NEET 2026 Exam Overview: NEET UG exam is a national-level entrance exam conducted in by NTA (National Testing Agency) for admission to undergraduate-level courses in medical and dental colleges in India. Admission to MBBS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, BUMS, and other AYUSH courses can be obtained through this exam.
Hence, NEET UG has become the only entrance exam for medical undergraduate courses in India. Earlier, institutes like AIIMS, AFMC, AMU, BHU, JIPMER, and approximately every state used to conduct their separate entrance exams to get admission in medical course.
Appearing in NEET UG is mandatory for all candidates, whether they want to take admission in central government institutes, state government colleges, private medical colleges, or deemed universities.
Also, students who want to pursue MBBS abroad are also required to appear in NEET UG exam and obtain the minimum eligibility marks. Hence, successfully passing the NEET UG exam has become a prerequisite for medical education in India or abroad.
Hence, NEET (UG) exam is considered one of the toughest entrance exams in India, and around 22 lakh candidates appear for it every year.
Medical Course Admission through NEET UG 2026 Exam
NEET UG Exam is the only national level entrance examination for admission to various undergraduate courses in Medical & Allied Health Sciences in India. Admission is offered through NEET UG Exam to the following courses: like-
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)- Approx 118148 MBBS seats
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)- Approx 28,000 BDS seats
Ayurvedic Medicine (BAMS)- Approx 52,720 AYUSH seats
Homeopathic Medicine (BHMS)- 20000 Seats
Unani Medicine (BUMS)- Approx 1000 Seats
Siddha Medicine (BSMS)-Approx 2500 Seats
Veterinary Medicine & Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH)- Approx 603 seats
B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing
NEET UG 2026 Exam Highlights
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Particulars |
Details |
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Exam’s Full Name |
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) |
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Examination Administrative Body |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
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Minimum Age Criteria |
17 years |
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Qualification Eligibility |
12th passed with Physics, Chemistry, Biology |
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NEET Exam Frequency |
Once a year |
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Examination Date |
3 May 2026 (tentative) |
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NEET Exam Mode |
Pen and Paper mode on a single day |
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NEET UG Exam Duration |
3 hours |
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NEET UG Exam Timings |
2 PM to 5 PM (IST) |
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NEET Exam Fees |
INR 1,700 (General), 1,600 (OBC), 1,000 (SC, ST), 9,500 (Foreign nationals) |
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Number of Subjects |
Physics (180 marks), Chemistry (180 marks), Biology (360 marks) |
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Total Marks in NEET |
720 Marks |
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Total Number of Questions in NEET UG exam |
180 questions |
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NEET Marking Scheme |
+4 marks for every correct answer -1 mark for every incorrect answer, 0 for no answer |
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Language/Medium of NEET Paper |
13 Languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu |
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NEET NTA Contact Details |
011-69227700, 011-40759000 Email: neet@nta.ac.in, neet1@nta.ac.in |
NEET UG 2026 Exam: Important Dates
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Events |
NEET 2026 Dates (Tentative) |
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Online Submission Application Form |
First Week of February 2026 |
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NEET UG 2026 Application Form Last Date |
First Week of March 2026 |
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Application Form Correction Window |
2nd Week of March 2026 |
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Exam City Announcement |
Last Week of April 2026 |
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Admit Cards Release Date |
3-4 Days Before the Exam |
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NEET 2026 Exam Date |
03 May 2026 |
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Duration of Examination |
180 minutes (03 hours) |
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Timing of Examination |
02:00 PM to 05:00 PM (IST) |
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Responses and Answer Keys |
June, 2026 |
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NEET UG 2026 Result Declaration |
1st or 2nd Week of June 2026 |
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Website(s) |
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Counselling Process |
End of July 2026 |
NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Students can check the NEET 2026 eligibility criteria to get detailed information about the entry requirements, eligibility standards, age limit and other necessary guidelines.
