NEET 2026: Exam Date (May 3), Registration (Started), Syllabus, Pattern & Question Papers

The NTA has released the NEET 2026 information bulletin for admission to medical and allied courses. The courses offered under the NEET UG exam are MBBS /BDS /Dental /BAMS/ BSMS /BUMS /BHMS.

NEET stands for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. It is a mandatory medical entrance exam for students to take admissions for undergraduate medical courses in India such as MBBS, BDS, BSc and Ayush.

The purpose of the NEET exam is to verify the eligibility of students for admissions to MBBS, BDS, BSc and other undergraduate courses in government and private medical colleges/ institutes. It is a pre-medical entrance exam for students who want to take admissions to over 66,000 MBBS and BDS seats in colleges or institutes across India. The NEET UG exam is also conducted for admission to Ayush courses in medical institutions and BSc Nursing in Armed Forces Medical Service Hospitals.

Knowing the NEET exam pattern is necessary to prepare for the exam. Candidates get to know about the number of questions in the exam, marking scheme, duration, negative marking, subjects name and mode of the exam through the paper pattern.

The duration of NEET exam is three hours. The exam timing is 2 PM to 5 PM. Test takers needed to report to the exam centre latest by 1 PM. They could not leave the exam hall before 5 PM. 

The total duration of the NEET UG exam cycle ranges from seven to eight months. In general, the application process for NEET starts in the first week of February and goes on till March. After that, the correction window is opened in March, followed by the release of the NEET exam city intimation slip in April and the NEET admit card in May, a few days before the exam date. The NEET exam is held in a single day and slot on the first Sunday of May. The result is declared within a month. After that, the NEET counselling process is conducted from July or August, which continues till the seats are filled, tentatively till November or December. 

NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a national level medical entrance exam for undergraduate courses. It is the gateway to admission to multiple medical and paramedical courses. Although earlier NEET scores were considered for MBBS and BDS courses only, but now, there are multiple courses including medical, dental, nursing and other paramedical courses, the admission to which are conducted through NEET scores. The course names are listed below:

1. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

2. Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

3. BSc Nursing

4. Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)

5. Bachelor of Uninani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS)

6. Bachelor Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS)

7. Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS)

8. Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT)

9. Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOTh)

10. Bachelor of Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology (BASLP)

11. Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics

These courses are offered at various colleges across India, and the admission is based on the NEET UG exam scores.

Candidates can fill the NEET form using the process shared below-

• Visit neet.nta.nic.in.
• Click on the registration link.
• Read the instructions carefully and acknowledge them.
• Register for the exam and generate a password.
• Enter the OTP to verify the details.
• Log in with the registration details.
• Fill the complete form.
• Pay the registration fees.
• Submit and save the page.

The last date to apply for the NEET UG 2026 exam is March 8, 2026. The NTA makes the NEET application form 2026 available for around 30 days.

Yes, the NEET 2026 application form has been released. The NTA released the form on February 8, 2026. Candidates can apply online till March 8, 2026.

The NTA has announced the NEET 2026 form dates. The NEET UG 2026 began on February 8, 2026. Eligible candidates will have to register and fill the online form within the prescribed dates to appear for the exam.

The NEET exam contains questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. As per the analysis of NEET question papers and feedback shared by candidates, the NEET Physics section as the difficult among the three. 

NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a paper-and-pencil-based test (PBT) of three hours or 180 minutes duration. There will be a total of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), all of which will be compulsory to attempt. The syllabus of the exam consists of Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects. The Biology subject is segregated between Zoology and Botany. On the other hand, the Chemistry subject is segregated into Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry. Unlike last year, the subjects will not be divided into two sections.

According to the marking scheme, each correct question carries 4 marks, and there is a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer. No marks will be awarded or deducted for unattempted questions. The following table brings the structure of the NEET exam.

The NEET 2026 exam pattern has been released. The NTA mentioned the pattern in the information bulletin. There is no change in the NEET pattern. The NTA changed the NEET question paper pattern in 2025. The NTA removed the optional questions and the exam duration was reduced by 20 minutes.

