NEET Tie-Breaking Policy 2026: Check Latest Policy and Rule
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
NEET Admit Card
26 Apr '26 - 3 May '26
NEET 2026 tie-breaking policy will be announced tentatively in the first week of February, along with the information bulletin. This article of Shiksha discusses in detail the NEET tie-breaking criteria, and also analyses the policies of the past few years and how the factors have changed over the years.
NEET Tie-Breaking Criteria
The NEET 2026 tie-breaking policy will be announced by the National Testing Agency or NTA, along with the information bulletin, tentatively in the first week of February. The NEET tie-breaking criteria refer to the mechanism deployed to determine the ranks of two or more candidates in the NEET merit list, in case all of them score the same marks in the exam. NTA changes the tie-breaking policy based on various factors to inculcate best practices to enable allotment of rank to more than one candidate securing the same score.
Last year, the NEET 2025 tie-breaking policy was changed. It is expected that the policy will remain the same this year as well. According to NEET marking scheme, every question is worth four marks. The NEET 2026 exam will have a total score of 720. -1 mark is deducted for negative marking for every wrong answer. If you do not attempt the question, then there will be no negative marking in the NEET question paper. This article by Shiksha.com analyses the NEET tie-breaking policy over the past few years.
Also Read: NEET Total Marks 2026: Check Exam Pass Marks and Marking Scheme
- NEET 2025 Tie-Breaking Policy
- NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Criteria
- NEET 2023 Tie-Breaking Criteria
- NEET 2022 Tie-Breaking Criteria
- NEET 2021 Tie-Breaking Criteria
NEET 2025 Tie-Breaking Policy
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Physics in the Test, followed by,
- With less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test,
- With less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
- With less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Chemistry in the Test, followed by
- With less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Physics in the Test, followed by
In case, the first seven criteria are exhausted and the tie still persists, it will be resolved through a random process with the guidance of an independent expert committee.
Commonly asked questions
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 responses marked on the OMR Sheet of NEET are scanned and uploaded on the official website of NTA. The responses marked are read and captured by the machines, which can sometimes lead to smudging of the responses. Therefore, there can be errors in the scanned copy of NEET OMR sheet. If a student finds any such error in their OMR sheet, they have the provision to challenge them. Candidates have to pay a processing fee of INR 200 per response challenged. The steps for challenging the OMR sheet of NEET are given below:
- Go to the official website of NTA NEET
- Login using the NEET application number and password or date of birth
- Click on “OMR Challenge”
- You will see the questions in sequential order
- Select Question (s) for which you wish to challenge the Recorded Response.
- Once you select any Question for Challenge, you will see three options under the column ‘Candidate’s Claim’.
- If you wish to challenge this option, you may use the Options given in the ‘Candidate’s Claim’ column.
- After clicking your desired option, for Physics / Chemistry / Botany / Zoology for NEET (UG) - 2023, scroll down, ‘Submit’, and move to the next screen.
- You will see a screen displaying your challenges.
- Click on ‘Submit' and Pay Fee Finally’.
- Select Mode of Payment and Pay a processing fee of INR 200 for each question/grade challenged. Make payment through Debit/Credit Card/Net Banking/Paytm.
- After successful payment, download/print the Answer Key challenge receipt
The exact numbers of NEET 2026 exam centres will be announced by NTA along with the result details. It is expected that the total number of NEET 2025 exam centres will be around 5,000. In 2024, the number was 4,750.
NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Criteria
Upon the release of the NEET 2024 application form and information bulletin on February 9, 2024, it was seen that the NEET 2024 tie-breaking criteria had been changed. In this, the final factor was a computerised draw of lots, which replaced the subject-wise accuracy proportion of candidates, that was followed in the previous years. Later, the factor of the computerised draw of lots has been replaced with a subject-wise accuracy proportion.
The revised NEET 2024 tie-breaking criteria are given below.
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Physics in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate with less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test,
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Chemistry in the Test, followed by
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Physics in the Test.