There are certain eligibility criteria set by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to appear for the NEET UG exam, which every candidate must read carefully before filling the exam form. Following are the key points related to eligibility for NEET 2026:
Nationality Criteria: Students applying can be Indian citizens, OCI (Overseas Citizen of India), NRI, PIO or foreign nationals, but they must fulfill the conditions of the respective categories.
Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English subjects.
Age Limit: Candidates must be at least 17 years of age as on 31st December of the year of examination. The maximum age limit has been removed at present, but it is important to check the official notification for any new updates.
Number of Attempts: There is no limit to appear in NEET UG now; students can appear for the exam as long as they are eligible.
Qualifying Exam Code: In the NEET application form, students have to select the appropriate ‘Qualifying Exam Code’ as per their academic status, which determines their eligibility.
Candidates are advised to read the eligibility conditions of NEET UG carefully so that they can understand the admission process, eligibility criteria, age limit, and other important guidelines properly and avoid any kind of error.
NEET 2026 Notification Date
NEET UG admission process will begin with the publication of the official notification in February 2026 by the NTA.
This notification will include essential information such as application dates, eligibility criteria, exam fee and other important instructions. Hence, candidates are advised to read the complete NEET UG 2026 notification carefully before submitting their application form.
NEET 2026 Application Form Date
Application form for NEET UG exam is expected to be released in the first week of February 2026. National Testing Agency (NTA) begins the online application process for the NEET UG exam in early February every year.
Candidates who have to fill the application form for NEET UG 2026 must register by visiting the official website of NTA, neet.nta.nic.in. The last date for application is likely to be by the first week of March 2026, including the last date for fee payment.
Along with the application form of NEET, an information bulletin will also be released, which will contain the eligibility criteria, exam center options, list of documents, and all instructions related to the application.
Along with the application form, NTA information bulletin is also released, which contains complete information on eligibility criteria, exam pattern, application process, and important guidelines.
NEET 2026 registration date
The registration process begins after the release of the NEET UG 2026 application form. Like every year, this year too, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is starting the online application process for the NEET UG exam in early February.
Candidates have to register by visiting the official website of NTA neet.nta.nic.in. The last date for filling the application form, uploading documents and depositing the fee can be till the first week of March 2026.
After the completion of the registration process, the correction window is also opened for a few days in the month of March, in which candidates can correct the mistakes made in their form.
NEET 2026 Admit Card
Admit card for NEET UG 2026 exam will be issued by the NTA a few days before the exam date. This document is mandatory for every candidate and without it, entry into the exam centre will not be allowed. Candidates are advised to read all the guidelines and rules carefully along with the personal details given in it immediately after downloading the admit card. If any kind of error is found in the admit card, candidates should immediately contact the NEET helpline.
NEET 2026 Exam Pattern
Before appearing for NEET UG, students must have a complete idea of the exam structure, including total time, number of questions, marks distribution and subject-wise division. Below is a detailed description of the exam format of NEET 2026:
Exam Format: Pen and Paper Mode
Exam Mode: Offline
Time Duration: 3 Hours
Total Number of Questions: 180
Total Marks: 720
Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (in three sections)
NEET 2026 Syllabus
NEET 2026 syllabus is decided by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which includes the major topics required for the medical entrance exam. This syllabus is based on the syllabus of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology of class 11th and 12th. To know the detailed syllabus subject wise, you can click on the link given below. For effective preparation of NEET UG 2026, students are required to study the entire syllabus in depth.
NEET 2026 Answer Key Expected Date
After completing the NEET UG exam, the official answer key is released by NTA a few days after the exam, which also includes the scanned copy of the OMR answer sheet and the machine-recorded answers of the students.
With the help of the answer key and OMR sheet, candidates can match their answers, and if any mistake is found in any answer, they can raise an objection against the respective question.
Process to raise objection: A fee of ₹200 has to be paid for raising an objection against each question.