The NEET syllabus 2026 has been released by the NTA and NMC for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Here is the updated syllabus for NEET UG 2026 exam below-

The time for NEET preparation varies on factors like capacity of individual, hours of study per day, etc. Students should keep aside minimum five to six months for the NEET UG exam preparation. Candidates must keep a month prior to the exam for revision.

There will be NEET exam in 2026. The NEET UG exam will be held on May 3. The NTA has announced the dates and schedule for the exam. 

The format for NEET exam is a total of 180 question with total 720 marks. Four marks will be awarded for a right answer and one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. The questions will be objective type that is MCQ based. 90 questions will be from Biology including Zoology and Botany both, and 45 questions each from Physics and 45 Chemistry. Each subject will be divided into two sections. The syllabus will be that of Class 11 and Class 12 CBSE syllabus.

Yes, NCERT books are sufficient to complete the NEET syllabus. A number of past years' NEET toppers have claimed that they referred only to NCERT books for preparation. NCERT textbooks act as the base to complete the syllabus and develop conceptual clarity and understanding of the topics and chapters. However, for practice purposes, students may refer to other books and resources as well. It is advised that while starting the NEET preparation, candidates refer to the NCERT books and move towards other books and advanced resources after that.

Aspirants can download the previous years' NEET question papers from Shiksha.com for free. They may also visit the official website of NTA and visit the Downloads section for previous years' NEET question papers. They have to select the year, exam and Sets to check and download the question papers for NEET and other entrance exams conducted by NTA. Moreover, top coaching institutes offering NEET coaching also provide previous years' NEET question papers for the students who enrol to their institute or opt for the mock tests. There are various other social media platforms which circulate NEET question papers of previous years for practice purpose. Students preparing for next year's NEET must ensure that they collect the previous years' question papers and solve those.

While the level of the NEET and JEE Main is same, as both the exams are of undergraduate level and the syllabus is that of Class 11 and Class 12, the difficulty level of JEE Main is higher than that of NEET. Although both the exams are tough and highly competitive in their own rights, the exam pattern and syllabus are different. Physics and Chemistry are common subjects, and Mathematics and Biology are covered in JEE Main and NEET respectively. The focus on Mathematics and computational ability of candidates is more in the JEE Main exam, whereas in NEET, the Biology subject carries the highest weightage. On the other hand, the difficulty level of the Physics questions are higher in JEE Main than NEET as according to experts, they are trickier in the former as compared to the latter. 

NTA is the authority which creates the question paper of NEET. The questions are sent in by different professors, and NTA selects the questions for the examination. No single person is responsible for designing the question paper. Generally, the NEET question papers are set by an expert committee or panel of subject experts who later review the answer key challenges. Candidates may find questions from previous years' NEET question papers as well. This is why experts suggest solving previous years' question papers for NEET preparation.

You can choose any exam centre of NEET if you have opted for English medium question paper. English is available at all centres across the country. English is a universal language and the NEET question paper medium. The exam city selection option becomes limited once candidates choose a regional language, except Hindi. Apart from the medium of the question factor, the other factor that plays a role in the NEET exam centre city selection is the permanent and present address selected by candidates during the application process.

Mock tests are an important aspect of NEET preparation. Preparation will be incomplete without taking NEET mock tests. NEET 2026 mock test will give students exposure towards the exam structure. It will also help them understand their preparation level and mistakes to avoid. Students must get the performance analysed thoroughly by an expert or mentor. The analysis will provide insights about the areas of improvement, causes of mistakes, correct approach to attempt questions, time management, etc. The objective of the analysis is to provide an in-depth viewpoint on their performance.

Candidates must ensure that they take the NEET mock test in a proctored manner within a simulated environment. Hence, ideally students should take mock test in the exam timing, from 2 PM to 5 PM, without any break. This would help them get adjusted to the exam taking environment. Moreover, the test should be taken without any break. It must also be ensured that they take the test in a quite environment either alone or with a group of fellow NEET aspirants. Creating a simulated test-taking experience is important. While a number of students take the NEET mock tests at coaching institutes, some prefer to take it at their home. Irrespective of the location, the above factors must be followed to get the best out of the NEET mock test.