- Obtaining higher marks in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks in Physics in the Test, followed by,
- Draw of lots by using the computer or IT with no human intervention.
Now, let us take a look at the NEET tie-breaking criteria for the previous years.
NEET 2023 Tie-Breaking Criteria
The NEET 2023 tie-breaking criteria is mentioned in the following points given which focuses on the candidates’ performance in each of the subjects in the order of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. After that, the proportion of accurate responses in each of the subjects was tallied.
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Physics in the Test, followed by,
- Candidate with less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test,
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Chemistry in the Test, followed by
- Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Physics in the Test.
Commonly asked questions
The NTA will release the NEET OMR sheet 2026 along with the provisional answer key. Candidates can download the OMR answer sheet by logging to their registered accounts using the application number and password.
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.
The mode of the NEET exam is offline or paper-based mode. Candidates are handed over hardcopy of NEET question paper and OMR sheets to answer the questions. The NEET UG exam has always been conducted in paper-pencil-based mode. Despite the expert committee recommendation to conduct the NEET exam in onlne or computer-based mode, the National Medical Commission (NMC) announced that the NEET 2025 exam will be conducted in offline or paper-pencil-based mode.
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NEET 2022 Tie-Breaking Criteria
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Physics in the Test, followed by,
- Less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test,
- Less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
- Less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Chemistry in the Test, followed by
- Less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Physics in the Test, followed by
- Candidate Older in Age, followed by
- Application Number in ascending order.
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NEET 2021 Tie-Breaking Criteria
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
- Obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
- Less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test.
Read More:
List of Documents Required for NEET 2026 Application Form, Document Size and Formats
NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Upper Age Limit, Number of Attempts, Qualification
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 23 hours ago
No, Haldia Institute of Dental Sciences and Research generally does not offer seats without NEET score. Students have to submit a valid NEET UG/ PG score and appear for the counselling rounds to get admission.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
For NEET UG 2025, the cutoff for BPT (Bachelor of Physiotherapy) at Terna College of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai was around NEET score 330–350 for General category, and 300–320 for OBC/EWS. For SC/ST, the cutoff was lower, typically 250–280.
Terna College of Physiotherapy – NEET 2025 BPT Cutoff
| Category | NEET 2025 Cutoff (Score Range) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| General | 330–350 | Competitive due to limited seats (100 intake). |
| OBC/EWS | 300–320 | Slight relaxation compared to General. |
| SC/ST | 250–280 | Reserved category benefit. |
| PwD | ~220–240 | Special quota, fewer applicants. |
Admi
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Candidates can know the NEET exam centre 2026 allotment through the release of admit card. The NEET admit card was released on April 26. Candidates must download their hall tickets to know the name and address of the allotted exam centre.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
The NEET admit card 2026 was released on April 26, 2026, as scheduled. The released has not been postponed.
U
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates need to carry the given documents to the NEET 2026 exam centre-
- Passport-size & postcard size photographs
- Valid & original photo ID proof
- PwD certificate, if applicable
- Scribe related documents, if applicable
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates need the following login details to download the NEET hall ticket-
- Application number
- Password
- Security code
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
NEET exam is the only entrance exam students are required to clear for admissions at Tver State Medical University. Apart from the NEET exam, the students do not need to appear or qualify any other exam such as IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Aspirants cannot get admission without NEET scores. Candidates need to have a valid score in NEET to get a seat in BHMS programme of Swami Vivekanand Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital. Candidates must also complete Class 12 with PCB to get admission in BHMS programme.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
The exams like NEET are basically for practicing here in India, so the National University of Singapore does not really ask for it.
Given below are the guidelines, take a look -
- If an Indian student wishes to return to India and practice, then NEET is mandatory.
- It is kind of a licensing exam to pract
L
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
For government college 550+ is required and it varies year to year depending upon the cut off
For private 200+ is required for BDS
T
Beginner-Level 2