Is there change in the NEET exam pattern 2026?

The NEET 2026 exam pattern has been released. The NTA mentioned the pattern in the information bulletin. There is no change in the NEET pattern. The NTA changed the NEET question paper pattern in 2025. The NTA removed the optional questions and the exam duration was reduced by 20 minutes.

What is the section-wise weightage in NEET exam?

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)

What is the pattern of the NEET exam?

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.

What is the 80/20 rule in NEET?

The 80/20 rule in NEET is applible in case when candidates have limited time to study for the exam. The rule implies rather than covering the entire syllabus, candidates should focus on 20% of the high-value topics that are likely to form about 80% of the NEET question paper.

Which section has the highest number of questions in NEET?

The Biology section has the highest number of questions in the NEET examination. There are 360 questions in the NEET UG exam and of these, 90 questions are alone from Biology, which is further divided into Botany and Zoology, each containing 45 questions.

Will marks be deducted for unanswered questions in NEET?

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.

Are there any optional questions in NEET exam?

No, the NEET exam or NEET question paper does not have any optional questions. Although there used to be 20 optional questions in total in between the years 2022 and 2024, but 2025 onwards, the optional questions in NEET were removed as part of the revision or change in the NEET exam pattern as per the pre-COVID era. Hence, the NEET 2025 question paper will not carry any optional questions, and will have 360 mandatory questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

What is the mode of NEET exam?

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.

Is NEET exam syllabus tough?

NEET syllabus is not tough, but a bit challenging due to its vastness. The syllabus of NEET exam is vast, with 20 chapters from Physics, 20 from Chemistry and 10 from Biology. The syllabus is based on the Class 11 and 12 NCERT curriculum. Hence, candidates should cover the complete syllabus to crack the exam.

What is the procedure to challenge NEET OMR sheets?

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

Is it necessary to pass in individual sections of NEET?

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.

What is NEET exam timing?

The NEET exam is conducted from 2.00 to 5.00 pm. Have a look at the NEET exam timing 2026 below- Events Timing Exam Centre Entry Begins 11.00 AM Exam Centre Last Entry 1.30 PM Sitting on the Exam Hall 1.15 PM Announcement of Important Instructions 1.15 PM to 1.30 PM Distribution of NEET Test Booklet 1.45 PM Writing of particulars on the NEET Test Booklet 1.50 PM NEET Exam Timing 2 PM to 5 PM

My medium of paper is Hindi. It means all questions will come in Hindi language?

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.

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Total Marks, Subjects, Marking Scheme, Exam Duration & No. of Questions

4.3K Students Q&A

Exam On - 3 May '26

Updated on Feb 8, 2026 14:45 IST

By Rupali Pruthi, Deputy Manager - Editorial

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: The NTA has released the exam pattern for the NEET UG 2026. The paper pattern remains the same as last year's. Candidates can check here exam pattern to understand how many questions are there in NEET, total marks, time duration, and marking scheme of the paper. The NEET exam pattern consists of three subjects- Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The NEET Physics and Chemistry sections carry 45 questions. The NEET Biology section contains 90 questions, that is, 45 each in Botany and Zoology. The NEET total marks allotted to the exam are 720.

As per the NEET paper pattern, the exam is conducted offline in pen and paper mode. The NEET marking scheme is as such that candidates get 4 marks for each correct answer and there is negative marking of -1 for each wrong answer. The NEET exam date 2026 has ben announced along with the notification and application form. The NTA will conduct the NEET exam on May 3, 2026.

Table of contents

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights
NEET Paper Pattern 2026: Overview
NEET 2026 Marking Scheme & Negative Marking
NEET 2026 Exam Pattern: How to Attempt Question Paper?
NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Language Options of Question Paper
FAQs Regarding NEET Pattern 2026

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights

The NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted on May 3, 2026. Have a look at the highlights of the NEET exam pattern 2026 below.

