NEET UG: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Preparation

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NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Undergraduate) is the single national entrance exam for MBBS, BDS and most other undergraduate medical courses in India. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and your NEET UG score is used for admission to government and private medical, dental, AYUSH, nursing and veterinary seats across the country.

This guide explains the current NEET UG exam pattern, eligibility, marking scheme and syllabus, how the result is used for counseling, and how to plan your preparation. Live dates for the next cycle appear in the tracker block on this page, so check it for registration, admit card and exam day updates.

NEET UG at a glance

Full name	National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (UG)
Conducted by	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam level	National
Held	Once a year, usually in early May
Mode	Pen and paper (OMR sheet)
Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany and Zoology)
Total marks	720
Negative marking	Yes, minus 1 for each wrong answer
Languages	13: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
Leads to	MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, BHMS, B.Sc Nursing and BVSc and AH seats
Official website	neet.nta.nic.in

NEET UG important dates

These dates update automatically from Kosuki’s exam calendar. “Announced” dates come from the official notice; “Expected” months are based on past years.

!Dates can change. Always confirm on the official website. Report a wrong date · How we check dates

What is NEET UG?

NEET UG is the only entrance test accepted for MBBS and BDS admission in India, including at AIIMS and JIPMER. States no longer run their own MBBS entrance exams. Instead, every state, central institution, deemed university and private college fills its seats using NEET UG ranks.

The exam tests Class 11 and 12 level Physics, Chemistry and Biology. It is a single paper, taken once a year on one day, in pen-and-paper mode at centers across India and in some cities abroad. There is no limit on the number of attempts, and there is no upper age limit.

NEET UG eligibility

The eligibility rules below are from the latest NTA information bulletin. Always read the bulletin for your cycle before applying, because small details can change.

• Age: you must be at least 17 years old on December 31 of the admission year. There is no upper age limit.
• Qualifying exam: Class 12 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, and English. Students appearing in Class 12 in the same year can apply.
• Minimum marks in Class 12 (Physics, Chemistry and Biology together): usually 50 percent for General, 45 percent for General PwBD and 40 percent for SC, ST and OBC candidates.
• Indian nationals, NRIs, OCI and PIO card holders and foreign nationals can apply, subject to the quota rules of each college.
• There is no cap on the number of attempts.

NEET UG exam pattern

Since 2025, NEET UG has 180 questions and all of them are compulsory. The earlier optional Section B, where you could skip some questions, has been removed. Every question is a multiple-choice question with four options and one correct answer.

Subject	Questions	Marks
Physics	45	180
Chemistry	45	180
Biology (Botany and Zoology)	90	360
Total	180	720

NEET UG marking scheme

The NEET marking scheme rewards accuracy. A wrong answer costs you one mark, which is a quarter of what a right answer earns, so blind guessing usually hurts more than it helps.

• Correct answer: plus 4 marks
• Wrong answer: minus 1 mark
• Unanswered question: 0 marks
• Marking more than one option counts as a wrong answer
• PwBD candidates with writing limitations get one hour of compensatory time

NEET UG syllabus

The NEET UG syllabus is prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and is based on the Class 11 and 12 curriculum. It follows NCERT closely, so NCERT textbooks are the core reading for every subject. Check the NMC syllabus notice for your year, as a few topics were trimmed or added in recent cycles.

• Physics: mechanics, thermodynamics, oscillations and waves, electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics, semiconductors and experimental skills
• Chemistry: physical chemistry (mole concept, equilibrium, kinetics, electrochemistry), inorganic chemistry (periodic table, bonding, coordination compounds) and organic chemistry (reactions, hydrocarbons, biomolecules)
• Botany: plant diversity, cell biology, plant physiology, genetics and molecular basis of inheritance, reproduction in plants, ecology
• Zoology: animal diversity, structural organization, human physiology, human reproduction, evolution, biotechnology, human health and disease

NEET UG result, scores and admissions

NTA publishes a provisional answer key, lets candidates raise objections, and then declares the NEET UG result with your score out of 720, percentile and All India Rank. To qualify you need to reach the minimum percentile set for your category, which in recent years has been the 50th percentile for General candidates and the 40th percentile for SC, ST and OBC candidates.

Qualifying is not the same as getting a seat. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) runs counseling for the 15 percent All India Quota seats in government colleges and for central institutions, deemed universities and AIIMS and JIPMER seats. State counseling authorities fill the remaining 85 percent state quota seats and private college seats using the same NEET UG rank. AYUSH seats are filled through separate AYUSH counseling, and veterinary seats through the Veterinary Council of India and state bodies.

How to prepare for NEET UG

Biology carries half the paper, so it decides most ranks. Aim to be close to perfect in Biology, and treat Physics as the subject where you can gain the most over other students. With 180 questions in 180 minutes, you have about a minute per question, so speed matters as much as knowledge.

• Read NCERT Biology line by line at least three times. A large share of Biology questions come straight from NCERT text, diagrams and tables.
• In Chemistry, keep NCERT reactions, exceptions and inorganic facts at your fingertips, and practice physical chemistry numericals daily.
• In Physics, focus on concepts and formula-based problem solving. Build a formula sheet and revise it every week.
• Solve NEET previous year papers from the last ten years to learn the style and the most repeated chapters.
• Take full-length mock tests on an OMR sheet in a 3-hour window. Practice filling bubbles, since this is a pen-and-paper exam.
• Because of negative marking, attempt a question only when you can eliminate at least two options. Track your accuracy percentage in every mock.
• Maintain an error notebook and revise it before each mock. You can log your preparation status and mock scores in Kosuki to see which chapters still need work.

How to apply for NEET UG

1. Visit the official website neet.nta.nic.in when registration opens, usually a few months before the exam.
2. Register with a valid mobile number and email address, and note your application number.
3. Fill in personal, academic and exam center preferences carefully.
4. Upload your photograph, signature, thumb impression and category certificates as specified in the bulletin.
5. Pay the fee online and download the confirmation page.
6. Use the correction window, if offered, to fix any errors, then download your admit card before the exam.

NEET UG FAQs

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Sources

• neet.nta.nic.in
• cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s37bc1ec1d9c3426357e69acd5bf320061/uploads/2026/02/202602081576322299.pdf
• medicaldialogues.in/news/education/medical-admissions/neet-2026-on-may-3-check-exam-pattern-for-mbbs-entrance-test-165456

Last reviewed September 2026 against the official National Testing Agency (NTA) notice and information brochure. Exam rules can change from year to year, so always confirm details on the official website before you apply. Kosuki is independent and is not connected with any exam body. Spotted something out of date? Write to contact@kosuki.com.