- 4
Bring nothing on the barred list. That covers pens, scales, erasers, geometry and pencil boxes, calculators, log tables, writing pads, wallets, belts, caps, goggles, any watch or bracelet, any ornament or metallic item, and any mobile phone, Bluetooth device, earphone or health band. Centres do not store belongings.
- 5
Dress for frisking: light clothing, short sleeves, and slippers or low-heeled sandals. Female candidates are frisked inside a closed enclosure by female staff only.
- 6
No food or water is allowed inside. Diabetic candidates may carry sugar tablets or a banana, apple or orange and a transparent water bottle, with prior intimation, but not packed food such as chocolate, candy or sandwiches.
- 7
The schedule is fixed: instructions and admit card checking from 1:30 to 1:45 PM, test booklets distributed at 1:45 PM, particulars written at 1:50 PM, test starts at 2:00 PM and ends at 5:00 PM, or 6:00 PM for eligible PwD and PwBD candidates.
- 8
Sit only in your allotted seat. NTA states that a candidate found appearing from a different seat or room has their candidature cancelled.
- 9
Sign the attendance sheet twice: once immediately after the exam starts and again when you hand over your answer sheet. A signal is given at the start, at half time, and before closing time.
- 10
Do not leave your seat or the hall until the test concludes, and hand your OMR sheet to the invigilator before leaving. Leaving without doing so is not permitted.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
MBBS student and compulsory rotating medical internship
Four and a half years of academic MBBS followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship. This is the direct destination of a NEET score, and NMC's Seat Matrix for 2026-27 lists 136,939 seats across 823 colleges.
Internship stipend is fixed by each state government or institution and NTA and NMC publish no single national figure
Junior Resident, central government hospital
The post-internship service or pre-postgraduate year in central institutions such as the AIIMS network. Pay levels are drawn from AIIMS recruitment advertisements, which state the level and entry basic explicitly.
Level 10 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix, entry basic pay 56,100 rupees a month, plus allowances and non-practising allowance where applicable
Senior Resident, central government hospital
Requires a completed postgraduate qualification, so the route runs MBBS, then NEET-PG, then MD or MS or DNB. AIIMS advertisements list Senior Resident posts at this level.
Level 11 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix, entry basic pay 67,700 rupees a month, plus allowances and non-practising allowance where applicable
Assistant Professor, medical college faculty
Academic medicine after postgraduate training and usually senior residency. The pay band is taken from AIIMS faculty recruitment advertisements, which publish the level and range for Assistant Professor posts.
Level 12 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix, 1,01,500 to 1,67,400 rupees, plus non-practising allowance for posts requiring a recognised medical qualification
Dental surgeon (BDS)
BDS admission also runs through NEET (UG). Government dental officer posts follow state pay matrices, while private practice earnings vary with location and practice ownership, and no official body publishes an average.
No central pay scale applies to private dental practice, and the Dental Council of India publishes no national earnings figure
AYUSH practitioner (BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, BHMS)
NEET (UG) is the entrance route for these programmes as well, with All India Quota counselling run by AACCC rather than MCC. NEET results are also used for BSc (Hons) Nursing and for BVSc and AH admission under the 15 percent Veterinary Council quota.
No published national figure. Government posts follow state pay matrices; the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine and the National Commission for Homoeopathy publish no earnings data
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Completion of 17 years of age on or before 31 December of the year of the examination. For NEET (UG) 2026, candidates in every category had to be born on or before 31 December 2009.
- No upper age limit. The National Medical Commission's Under Graduate Medical Education Board removed it, and the 2026 bulletin states plainly that there is no upper age limit.
- A Class 12 or equivalent qualifying examination that includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology together with English, from a board recognised by the concerned government, including practical tests in those subjects.
- Candidates may take Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology with English as additional subjects after passing Class 12, following the National Medical Commission decision of 14 June 2023 and the public notice of 22 November 2023, and remain eligible.
- No cap on the number of attempts. NEET (UG) runs once a year and a candidate may sit it in successive years.
- Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India intending to study undergraduate medicine at a foreign institution must also qualify NEET (UG).
- NRI, OCI and foreign national candidates are eligible for admission subject to the rules of the respective state governments and institutions, with additional document upload requirements at application.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does NEET (UG) cost?
For NEET (UG) 2026 the fee was 1,700 rupees for General candidates, 1,600 rupees for General-EWS and OBC-NCL candidates, and 1,000 rupees for SC, ST, PwBD, PwD and Third Gender candidates. Candidates testing at centres outside India paid 9,500 rupees. Payment is by debit card, credit card, UPI or net banking, and the fee is non-refundable except where NTA announces a refund, as it did for the cancelled 3 May 2026 sitting.
How is NEET marked?
Plus four for a correct or most appropriate answer, minus one for any incorrect option marked, and zero for an unanswered question. With 180 questions, the maximum is 720 and the theoretical minimum is minus 180. There is no partial credit and no sectional cut-off.
What score do I need to qualify?
There is no fixed mark. Qualifying is by percentile: the 50th percentile for Unreserved and General-EWS candidates, the 40th for SC, ST and OBC candidates, the 45th for Unreserved and General-EWS candidates with a benchmark disability, and the 40th for reserved-category candidates with a benchmark disability. NTA publishes the mark range corresponding to each percentile alongside the result.