Particulars	Details
Mode of the examination	Offline
Duration of the examination	Three hours
Exam timing	2 PM to 5 PM (as per Indian Standard Time)
Type of questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
How Many Questions are there in NEET?	180
NEET Total Marks	720
NEET Negative marking	Yes
NEET Marking Scheme	+4 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer 0 for unattempted questions
Total sections in the question paper	4 (45 questions for each subject)
NEET Subjects	Physics (45 MCQs), Chemistry (45 MCQs) and Biology (90 MCQs)
NEET Question Paper Mediums or Languages	13 - English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam

NEET Paper Pattern 2026: Overview

As per the exam pattern of NEET 2026, each question carries four answer options, out of which candidates have to select one option. The circle next to the correct option needs to be shaded with a blue/ black ballpoint pen on the OMR sheet. Students aiming to appear for NEET must familiarise themselves with the exam pattern while preparing. According to the NEET pattern, the NEET question papers carry three subjects- Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The table given below depicts the NEET subject-wise weightage and breakup of the question paper.

NEET 2026 Subject-Wise Weightage

Have a look at the NEET subject list along with the subject-wise weightage and the distribution of marks below.

Subject	Number of Questions	Marks
Physics	45	180
Chemistry	45	180
Botany	45	180
Zoology	45	180
Total	180	720

NEET Syllabus

NEET Preparation

Also Read: NEET Chapter-Wise Weightage 2026

NEET 2026 Marking Scheme & Negative Marking

As per the marking scheme of the NEET UG exam pattern, each question carries four marks, and one mark is deducted for each wrong answer. The NEET exam total marks are 720. Here we bring the marking scheme of NEET in detail:

Each correct answer will be awarded four marks
One mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer
No mark will be deducted for the questions which have not been answered
Questions that have two or more responses marked on the OMR sheet will be considered incorrect and one mark will be deducted from them

Also Read: Total Marks in NEET

NEET Marking Scheme 2026

NEET 2026 marking scheme and negative marking formula with 720 total marks in India is used by the NTA to announce the results. The table below brings the NEET marking scheme.

Response Type	Marks awarded
Correct answer	+4
Incorrect answer	-1
Question with more than one response	-1
Unanswered question	0

NEET Exam Duration 2026

Students get 3 hours to attempt the NEET question paper during the exam. There is no sectional timing in the exam.

Also Read: NEET 2026 Preparation Strategy for Class 11 & 12 Students

NEET 2026 Exam Pattern: How to Attempt Question Paper?

Candidates get to know how to attempt the question paper through the NEET pattern. According to the NEET exam pattern 2026, the candidates need to use the given process to submit their responses on the NEET OMR sheet-

Mark the answers using a ballpoint pen, which is provided at the exam centre.
Candidates cannot change the answers.
Erasing any information on the OMR sheet is punishable.
Rough work to be done on the test booklet.
Do not forget to mark the test booklet code on the OMR sheet.
Candidates must ensure that the NEET question paper code matches the one given on the OMR sheet.

Also Read: NEET Answer Key

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Language Options of Question Paper

As per the NEET 2026 information bulletin, the exam will be conducted in 13 languages. The NTA will prepare the NEET question paper 2026 in all 13 mediums. The table indicates the NEET languages and the centres/cities where they will be available.

Medium	Availability in the NEET exam centres
English	Available at all exam cities/ centres
Hindi	Available at all exam cities/ centres
Urdu	Available at all exam cities/ centres
English	Available at all exam cities/ centres
Marathi	Available at exam centres in Maharashtra
Bengali	Available at exam centres in West Bengal
Gujarati	Available at exam centres in Gujarat, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Tamil	Available at exam centres in Tamil Nadu
Telugu	Available at exam centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Kannada	Available at exam centres in Karnataka
Oriya	Available at exam centres in Odisha
Assamese	Available at exam centres in Assam
Punjabi	Available at exam centres in Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi
Malayalam	Available at exam centres in Kerala and Lakshadweep

As per the data released by NTA after the NEET result declaration, after English and Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali and Tamil are the most opted-for regional language choices of candidates.

