NEET Age Limit 2026 for General, OBC, SC, ST & PwD Categories
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
Exam On - 3 May '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.
Also Read: NEET Registration 2026 LIVE @neet.nta.nic.in
- 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?
Commonly asked questions
Candidates belonging to the General category should secure 50 percentile. Those belonging to the PwD General category has to secure 45 percentile. The NEET cutoff percentile for the reserved category candidates is 40. The exact qualifying marks or cutoff scores will be announced by NTA along with the scorecards. This year, General category candidates had to score minimum 137 marks to qualify for the exam.
The minimum age limit to apply online for NEET exam is 17 years. However, there is no upper age limit in the exam. Candidates must be of 17 years as on or before December 31, 2026 to be eligible for NEET. Check here NEET age limit 2026 for OBC, SC, ST, General.
The AIIMS accepts NEET scores for admission to the MBBS. Students need to obtain the NEET cut off percentile and scores to get shortlisted for counselling in AIIMS MBBS course. The NEET 2025 cutoff scores for generally category was 686-144. So, a general category student with 550 marks cannot take admissions to AIIMS.
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 |
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 |
Commonly asked questions
The minimum qualifying percentile for NEET UG exam is shared below-
Category | NEET 2025 Cutoff percentile |
|---|---|
UR/EWS | 50th |
OBC, SC, ST | 40th |
UR/EWS-PwD | 45th |
OBC/SC/St-PwD | 40th |
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.
No, candidates will not be allowed to appear for the examination without a valid photo ID. Candidates were advised to keep the following three things ready with them, a day before the examination; a valid photo ID proof, NEET admit card, and a recent passport-sized photograph. These are the mandatory documents to be produced during entry to the NEET exam centre. The valid photo identity card which will be allowed at the NEET exam centre include Aadhaar card/ Driving Licence/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Voter Id, etc. The NEET admit card is also required to have the passport and postcard-sized photographs pasted on it.
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.
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