During the preparation period of NEET both sectional as well as full length mock tests are useful. The sectional mock tests have to be taken after completing each subject. This would help you to gauge your preparation level and also help in understanding the areas of improvement. Once the entire NEET syllabus is completed, you should take full-length mock tests. Generally, students tend to take the NEET mock tests three to four months prior to the exam. Hence, when it comes to the final stage of preparation, ideally, students should take full-length mock tests. However, if a student wants to revise a particular section or subject, then it is advisable that they take sectional mock tests or revision or practice purpose.

NTA officially releases the NEET syllabus in English. Candidates opting for the exam in Hindi or other regional languages can check their Class 11 and Class 12 syllabus attuned to the NEET syllabus, from their teachers or mentors and request them to provide them with the NEET syllabus PDF download in Hindi or other regional languages. Hindi medium students can refer to their Board exam syllabus and crosscheck the topics or chapters. Aspirants should also go through previous years' NEET Hindi question papers to understand the question types, topics and difficulty level.

The cutoff for NEET is released along with the result or the scorecard. The NEET cutoff or qualifying marks vary for each category, which are General, SC, ST, OBC and PwD/PH. Along with candidates' scores, percentiles and All India Rank (AIR), NTA also indicates the Qualifying Status of candidates in the scorecard. NTA also released the NEET 2025 cutoff in the official notice along with the declaration of the NEET result. The qualifying cutoff for NEET 2025 is given below:

The NEET 2026 cutoff will be released along with the results. The NTA will release the NEET UG cutoff marks based on the difficulty level. Till then, take a look at the NEET 2025 cutoff for reference. 

The NTA NEET UG 2026 exam city slip will be released around 10 days before the exam. Students will get to know the allotted exam city through the city intimation slip. The NEET exam centre will be located at the allotted city. 

The NEET city intimation slip or the city allotment slip is the precursor to the NEET admit card. The NEET city allotment slip mentions the city in which candidates' NEET exam centre will be located along with other personal details of candidates. The validity of the NEET advance intimation to exam city slip is till the time the NEET admit card is released. Hence, once the NEET admit card is released, there is no need to preserve the NEET city intimation slip. 

The NTA will release the admit card for the NEET 2026 around three to four days before the exam. The NEET admit card will be displayed at neet.nta.nic.in. Registered students can download their hall tickets using the login details.

Students can download the NEET admit card using the process shared below-

• Visit the NEET website 
• Click on the link or tab indicating NEET Admit Card download
• Fill up a form regarding your the latest health and travel updates
• Click on the link indicating Admit Card Download
• Log in with Application Number and Password along with the Security Pin
• Download the Admit Card
• Take multiple printouts. 

The NEET result is declared on the official websites of NTA and NEET. The URLs where the result or the scorecard of NEET are available for download are as follows:

• neet.nta.nic.in
• nta.ac.in

The above-mentioned websites carry the official notice about the NEET result declaration, procedure and links to download the NEET scorecard.

Yes, AIIMS Raipur accepts NEET scores. There is no other entrance exam conducted by AIIMS Raipur or AIIMS institutes for MBBS admission. Although earlier AIIMS used to conduct its own entrance exam, but it was scrapped in 2020. The admission to AIIMS Raipur takes place through NEET counselling, conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee. AIIMS Raipur seats are a part of the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats. Candidates must secure a NEET score above 700 in order to have a chance to get admission to the MBBS course in this coveted medical institute of India. 

The NEET 2025 result was originally released on June 14, 2025. The results for candidates who were affected due to a power cut at the exam centres were withheld. These candidates had filed a petition at the MP High Court demanding a retest. As per the verdict dated July 14, 2025, the Division Bench of the MP High Court ruled out the re-test request, but asked NTA to release the scorecards for the petitioners or the withheld candidates. Accordingly, NTA released the NEET 2025 scorecard for these candidates on July 15, 2025.

NTA announces the NEET result or scorecard download information on the official exam website. Various media portals and social media platforms also announce the declaration of results. Test takers are advised to keep a check on the official websites as well as opt for notifications or alerts at the news and social media platforms to get instantly notified about the declaration of NEET result. Moreover, they also get the NEET result information from their teachers or peers. 

