NEET UG 2026 — Exam Date, Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus & Result

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), commonly known as NEET UG, is a national-level medical entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical programmes such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, BHMS, BVSc & AH, and other allied health courses in government, private, and international medical institutions across India.

Formerly known as the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), NEET UG was first introduced in 2013 and has since become the single-window entrance test for all medical and dental admissions in India. After the enactment of the NMC Act 2019, NEET UG became the sole entrance test, replacing even the separate exams conducted by AIIMS and JIPMER. It is the biggest competitive exam in India by number of applicants, with over 24 lakh candidates appearing in 2024.

The exam is conducted in offline (pen-and-paper / OMR sheet) mode in 13 languages across hundreds of test centres nationwide. The score is valid for 1 year for admissions in India and 3 years for pursuing medical education abroad.

Candidates appearing for the NEET 2026 exam must meet the eligibility criteria set by the NTA and the National Medical Commission (NMC).

General Eligibility Criteria

Course-wise Eligibility Requirements

The NEET Exam Pattern 2026 has reverted to the pre-COVID format. Each of the four subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology) consists of 45 compulsory questions — there are no optional questions. Candidates must attempt all 180 questions within 180 minutes.

Exam Logistics

The NEET (UG) syllabus is based on the core concepts of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology taught in Classes 11 and 12 as prescribed by the NCERT and the National Medical Commission (NMC). The syllabus covers both Class 11 and Class 12 topics equally.

Physics

Chemistry

Biology (Botany & Zoology)

Candidates can apply for NEET 2026 online on the official NTA NEET website at neet.nta.nic.in. The entire application process is online, from registration to fee payment.

The following documents must be ready in digital format before starting the NEET 2026 application process:

Candidates can check the NEET 2026 registration fee for each category in the table below. The fee must be paid online during the application process.

NEET UG is the gateway for admission to a wide range of undergraduate medical and allied health programmes in India. The following courses can be pursued by qualifying NEET UG:

Each year, a substantial number of candidates qualify NEET by meeting the minimum percentile-based criteria set by the NTA, making them eligible for counselling. However, the actual cutoff for admission into a college is much higher than the qualifying cutoff, as only about 60,000 government MBBS seats and 58,000 private MBBS seats are available against over 22 lakh applicants.

Minimum Qualifying Percentile (Category-wise)

Seat Reservation in Medical Colleges

Counselling Process

After NEET results are declared, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the National Medical Commission (NMC) conducts counselling for 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats, central institutes, and deemed universities. The remaining 85% state quota seats and private college admissions are managed by respective state medical counselling boards.

The number of candidates registering and appearing for NEET UG has grown significantly over the years, reflecting the increasing demand for medical education in India. NEET is now the largest competitive examination in India by number of applicants.

The NEET UG 2024 examination was marred by significant controversy involving alleged paper leaks, discrepancies in results, and legal challenges that reached the Supreme Court of India.

Paper Leak Allegations

The exam paper for NEET-UG 2024 was allegedly leaked a day before the exam in Patna, Bihar. On the day of the exam (5 May 2024), an FIR was filed at the Shastri Nagar police station in Patna. According to police officials, the paper leak gang allegedly charged ₹30 lakh to ₹50 lakh from candidates, providing them with the question papers a day prior for memorisation. The Ministry of Education handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI arrested 36 persons in connection with the NEET paper leak case, including MBBS students from AIIMS Patna and an engineering student from NIT Jamshedpur.

Discrepancies in Results

The results were declared on 4 June 2024 — ten days earlier than scheduled. A total of 67 students achieved a perfect score, a significantly higher number than in previous years. The NTA clarified that 44 of the 67 students answered a physics question incorrectly but were still awarded marks due to an error in the NCERT textbook. Additionally, several examinees received scores of 718 or 719, which students argued was mathematically impossible under the marking scheme. The NTA later clarified that 1,563 examinees were awarded compensatory marks for lost time at certain exam centres.

Supreme Court Intervention

Several petitions were filed in High Courts across India and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ordered the cancellation of scorecards of the 1,563 candidates who received grace marks and ordered a re-test on 23 June 2024. Out of these, 813 students appeared for the retest. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the examination, stating there was no indication of a widespread leak across the country. The NTA chief, Subodh Kumar Singh, was removed from his position on 22 June 2024.