NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification & Attempts
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
NEET 2026 eligibility criteria is important for candidates who wish to apply for the MBBS admissions in 2026-2027. Check here the NEET eligibility criteria 2026, including the minimum and maximum age limit, educational qualification, marks required in class 12 and number of attempts. The NEET age cutoff date 2026 will be known after the release of the NEET 2026 notification.
NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026
NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the NEET 2026 eligibility criteria along with the information bulletin and NEET registration form. Students who want to get MBBS admissions in 2026-27 need to go through the latest eligibility criteria for NEET 2026 exam before submitting their applications. We have shared here the complete NTA NEET eligibility criteria, including minimum age to appear for the exam, educational qualification, marks required in Class 12 PCB, number of attempts, and NMC updates regarding the eligibility based on previous years’ notification.
The NEET UG eligibility 2026 is likely to remain the same as last year. The changes in the NEET UG eligibility 2026 will be known after the release of notification. Till then, check here who can apply for NEET UG 2026.
Also Read: NEET 2026 Updates: Check When will Registration Start & NTA Advisory on Document Updation
- NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026
- NEET UG 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
- NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualification
- NEET UG 2026 Eligibility: Minimum Marks Required in Class 12
- Eligibility for NEET 2026: Number of Attempts
- NMC Eligibility for NEET 2026
- Who is Eligible for NEET 2026 Counselling?
- NEET Reservation Criteria 2026 for UG Counselling
- NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Qualifying Examination Codes
NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026
Below are the basic or primary eligibility criteria for NEET UG 2026.
- According to the NEET age eligibility, candidates must have attained the age of 17 years at the time of admission or will attain the same by December 31, 2026. Accordingly, the minimum date of birth of candidates should be December 31, 2008. There is no upper age limit for NEET. However, there may be age restriction in NEET 2026.
- Indian nationals/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) who wish to pursue MBBS/ BDS from a foreign university also need to be 17 years old and need to qualify NEET exam.
Also Read: NEET 2026 Exam Date
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NEET UG 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
The minimum age eligibility for NEET is 17 years. There is no upper age limit. The National Medical Commission (NMC) removed the upper age limit factor for NEET aspirants in 2025. Before that, the upper age criteria for General and reserved category candidates were 25 years and 30 years, respectively.
NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualification
Candidates need to fulfill the NEET eligibility in terms of education and marks to apply for the exam. Have a look at the NEET educational qualification and marks required in Class 12 below.
- Candidates must have passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English subjects individually in Class 12.
- Candidates must have studied these subject as core or additional subjects.
- Candidates belonging to the General category need to score minimum 50 per cent marks in Class 12 and SC, ST and OBC need to have minimum score of 40 per cent.
- Candidates who belong to the General category and are applying under the Persons with Disability (PWD) Quota, must have a minimum score of 45 per cent marks in the qualifying examination.
NEET UG 2026 Eligibility: Minimum Marks Required in Class 12
The table brings the minimum marks required in Class 12 exam or equivalent to be eligible for NEET 2026-
| Category |
Minimum Marks in PCB Class 12 |
|---|---|
| General |
50 per cent |
| General - PWD |
45 per cent |
| SC/ ST/ OBC/ Reserved-PWD |
40 per cent |
Also Read: NEET Information Brochure 2026
Eligibility for NEET 2026: Number of Attempts
The NTA has not fixed the maximum number of attempts for the NEET exam. Thus, a candidate can appear for the NEET UG exam as many times as they want to till they obtain the desired scores.
NMC Eligibility for NEET 2026
The National Medical Commission (NMC) notifies the changes in the NEET eligibility, if any, on its website- nmc.org.in. The changes in NMC eligibility for NEET 2026 will be shared here when announced. It may be noted here that the NMC revised the NEET eligibility criteria in 2024 wherein the candidates who studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology/ Biotechnology and English as additional subjects also became eligible to appear for the NEET exam. Till NEET 2023, only those students who studied these subjects as core subjects were permitted to appear for the exam.
Also Read: NEET 2026 Preparation Strategy for Class 11 & 12 Students
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.
According to the reports, this year saw the highest number of NEET applications and appearance for the exam. A total of 24,06,079 candidates applied for the exam, out of which 23,33,297 candidates appeared. The exam was originally conducted on May 5, 2024, in 571 cities across India and abroad. A re-test for 1,563 candidates who were awarded grace marks on May 5, was conducted on June 23, 2024. In this exam, 813 candidates had appeared.
Who is Eligible for NEET 2026 Counselling?
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is an entrance test conducted for admission to various medical and allied courses, including MBBS, BDS and AYUSH. The admission to these courses is carried out through NEET counselling 2026. Candidates need to fulfil the MCC NEET eligibility to take part in the counselling process. Have a look at the category-wise and college-wise eligibility criteria below and know who is eligible for NEET counselling-
NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Candidates Belonging to the UT of J&K/ Ladakh
Candidates belonging to the UT of J&K/ Ladakh are not eligible to apply for the 15 per cent All India Quota seats and can only apply for the seats of Deemed Universities, ESIC, and AFMC.