Important Points to Remember While Choosing the Medium of Language for NEET 2026

While selecting the NEET question paper medium or the language of the question paper, candidates will have to keep in mind the following pointers:

The medium of the question paper has to be selected while filling the NEET application form 2026
Once the language is chosen, it cannot be changed after the NEET application form is submitted.
Candidates planning to opt for English as a medium will be provided with the Test Booklet in English only.
Candidates opting for any other language will be provided with a Bilingual Test Booklet, their selected language preference, and English.
The English version of the NEET question paper shall be treated as final in case of any ambiguity in the translation of any of the questions.

Read More:

FAQs Regarding NEET Pattern 2026

Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the NEET 2026 exam pattern.

Q: What is the passing marks for NEET exam?

Candidates need to obtain the NEET exam pass marks to clear the exam. The minimum NEET cutoff percentile that candidates must obtain is shared below-

Category	NEET Cut off percentile
UR/EWS	50th
OBC, SC, ST	40th
UR/EWS-PwD	45th
OBC/SC/St-PwD	40th

Q: What is the full form of NEET?

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.

Q: Was the NEET 2025 exam pattern changed?

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.

Q: How to get 700+ in NEET 2026?

Candidates can get 700+ scores in NEET exam by preparing well in advance. Have a look at the NEET preparation tips to score high marks in the exam-

Master the syllabus through NCERT books.
Study the high-weigtage topics in detail.
Practice the NEET mock test and sample papers.
Solve last 5 years question papers of NEET UG.
Revise regularly.

Q: Has NMC released the NEET 2026 syllabus?

The NMC has released the syllabus for NEET 2026 examination. The NMC NEET UG syllabus 2026 is published on the website of the National Medical Commission (NMC) - nmc.org.in. Candidates can download the NMC syllabus for NEET 2026 here - https://www.shiksha.com/medicine-health-sciences/neet-exam-syllabus

Q: What is the process to download NEET OMR sheets?

Along with the provisional NEET answer keys, NTA releases the NEET OMR sheets of the test takers. Candidates could download those from the official website of NEET. Candidates had to follow the steps given below to download the NEET OMR sheet:

Visit the official website of NEET, which is neet.nta.nic.in
Click on the link indicating NEET OMR sheet download
Enter the login credentials
Click on ‘OMR Challenge’ tab
Click on ‘Click here to view your OMR Answer Sheet’
Check the scanned image of the answer sheet uploaded by NTA
Download and save the NEET OMR sheet for future reference

After downloading the NEET OMR sheets, candidates must check carefully whether it is in the same condition as the one they had submitted. In case there is any discrepancy, they can submit challenges or objections. In case there is no discrepancy, they can calculate their estimated scores by tallying their responses with the NEET provisional answer keys.

Q: I want to select English as the language of my NEET question paper. Which city should I choose?

You can choose any exam centre of NEET if you have opted for English medium question paper. English is available at all centres across the country. English is a universal language and the NEET question paper medium. The exam city selection option becomes limited once candidates choose a regional language, except Hindi. Apart from the medium of the question factor, the other factor that plays a role in the NEET exam centre city selection is the permanent and present address selected by candidates during the application process.

Q: Is NEET exam tough for an average student?

NEET exam can be a little tough for average students, given the competition and difficulty level. However, average students can crack the NEET UG exam with disciplined and consistent efforts. Such students should cover the syllabus and practice more and more question papers and NEET mock tests. Check here the NEET 2026 Preparation Plan for Average Students.

Q: Will there be negative marking in NEET?

The NEET exam carries negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer. Candidates should mark their answers carefully in the exam to avoid the penalty.

Q: What are the languages in which NEET will be conducted?

NEET will be conducted in 13 languages. Till 2020, NEET was held in 11 languages. NTA increased the number of languages or medium to 13 from 2021 onwards. Malayalam and Punjabi are the latest additions. The list of languages are as follows: