NEET 2026 Question Paper & Answer Key Solutions (May 3): PDF Download

No, marks are not deducted for unanswered questions in NEET. However, the NTA applies negative marking of 1 mark for each incorrect answer in the NEET UG examination.

There will be no sectional qualifying criterion for NEET 2025. NTA releases overall qualifying marks or cutoff marks for each category. The overall marks will be considered while preparing the rank list for NEET. But to ensure a good score, candidates must ensure a high number of attempts with full accuracy. A skewed performance might hamper the overall marks obtained in NEET.

The NEET exam is conducted offline in pen and paper mode. The NEET exam pattern is as such-

• There are 180 MCQs.
• 45 are from Physics, 45 from Chemistry and 90 from Biology (Botany and Zoology). 
• Each question is of 4 marks.
• The total marks are 720.
• The exam duration is 3 hours.

The NEET UG exam comprises Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections. There are a total 180 questions in the exam. The exam carries 720 marks. The section wise-wightage of these three sections is shared below-

NEET Physics- 45 questions (180 marks)

NEET Chemistry- 45 questions (180 marks)

NEET Biology (Botany & Zoology)- 90 questions (360 marks)

The NTA has introduced the given changes for NEET UG 2026 Re exam-

• The NTA extends exam duration. The re-exam will be held from 2:00 to 5:15 PM.
• The NTA has increased the rough work space to 4 pages.
• The NTA redesigns the question paper booklet by adding two rough pages just after the introduction.

There will be bonus marking or extra marks awarded to NEET candidates only if there is a discrepancy in the NEET answer key. Clarifying the same, NTA has stated:

1. If more than one option is found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.

2. If all options are found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.

3. If none of the options is found correct or a Question is found to be wrong or a Question is dropped then all candidates who have appeared will be given four marks  (+4) irrespective of the fact whether the question has been attempted or not attempted by the candidate.

According to NEET pattern, the question paper for the candidates who have chosen Hindi as the medium will be bilingual. The second language of the question paper will be English. In case candidates have any doubts regarding a particular question or term, they can refer to the English questions. Candidates choosing the NEET question paper medium as Hindi must ensure that they have received the Hindi language question paper in the exam hall. In case they receive English or any other regional language question paper, they must report the matter to the invigilator and get it changed immediately. In case they start solving the NEET question paper of a different language and report it later, it may be considered redundant.

Candidates will be provided with OMR sheets. They will have to shade the correct answer option corresponding to each question uniformly with a ballpoint pen which would be provided to them inside the exam hall. They should fill only one answer option circle, otherwise, the response will be considered as wrong and would result in negative marking. They will have to do the rough work on the NEET question paper, in the space provided. While answering the NEET question paper on the OMR sheet, candidates must be careful that they select the correct question number and fill up the correct answer option. There are cases where candidates solve the question and deduce the correct option, but make a mistake while filling the OMR sheet by not checking the question number or the answer option carefully. Such mistakes can cause a negative marking of one mark.

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.

The total marks of NEET is 720. Hence, a score above 500 is considered to be good. Ensuring a high score in all the sections will ensure an overall high score. Although there is no sectional cutoff or qualifying marks for NEET a balanced performance would be better than a skewed performance. The mentors or experts evaluating the NEET mock tests often set a high difficulty level question paper to help them prepare for a tough test. Hence, students should not be demotivated if their score is low. They must improve their preparation and be prepared and give their best shot to get a high score in NEET 2024.

Yes, the NEET 2025 exam pattern was changed. NTA announced the change in the exam pattern on January 25, 2025, to enable candidates prepare accordingly. The optional questions were removed. Instead of 200 questions, there were 180 questions. The total duration of NEET 2025 was reduced from 200 minutes to 180 minutes or three hours now.

Aspirants should start solving the NEET question papers at least six months prior to the exam. Prior to solving the previous years NEET question papers, they should complete the NEET syllabus completely. Students may also solve sectional portions from the NEET question paper after completing the preparation for each subject. Ideally students should solve the NEET question paper 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. The above factors must be followed to get the best out of the NEET question paper.