NEET 2026 Eligibility for Candidates Applying for State/ Deemed/ Central/ ESIC/ AFMC Seats
The following criteria are related to the seat categories:
- Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs and PIOs are eligible to apply for these seats
- Foreign nationals should confirm their eligibility before applying for NEET 2026
NEET Eligibility 2026 for Candidates Applying for 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) Seats
Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs and foreign nationals are eligible to apply for these seats.
NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Central Universities
Delhi University (MAMC, LHMC, UCMS): Like all other universities, only 15 per cent seats of the colleges affiliated with Delhi University will be filled through NEET counselling. The remaining 85 per cent of seats will be filled via DU NEET counselling. Candidates who have passed Class 11 and Class 12 from an institute located in Delhi will be able to apply for these 85 per cent seats.
Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia: The institute offers 50 BDS seats, out of which 47 seats will be filled through the MCC NEET counselling. The remaining three seats fall under the institutional quota and will be allotted to only those candidates who have passed Class 11 and Class 12 from JMI.
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): The institute reserves 50 per cent of its seats for candidates who have studied at AMU for the past three years. Only such candidates will be able to apply for the institutional quota seats of AMU. The remaining 50 per cent will be filled through the MCC counselling of NEET.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU): All candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria for NEET MCC counselling can apply for the seats at BHU. There is no special requirement for applying to this institute.
NEET Reservation Criteria 2026 for UG Counselling
The table brings the NEET reservation criteria for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and PwD categories under the 15 per cent AIQ seats are as follows:
| Categories |
Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| SC |
15 |
| ST |
7.5 |
| OBC |
27 |
| EWS |
10 |
| PwD |
5 |
On July 29, 2021, the Government of India made a landmark decision that from the academic year of 2021-22 onwards, there would be a 27 per cent OBC quota in NEET(Non-Creamy Layer) and a 10 per cent NEET reservation for EWS in 15 per cent Under Graduate (UG) All India Quota seats (MBBS/BDS) (contributed by the State/UTs to the Central Pool).
Also Read: NEET UG Reservation for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and General
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NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Qualifying Examination Codes
The table brings the code-wise description of the candidate category which is required to fill out the NEET application form.
| Code |
Description |
|---|---|
| Code 01 |
|
| Code 02 |
|
| Code 03 |
|
| Code 04 |
|
| Code 05 |
|
| Code 06 |
|
| Code 07 |
The candidate has passed an examination that is equivalent to the Intermediate Science Examination with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology. or The candidate has completed the qualifying examination from a foreign University |
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.
Candidates can apply for NEET 2026 exam after the release of application form. The NTA is likely to start the NEET registration in February 2026. The link will be active for around a month.
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.
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With MA in English, Rupali has more than 15 years of editorial experience. At Shiksha.com, a subsidiary of Info Edge (India) Limited, she creates content and make prep guides for students preparing for competitive e
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
The DY Patil Vidyapeeth MBBS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories and rounds under the All India quota. For the General AI category, the cutoff ranged from 395628 in the first round to 660786 in the last round.
Please note that the cutoff for other rounds and courses will vary accordingly.
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, NEET qualification is mandatory for Indian students who want to study MBBS abroad and practice medicine in India later. If you are planning to stay in the Philippines only after your medical degree, you can also study MBBS without NEET qualification.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
OUAT Entrance Exam, JEE Main and NEET are undergraduate-level entrance exams. The syllabus is the same as the Class 12 Board exam for the Science stream. But, the difficulty of JEE Main and NEET are much higher than the OUAT Entrance Exam. As JEE Main and NEET are entrance exams for Engineering and
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 6 days ago
No, without presenting NEET scorecard at the time of admission, Indian Army BSc nursing seat will not be allocated to any candidate. It is a mandatory requirement without which the admission does not stand valid.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
No, you do not need to clear NEET to get admission in a BSc forensic Science course. While a few colleges might accept it but it is certainly not the primary way to get into forensic Science courses.
D
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
In 2022, DGMS started accepting the NEET scores for entry to the MNS programme. It scrapped the entrance exam conducted by them and welcomed NEET scores for the initial screening process.
N
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
The SOA University NEET UG Cutoff 2025 was published for admission to the MBBS course for all rounds and various categories under the All India quota. The overall cutoff for the General AI category students ranged from 233205 to 298163, according to the first and last round cutoff ranks.
Note: The c
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Maximum there is no chance .there is only chance in deemed and private universities.so better take a drop and prepare well.
All the best
A
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a week ago
No, appearing in the NEET exam is not a mandatory eligibility requirement to appear for the MH BSc Nursing exam. Candidates can appear for this entrance after completing Class 12th to seek admission to government nursing colleges in the state.
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Yes it's mandatory under a new national curriculum
Q
Beginner-Level 1
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.