NEET UG: the essentials
Everything a NEET aspirant usually asks, in one place. Rules can change every year, so always confirm the details in the official information bulletin before you act on them.
What NEET UG is
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) is the single entrance exam for undergraduate medical admission in India. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Your NEET score is used for admission to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses (BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS) and for some other health courses; the bulletin each year lists all of them.
It is held once a year, as a pen-and-paper test with an OMR answer sheet, in English, Hindi and several regional languages.
Exam pattern and marking
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Biology (Botany 45 + Zoology 45) | 90 | 360 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
| Answer | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct | +4 |
| Wrong (or more than one option marked) | −1 |
| Not answered | 0 |
- All questions are multiple choice with four options and one correct answer. All 180 are compulsory; there is no optional section.
- Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes) in recent papers. The June 2026 re-exam allowed 3 hours 15 minutes (2:00 to 5:15 pm). Check your admit card for the exact timing.
- Question styles include direct recall, assertion–reason, statement-based and match-the-following questions. You can practise all of them on ExamHelp.
Eligibility
| Rule | What it says (recent bulletins) |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year. There is no upper age limit. |
| Qualifying exam | Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English, each passed individually. Students appearing for Class 12 that year can also apply. |
| Minimum marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology together | 50% for General, 45% for General-PwBD, 40% for SC, ST and OBC (including PwBD). |
| Number of attempts | No limit. |
Rules for NRI, OCI and foreign candidates, and state domicile rules for state-quota seats, are set out separately in the bulletin and by each state.
Qualifying and ranks
To qualify, you must score at or above a minimum percentile: the 50th percentile for General candidates, the 45th for General-PwBD, and the 40th for SC, ST and OBC candidates. The marks this works out to change every year with the difficulty of the paper.
Qualifying makes you eligible to take part in counselling. It does not guarantee a seat: seats are allotted by rank, category, quota and the choices you fill in.
The usual yearly timeline
This is the pattern of recent years, not an official schedule. Dates for any year come only from NTA.
What happened in 2026
- The exam held on 3 May 2026 was cancelled after allegations of a paper leak.
- A re-exam was held on 21 June 2026, from 2:00 to 5:15 pm, with the same pattern and +4 / −1 marking.
- Results were declared on 16 July 2026. Over 11 lakh candidates qualified.
- Counselling then ran later than usual, starting in August.
NEET UG 2027
As of 29 October 2026, NTA has not announced dates for NEET UG 2027. Going by past years, the information bulletin is likely around February 2027 and the exam in May 2027, but that is an estimate.
There have been media reports that the exam could move to a computer-based format. We have not seen this confirmed in an official NTA notice. Prepare for the current pen-and-paper pattern, and check neet.nta.nic.in regularly from January.
Counselling and seats
| Who runs it | Seats covered |
|---|---|
| Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), all-India counselling | 15% of seats in government medical and dental colleges (All India Quota), and all seats at deemed universities, central universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC and AFMC |
| Each state's counselling authority | The remaining 85% of government seats in that state, and private college seats in the state |
| AYUSH Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC) | All-India quota seats for AYUSH courses |
MCC counselling usually has four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and a stray vacancy round. You register, pay the fee, fill and lock your choices, get an allotment, and report to the college with your documents. Register for both all-India and your state's counselling; they are separate.
Syllabus
The NEET UG syllabus is set by the National Medical Commission and is based on the NCERT Class 11 and 12 textbooks for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. NCERT removed some topics from its rationalised textbooks in 2023–24; the NMC syllabus is the final word on what can be asked.
ExamHelp covers all 82 chapters. Two Chemistry chapters, The s-Block Elements and The Solid State, were removed from the rationalised NCERT books. We keep them, marked "syllabus check", for students who want them, and leave them out of mock tests by default.
Previous years' papers
Past NEET question papers and answer keys are published by NTA on its official website. Solving at least the last few years' papers under exam conditions is one of the best ways to understand the level and style of the exam.
ExamHelp does not host past papers. Our mock tests use questions from our own bank in the same pattern and marking scheme, with full explanations and a chapter-by-chapter analysis afterwards.
How to prepare
- NCERT first. Most Biology questions, and many in Chemistry, come straight from NCERT lines, tables and diagrams. Read each chapter properly before doing anything else. Use our Learn lessons for concepts and Notes for revision.
- Practise every day. Do a set of chapter questions after each topic, and rate your confidence honestly. Confident-but-wrong answers show misconceptions that need fixing first.
- Keep an error log. For every mistake, write why you got it wrong (concept, careless, misread, time). Patterns appear within a few weeks.
- Take full mock tests. In the last few months, take one full mock a week at the real exam time (afternoon), then spend as long reviewing it as you spent taking it.
- Revise with spacing. Use flashcards and memory aids so facts come back after 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days instead of cramming.
- Look after yourself. Sleep, food and short breaks improve recall. If stress becomes overwhelming, talk to someone you trust. The national Tele-MANAS mental-health helpline is 14416 (free, 24×7).
Quick answers
Can I take NEET while I'm in Class 12?
Yes. Students appearing for their Class 12 exams in the same year can apply, as long as they meet the subject and marks requirements when results come out.
Is there a limit on attempts or an upper age limit?
No. Under current rules there is no attempt limit and no upper age limit, but you must be at least 17 by 31 December of the admission year.
What happens if I mark two options?
It is treated as a wrong answer and you lose 1 mark.
Does Maths count towards eligibility?
No. Only Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology are counted for the minimum-marks rule, and English must be passed.
Where do I find the official answer key and result?
On neet.nta.nic.in. NTA first releases a provisional answer key, allows challenges for a fee, and then publishes the final key with the result.
Do I need to register separately for counselling?
Yes. Counselling is not automatic. Register on mcc.nic.in for all-India seats and on your state's counselling website for state-quota seats.