NEET 2026 Age Limit for General, OBC, SC, ST & PwD Categories
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
Registration - 8 Feb '26 - 8 Mar '26
NEET 2026 age limit is one of eligibility criteria that candidates must fulfill to apply for the exam. The minimum NEET age limit is 17 years and there is no upper age limit in the exam. Also, there is no limit on the number of attempts a student can take the NEET UG 2026 exam. Check here NEET age limit for OBC, General, SC, ST and PwD category.
NEET Age Limit 2026 for General & Reserved Categories
The NEET UG 2026 registration is ongoing on the official website- neet.nta.nic.in. Candidates who fulfill the NEET eligibility criteria 2026 in terms of nationality, age limit and educational qualification can apply for the exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has notified the NEET 2026 age limit for general and reserved category candidates, based on the regulations of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Dental Council of India (DCI). The age criteria plays important role in the exam. Students need to attain the minimum age limit before the completion date. Check below the NEET age limit 2026 for General, OBC, SC, ST and PwD categories. Also, know the details regarding the NEET age limit date of birth, upper age limit, limit on number of attempts, age criteria for girls and foreign nationals, etc.
The NEET notification 2026 clearly states that the NTA reserves the right to withdraw permission to a candidate who is not eligible to appear in the exam even though his/her admit card is issued. Hence, candidates must abide by the age limit guidelines and then fill the NEET application form 2026.
- NEET 2026 Age Limit in India: Highlights
- NEET Minimum Age Limit 2026
- Category-Wise NEET Age Limit 2026: General, OBC, SC, ST & PwD
- What is the Maximum Age Limit for NEET 2026 Exam?
- NEET Age Limit for Girls
- NEET UG 2026 Limit on Number of Attempts
NEET 2026 Age Limit in India: Highlights
Candidates planning to appear for the NEET UG 2026 exam to get admission to MBBS, BDS, Dental, BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS courses should go through the highlights of the NEET age limit 2026 in India below-
| Feature |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) |
| Conducting Body |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Age Criteria By |
NMC & DCI |
| Minimum Age Limit |
17 years |
| Maximum Age Limit |
No upper age limit |
| Minimum Age Completion Date |
On or before 31-Dec-2026 |
| Date of Birth Eligibility |
Born on or before 31-Dec-2009 |
| Age Criteria for OBC, SC, ST, PwD |
Same as for General category |
| Age Limit for Girls |
Same as for boys or male candidates |
Also Read: NEET UG APAAR ID 2026: How to Make it for Registration?
NEET Minimum Age Limit 2026
The NTA has notified the NEET age limit 2026 in terms of minimum age and upper age limit. The minimum age limit for NEET is 17 years. Candidates who are born on or before December 21, 2009, are eligible for NEET 2026. However, Candidates need to make sure that they complete their age of 17 years before December 31, 2026. Have a look at the details regarding NEET date of birth eligibility and age limit completion date below-
| NEET 2026 Age Eligibility Criteria |
Date |
|---|---|
| Date of birth |
Born on or before December 31, 2009 |
| Age completion date |
on or before December 31, 2016 |
Students cannot do Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) without qualifying the NEET UG exam. Clearing the NEET exam is the minimum eligibility requirement to pursue the MBBS course in India.
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.
Category-Wise NEET Age Limit 2026: General, OBC, SC, ST & PwD
The age criteria for all the categories remains the same in NEET 2026 exam. There is no NEET age limit relaxation for reserved category candidates. To have a better understanding, have a look at the NEET UG 2026 age limit for General, OBC, SC, ST and PwD categories below-
| Category |
Minimum Age Limit |
Upper Age Limit |
|---|---|---|
| General |
17 years |
No limit |
| OBC |
17 years |
No limit |
| SC |
17 years |
No limit |
| ST |
17 years |
No limit |
| EWS |
17 years |
No limit |
| PwD |
17 years |
No limit |
What is the Maximum Age Limit for NEET 2026 Exam?
The NEET UG exam does not have any upper age limit. The NEET upper age limit criteria was removed by the NMC on March 9, 2022. Thus, candidates who are 40 years old or 50 years old and fulfill all other NEET eligibility criteria 2026 can apply for the exam.
Also Read: Documents Required for NEET 2026 Application Form
NEET Age Limit for Girls
For NEET UG 2026 exam, the minimum age limit for girls or female candidates is 17 years. The NEET age limit for girls is the same as that of boys or male applicants. There is no NEET maximum age limit for females. The NTA does not provide gender-based age relaxation norms for females in NEET exam.
NEET UG 2026 Limit on Number of Attempts
The NTA has not fixed the limit on number of attempts in the NEET UG 2026 exam. Candidates can appear in the NTA NEET exam as many times as they want till they obtain the desired scores.
Compared to last year, the number of NEET 2025 applicants reduced. According to NTA, 22,09,318 candidates appeared for the exam. In the year 2024, 23,33,297 candidates had appeared.
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.
Candidates will be allowed to enter three choices of NEET exam cities in the order of their preference in NEET form 2026. During 2022-2024, candidates could select two cities only and till 2022, candidates could enter as many as four cities. The list of exam cities in the dropdown menu is based on the permanent and present address entered by candidates in the registration form of NEET.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 12 hours ago
Listed below are the top Pharmacy colleges in India accepting NEET score with their tuition fees -
| College Name | Tuition Fee | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Jamia Hamdard | INR 6.40 lakh | 1 |
| ICT Mumbai | INR 60,000 | 6 |
| NMIMS Mumbai | INR 11 lakh | 11 |
| BITS Pilani | INR 20.76 lakh | 28 |
SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Mumbai | INR 7.84 lakh | 38 |
| Shoolini University | INR 7.34 lakh | 44 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 16 hours ago
For the General AI category students, the NEET UG 2025 cutoff ranks varied between 581782 and 833601 for admission to the MBBS course. So, considering the ranks, yes, with a NEET UG cutoff rank of 50000, you can get into Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Jaipur to the MBBS course.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, Aadhaar card is mandatory to make APAAR ID for NEET 2026 registration. The APAAR is linked to the Aadhaar number of candidates.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
The APAAR ID is not mandatory for NEET UG 2026 exam. It is an optional documents required for NEET 2026 application form. However, having the APAAR ID makes it easier for applicants to apply for the exam.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
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.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
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.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
The NEET UG exam carries 720 scores. There are 180 questions compositely from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The exam has negative marking for wrong answers. One mark is deducted for each incorrect answer.
U
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
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.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
There is no provision in conducting the NEET 2026 exam twice a year. The NTA conducts the exam only once a year in the month of May. Candidates need to keep a track on the NTA NEET website to get the updates on the exam.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Students who are born in Odisha or hold a domicile in the state are eligible to appear for Odisha NEET Counselling for MBBS and BDS courses. Moreover, students need to clear the NEET 2026 exam to take part in the state counselling
P
Contributor-Level 6
Candidates can apply for NEET 2026 exam now as the application form has been released. The NTA started the NEET registration on February 8, 2026. The link is active for around a month.