NEET Pattern

The NEET question paper consists of 180 compulsory questions. Candidates need to attempt these 180 questions in a duration of 3 hours or 180 minutes. The questions are objective-type MCQs.

NEET question paper contains objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The NEET questions are asked from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The format of questions can be-

• Direct questions
• Statement-based
• Match the following
• Assertion reason
• Diagram based questions
• Equation based

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. 

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.

Knowing the NEET exam pattern is necessary to prepare for the exam. Candidates get to know about the number of questions in the exam, marking scheme, duration, negative marking, subjects name and mode of the exam through the paper pattern.

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.

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.  

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.

The NEET 2025 exam pattern has been changed by NTA, reversing it to that of the pre-COVID era. The optional questions have been removed. Instead of 200 questions, there will now be 180 questions. The total duration of NEET 2025 has been reduced from 200 minutes to 180 minutes or three hours now.