NEET 2026 Results Date
NEET UG 2026 result is expected to be released in the second week of June 2026. Like every year, the NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in the first week of May. The provisional answer key, OMR sheet and recorded response will be released first by the National Testing Agency (NTA) within about 25–30 days of the exam. Students will then be given an opportunity to raise objections. After examining all the objections, the final answer key is released and then the final result is declared.
The tentative timeline of NEET 2026 can be something like this:
Exam Date: 3rd May 2026 (Expected)
Release of Answer Key: Last week of May
Result Date: Second week of June
However, all this information is based on estimates and the actual dates will be clarified in the official notification of the exam. Therefore, students are advised to keep checking the official website of NTA from time to time for updates.
NEET 2026 Exam Analysis
The analysis of how the NEET exam paper was will be known only after the NEET exam, that is, if the NEET exam is held on 3 May 2026, then within 2-3 days of that, the analysis of how the paper was is released by many top coaching experts of India.
NEET 2026 Question Paper PDF
NEET 2026 question paper will be available only after the exam on May 3. After the exam is over, the first thing students do is search for the question paper to compare the answers given by them. Everyone will soon have the option to download the NEET 2026 Question Paper PDF so that they can estimate their answer key and score.
NEET 2026 expected Cutoff Marks
NEET-UG exam cutoff is released every year by National Testing Agency. After the result is declared. This cutoff score is the minimum marks required to qualify the exam.
NEET cutoff is divided into two parts:
Qualifying cutoff – Minimum marks required to pass the exam.
Admission cutoff – Last selected rank to get admission in a college.
NEET UG cutoff is determined based on several factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of students appearing, their performance, and availability of seats, etc.
NEET-UG 2025: Category-wise Previous Year Cutoff (With Marks):
| Category | Qualifying Percentile | NEET 2025 Cutoff Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR/EWS) | 50 Percentile | 686 – 144 |
| OBC, SC, ST | 40 Percentile | 143 – 113 |
| UR/EWS-PH | 45 Percentile | 143 – 127 |
| OBC-PH | 40 Percentile | 126 – 113 |
| SC, ST-PH | 40 Percentile | 126 – 113 |
Students preparing for NEET are advised to check the category-wise cutoffs of previous years. This will give them a fair idea of the level of the exam, help them plan their preparation accordingly and know what score is required to get admission in their desired medical college.
NEET 2026 Counseling Process
After NEET-UG Exam’s result is released, the next important step is the NEET counselling process, through which medical seats are allotted to students according to their rank. If you are a NEET-UG 2026 aspirant, then it is essential that you are aware of every stage of counselling and keep all the necessary documents ready in advance.
For complete information about the NEET Counseling Process and the checklist of documents, visit the official portal or the relevant guide.
The NEET 2026 counselling process usually begins within a month of the result declaration. The counselling process consists of two major parts:
Counselling for 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
Counselling for 85% state quota seats is conducted by the respective state counselling authorities.
Stages of Counselling:
NEET UG counselling consists of four rounds – Round 1, Round 2, Mop-up Round, and the final Stray Vacancy Round.
click for detail information- NEET 2026 Counseling Process
Each eligible student has to first fill the registration form, which includes uploading the required documents and paying the registration fee. This is followed by the choice filling stage, in which students enter their preferences.
After seat allotment, candidates have to download the seat allotment letter and complete the admission process by appearing at the respective college at the scheduled time.
If a student rejects the allotted seat in the first round, he or she is eligible for an upgrade in the next round. Students who do not get a seat in Round 1 and 2 are eligible to participate in the Mop-up Round and Stray Vacancy Round.
NEET 2026 Merit List
NEET 2026 merit list will be released after the exam results, in which students are ranked based on their obtained marks and category. Hence, this merit list plays a very important role in the seat allocation process.
Both All India Rank (AIR) and state-wise merit lists are prepared for medical counselling. Counselling under All India quota is conducted by MCC, while the merit list for state quota is released by the respective state counselling agencies.