What were the 2026 cut-off marks?
NTA released the category-wise cut-off with the result on 16 July 2026. As reported by the Times of India on 18 July 2026, the 50th percentile band for UR and EWS candidates was 715 to 213 marks, and the 40th percentile band for OBC, SC and ST candidates was 212 to 177. Because the threshold is a percentile, these mark bands change every year.
How many people take NEET and how many qualify?
Close to 20 lakh candidates appeared at the 21 June 2026 sitting, and 11.21 lakh qualified, which NTA announced on 16 July 2026. More than 58 percent of qualified candidates were women, and women qualified at a higher rate than men: 56.8 percent of women who appeared qualified against 55.1 percent of men.
How many medical seats are there?
The National Medical Commission's Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses for academic year 2026-27, dated 14 July 2026 and excluding the Institutes of National Importance, lists 136,939 seats across 823 colleges: 63,296 seats in 441 government colleges and 73,643 seats in 382 private colleges. That is before AYUSH, BDS, nursing and veterinary seats, which NEET also feeds.
How many attempts do I get and is there an age limit?
There is no cap on attempts and no upper age limit. The lower age requirement is completion of 17 years on or before 31 December of the examination year. The exam runs once a year, so each attempt means a full annual cycle.
What happens if I fail to qualify?
Nothing is barred. You re-register for the next year's exam and pay the fee again, since there is no retake window inside a cycle and no partial carry-forward of a score. Use the scanned OMR sheet and recorded responses that NTA displays after the exam to identify where the marks went before deciding on a repeat year.
Is there a waiting period before I can sit again?
Effectively one year, because NEET (UG) is held once annually on a single day in a single shift. There is no separate cooling-off rule; the calendar is the constraint.
Can I use a calculator?
No. Calculators and log tables are on NTA's barred items list, along with scales, writing pads, erasers, geometry and pencil boxes, electronic pens and scanners. All Physics and Chemistry numerical work is done by hand on the test booklet.
Do I bring my own pen?
No. Pens are explicitly on the barred items list. The pen for marking the OMR sheet is provided at the centre. Bringing your own is a barred-item violation, not a convenience.
What identification do I need?
One original, valid photo ID: PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, passport, Aadhaar card, DigiLocker ID or APAAR ID. It must come with the printed admit card carrying your uploaded photograph, one loose passport photograph for the attendance sheet, and one 4x6 inch postcard-size colour photograph on the downloaded proforma. Candidates who do not bring these are not allowed to sit.
Is NEET online or on paper?
Pen and paper on an OMR sheet, single day and single shift. NTA's 2026 bulletin confirms the mode on the direction of the National Medical Commission. The 21 June 2026 sitting ran at 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad.
What accommodations exist for candidates with disabilities?
PwD and PwBD candidates with a physical limitation to write receive one hour of compensatory time on the three-hour paper, whether or not they use a scribe, and the exam ends at 6:00 PM rather than 5:00 PM for them. For a shorter examination the additional time is granted pro rata. A certificate of physical limitation to write, or a PwBD certificate from the competent authority, must be brought on exam day.
How are ties broken?
In order: higher marks or percentile in Biology (Botany and Zoology), then Chemistry, then Physics; then the candidate with the lower proportion of incorrect to correct answers across all subjects, then in Biology, then Chemistry, then Physics. If a tie still stands after all of these, it is resolved by a random process guided by an independent expert committee.
When do results arrive?
There is no fixed interval, and the 2026 cycle shows the sequence rather than a rule. NTA published the provisional answer key on 25 June 2026 with a challenge window from 25 to 28 June, displayed scanned OMR sheets and recorded responses from 13 to 15 July, and published the final answer key and declared the result on 16 July 2026, 25 days after the 21 June exam. Challenging an answer key costs a non-refundable 200 rupees per question.
What if a question is wrong or dropped?
NTA has published rules for it. If more than one option is correct, four marks go only to candidates who marked any of the correct options. If all options are correct, four marks go to everyone who attempted it. If no option is correct, or the question is wrong or dropped, all candidates who appeared receive four marks whether or not they attempted it. The 2026 final answer key contains examples of both a dropped question and a question with two credited options.
In which languages can I sit the paper?
Thirteen: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Availability depends on centre location, with English only outside India and regional languages only at centres in the relevant states. Candidates who choose a regional language also receive the English booklet, and the choice cannot be changed after the correction window.
How does NEET (UG) compare with NEET-PG?
They sit at opposite ends of medical training. NEET (UG) is the entrance to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH programmes, taken after Class 12, on paper with 180 questions in 180 minutes. NEET-PG is the entrance to MD, MS and DNB specialisation, taken after MBBS and internship, and is computer-based with its own pattern and conducting arrangements. A NEET (UG) score has no bearing on NEET-PG.
Who runs counselling after the result?
The Medical Counselling Committee of the Directorate General of Health Services runs the 15 percent All India Quota in MBBS and BDS, along with AIIMS, JIPMER, central universities, AFMC, ESIC medical colleges and deemed universities. State authorities run the remaining 85 percent state quota. AACCC runs the All India Quota in BAMS, BUMS, BSMS and BHMS. NTA states its own role ends at declaring the result and issuing the All India Rank.
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