NEET counselling or the NEET UG All India counselling and the NEET state counselling process are conducted for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other courses. The NEET UG All India counselling is conducted by MCC for the 15 per cent AIQ seats. On the other hand, the state NEET counsellings are conducted by the State Authorities, such as the Department of Medical Education (DME) for different states and Union Territories (UTs) for the 85 per cent State Quota (SQ) seats. The timeline and processes may vary for the NEET All India counselling and the state counselling for NEET. In general, there are three to four rounds for both counselling types. In the state counselling for NEET, the authorities release a merit list for registered eligible candidates. But MCC does not release a merit list. The other steps involved in both counselling types are similar, including registration, choice filling, release of seat allotment and institute reporting. 

The NEET counselling is segregated into two categories: central or national, and state counselling. The central counselling for NEET is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee. The NEET counselling process conducted by MCC is for the admission to the 15 per cent All India Quota seats. On the other hand, State Authorities or the Education Department of various states conduct NEET state counselling for the 85 per cent state quota seats. MCC conducts the NEET counselling for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing courses. On the other hand, the State Counselling Authorities conduct the admission process for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, and other medical or allied courses.

The NEET counselling registration fee varies for different candidate categories. For the AIQ seats and Central Universities, the fee for the General category candidates is INR 1,000 and for the SC, ST, OBC and PwD category candidates, the fee is INR 500. For participating in the NEET counselling process for Deemed Universities, the registration fee for all category candidates is INR 5,000. The registration fee is non-refundable. On the other hand, candidates will have to pay the tuition fee which is refundable. The amount for the General category candidates for the AIQ seats and Central Universities is INR 10,000. For the reserved category candidates, the amount is INR 5,000. For Deemed Universities, the tuition fee to be paid by all category candidates is INR 2,00,000. Those who would not be allotted a seat after the NEET counselling process will be refunded the tuition fee after the conclusion of the counselling rounds.

The NEET counselling process conducted for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats will be conducted primarily for the MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses. For the State NEET counselling rounds, the courses for admission are MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS and BHMS courses. Some of the State NEET UG Counselling authorities also conduct admission for the Allied Courses such as BPTH, BoTH, BNYS, BASLP, etc. The courses may vary from state to state, but the MBBS and BDS courses are common all across. For the 15 per cent AIQ seats, the NEET counselling for B.A.MS, BUMS and BHMS courses are conducted separately by the requisite department and authorities, which is the Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC).

Although the NEET exam is generally scheduled from 2 to 5 PM, the array of activities are scheduled since morning. The table brings the activity-wise schedule for NEET exam.

Yes, medical aspirants can participate in the state as well as the All India NEET counselling processes simultaneously. In general, the dates of state and the All India NEET counselling rounds will be different.

Before participating in either of the NEET counselling processes, candidates must ensure that they fulfill the eligibility criteria. For the State NEET counselling processes, candidates must belong to the domicile. Students not belonging to the state may also participate in the particular NEET state counselling, provided they register and participate from the NRI quota. Apart from that, other eligibility criteria are the same. 

The NTA generally provides two to three days window to submit objections against the provisional NEET answer keys or OMR sheet responses. Candidates need to submit the NEET answer key objections online along with the evidence.  

Yes, BSc Nursing course admission is conducted through NEET scores for certain colleges. Hence, if you are planning to pursue Nursing courses, then you can appear for NEET. While filling the NEET application form, you need to select the courses or colleges. If you qualify for the exam by securing the cutoff marks, and be eligible for the counselling process, there you have to select the Nursing courses or colleges which you are vying for. However, a few top colleges or institutes are still conducting their own Nursing entrance exams, such as AIIMS, PGIMER, KGMU, to name a few.  

Although the questions are the same in all Sets of the NEET question paper, the order of the sections and questions vary from set to set. The different order of the sections and questions ensure that there is no malpractice conducted during the exam. Even if some questions are absolutely different in separate Sets or languages, the topics and chapters covered and difficulty level remain similar to ensure normalisation. Hence, it can be said that NTA Sets a common question paper carrying 200 questions, after which the questions are distributed across four Sets and six subsets of the NEET question paper. The subjects, and the questions within the subjects are shuffled for each of the NEET question paper Sets. This allows a parity in terms of topics covered and difficulty level, as well as allows avoidance of malpractice.

NTA is releasing the NEET city intimation slip or city allotment slip since the past few years. The main purpose of this document is to keep candidates aware of the city in which their NEET exam centre will be located. Since the NEET admit card is released just three to four days before the exam day, it often results into last minute stress for candidates and their family members. To avoid this situation, and to help make them the necessary arrangements for travel/commute, accomodation, calculation of timing or duration, etc. well in advance. This helps them avoid the last minute hassle and stress, and focus only on the NEET exam preparation. 

The NEET and CUET UG are two most competitive undergraduate entrance exams. NEET UG is conducted for admission to medical, dental, nursing and allied courses, CUET UG is the gateway to multiple bachelor's degree courses offered at multiple universities across India. While NEET UG has a single question paper on three subjects, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, CUET UG is conducted separately for different subjects. According to experts and students, the difficulty level of NEET is higher than the CUET UG exam. Moreover, the syllabus of NEET consists of both Class 11 and Class 12 curriculum whereas CUET UG syllabus consists only of Class 12 curriculum, making the syllabus and weightage of NEET higher than the CUET UG exam. 

NEET UG question paper is available in 13 languages. Apart from Hindi and English candidates can choose from Tamil, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Telugu. Candidates have to enter their language preferences in the application form and will have to choose their exam centre preference accordingly. During the exam, candidates must ensure that they have received the NEET question paper in the language they have opted for, otherwise, they should report the same to the invigilators. During preparation, candidates must prepare in the particular language and solve previous year question papers and mock tests in the regional language.

NTA has not announced the NEET UG 2026 dates as of now. The NEET exam date 2026 will be released soon. While NTA does not postpone the NEET exam date in general, it is common for NTA, the exam conducting authority to extend or postpone the dates of application form submission last date or the application correction last date. There have been instances in previous years where NTA had reopened the NEET application process or the NEET application correction window as a response to student requests or other internal reasons. On the other hand, last year, NTA had announced the NEET 2024 result date in advance, which was June 14, 2024, but was preponed by 10 days, and was released on June 4, 2024. Hence, the NEET 2026 important dates may get extended or postponed. 

The full form of NEET is National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. It is a national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical and para-medical courses in India. The exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency. It is held once a year in a paper-pencil based mode. 

NEET will be conducted in 13 languages. Till 2020, NEET was held in 11 languages. NTA increased the number of languages or medium to 13 from 2021 onwards. Malayalam and Punjabi are the latest additions. The list of languages are as follows:

1. English
2. Hindi
3. Bengali
4. Urdu
5. Assamese
6. Gujarati
7. Marathi
8. Odia
9. Kannada
10. Tamil
11. Malayalam
12. Punjabi
13. Telugu.

Students can enroll for the NEET UG 2026 exam by filling out the application form. The NTA NEET form has been released along with the notification. Eligible students need to register for the exam and submit their applications. The NEET application fee needs to paid online with the form.

In general, the NEET application form is released two to three months prior to the exam date. Hence, if the exam is scheduled for the first week of May, the application form is released in February. The last date to submit the application form is generally a month after the release of the registration link. Last year, the NEET 2025 exam was held on May 4, 2024, and the application process started on February 7, 2025. In 2024, the NEET exam was held on May 5, 2024, and the application process began on February 9, 2024.

There are generally four Sets of NEET question papers, which are further segregated into six parts. However, in NEET 2025, there were four sets of the NEET question paper, which were named as 45, 46, 47, and 48, and these were not further divided into six subsets, which was followed till the previous year. The names of the NEET 2024 question paper Sets and codes are Q, R, S and T. For the NEET 2024 re-exam, the question paper sets were A, B, C and D. The multiple Sets and codes in the NEET question papers ensure that there is no malpractice in the conduct of the exam. The names of the Sets and codes of the regional NEET question papers are different from the English ones. While distributing the question papers of NEET invigilators had to ensure that they did not give the same set of question papers to two consecutive candidates. Once candidates are given the NEET question paper by invigilators, they need to check whether the question paper and test booklet, or answer sheet, is of the same code. In case of a mismatch, they need to bring the matter to the invigilator's notice. In case they submit the NEET test booklet with a different code from that of the NEET question paper, their exam will stand cancelled.