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Table of Contents
What is NEET?
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national-level medical entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical programs including MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, BSMS, BUMS, and BSc Nursing across over 612 medical colleges in India (government, private, and deemed universities). It serves as the single gateway for medical admissions, replacing multiple state-level exams, and is mandatory for Indian students seeking MBBS/BDS abroad.
NEET 2026 aligns with the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines, emphasizing NCERT-based preparation and fair access to seats under All India Quota (AIQ) and state quotas. Over 22 lakh candidates appeared in 2025, with 12.36 lakh qualifying, highlighting its competitiveness.
NEET 2026 Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Mode of Exam | Pen-and-Paper (Offline) |
| Courses Offered | MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, BSMS, BSc Nursing |
| Exam Duration | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
| Total Questions | 180 (compulsory) |
| Total Marks | 720 |
| Negative Marking | Yes (-1 for wrong answer) |
| Participating Colleges | 612+ (approx. 1,09,000 MBBS seats) |
| Official Website | neet.nta.nic.in |
NEET 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
| Notification Release | February, 2026 |
| Application Start Date | February, 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | March, 2026 |
| Correction Window | March, 2026 |
| Admit Card Release | April, 2026 |
| Exam Date | May, 2026 |
| Provisional Answer Key | May/June 2026 |
| Final Answer Key | June, 2026 |
| Result Declaration | June, 2026 |
| Counselling Start | July 2026 |
NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Nationality: Indian citizens, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, foreign nationals eligible
Age Limit: Minimum 17 years; no upper age limit
Educational Qualification:
Passed Class 12 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English
Minimum 50% aggregate in PCB (40% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL; 45% for General-PwD)
Appearing students eligible (must pass before counseling)
Attempts: No limit on attempts
Reservation: As per Government norms (detailed in Phase 5)
NEET 2026 Application Form: Step-by-Step Guide
- Visit neet.nta.nic.in
- Click on “New Registration – NEET (UG) 2026”
- Fill personal details and generate Application Number & Password
- Log in and complete the form:
- Personal & academic details
- Choose 4 exam city preferences
- Select medium of question paper (13 languages)
- Upload scanned photograph (with name & date), signature, left-hand thumb impression, Class 10 certificate
- Pay application fee online
- Download confirmation page (mandatory for future reference)
NEET 2026 Application Fees
| Category | Fee in India (₹) | Fee Outside India (₹) |
| General | ₹1,700 | ₹9,500 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹1,600 | |
| SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender | ₹1,000 |
Document Specifications for Upload
| Document | Format | Size | Specifications |
| Passport-size Photograph | JPG | 10–200 KB | White background, name & date printed |
| Postcard-size Photograph | JPG | 50–300 KB | 4"×6", name & date |
| Signature | JPG | 4–30 KB | Black ink on white paper |
| Left-hand Thumb Impression | JPG | 10–200 KB | Blue ink on white paper |
| Class 10 Certificate | 50–300 KB | — | |
| Category / PwD Certificate (if applicable) | 50–300 KB | — |
Application Correction Window & Exam Centres
- Correction Window: 2–3 days in March 2026 (most fields editable except mobile/email)
- Exam Mode: Pen-and-paper (OMR sheet)
- Medium Available: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
- Exam Cities: 550+ across India + 14 international centres (Dubai, Kuwait, etc.)
NEET 2026 Exam Pattern
| Subject | Section | Total Questions | Questions to Attempt | Marks |
| Physics | Section A | 35 | 35 | 140 |
| Section B | 15 | 10 | 40 | |
| Chemistry | Section A | 35 | 35 | 140 |
| Section B | 15 | 10 | 40 | |
| Biology (Botany + Zoology) | Section A | 70 | 70 | 280 |
| Section B | 30 | 20 | 80 | |
| Total | 200 | 180 | 720 |
Marking: +4 for correct, –1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted
NEET 2026 Detailed Syllabus
100% based on NCERT Class 11 & 12 syllabus.
Physics: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electrodynamics, Optics, Modern Physics, SHM & Waves
Chemistry:
Physical: Mole Concept, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Electrochemistry
Organic: GOC, Hydrocarbons, Biomolecules, Polymers, Chemistry in Everyday Life
Inorganic: p-Block, Coordination Compounds, Chemical Bonding
Biology:
Botany: Plant Physiology, Genetics, Ecology, Reproduction
Zoology: Human Physiology, Genetics & Evolution, Reproduction, Biotechnology, Ecology
Best Books for NEET 2026 Preparation
| Subject | NEET 2025 Books | Author/Publisher |
| Physics | Concepts of Physics | H.C. Verma |
| Physics | Objective Physics | DC Pandey (Arihant) |
| Chemistry | Physical Chemistry | Narendra Awasthi |
| Chemistry | Organic Chemistry | M.S. Chauhan |
| Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry | VK Jaiswal |
| Biology | Trueman’s Objective Biology | Trueman Publication |
| Biology | MTG Fingertips Biology | MTG |
| Practice | 33 Years NEET Chapter-wise Solved Papers | Disha / Arihant |
| Mock Tests | Aakash / Allen / Resonance Test Series | — |
How to Download NEET 2026 Admit Card
- Visit neet.nta.nic.in
- Click “Admit Card – NEET (UG) 2026”
- Enter Application Number, DOB & Security Pin
- Download and print on A4 sheet (colour preferred)
- Paste passport-size photo in the space provided
NEET 2026 Exam Day Instructions
- Report by 11:30 AM (gates close 1:30 PM)
- Carry: Admit card + passport photo + valid photo ID (Aadhaar preferred)
- Allowed: Black/blue ball-point pen (provided at centre), PwD certificate if applicable
- Prohibited: Mobile, calculator, watch, food, metallic items
- Dress code: Light clothes, half sleeves, no badges/jewellery
NEET 2026 Result & Tie-Breaking Rules
- Result: June, 2026 (Tentative)
- Score card shows: Marks, Percentile, All India Rank (AIR), Category Rank
- Tie-Breaker (in order):
- Higher marks in Biology
- Higher marks in Chemistry
- Higher marks in Physics
- Less negative responses
- Older candidate
NEET 2024 Cut-off (Expected 2026 Similar)
| Category | Qualifying Percentile | Score Range (2024) |
| General | 50th | 720–162 |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40th | 161–127 |
| General-PwD | 45th | 161–144 |
NEET 2026: State-Wise Rules
| State/UT | Domicile Applicable | Key Criteria |
| Andhra Pradesh | Yes | Local candidate if studied in AU/SVU/OU regions for 4 years in Classes 9–12; 85% seats for locals |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Yes | Permanent resident; 80% seats reserved for APST category |
| Assam | Yes | Family residence for >20 years; studied Classes 7–12 in state; permanent resident certificate |
| Bihar | Yes | Native of Bihar; completed Class 10 and 12 from Bihar schools |
| Delhi | Yes | Completed Class 12 from Delhi-NCR school (CBSE/ICSE/JMI affiliated) |
| Karnataka | Yes | Studied in Karnataka for 7 years (Classes 1–12) or parent employed in state govt |
| Kerala | Yes | Nativity certificate; resided in Kerala for 5 years |
| Maharashtra | Yes | Resided in Maharashtra for 10 years or parents domiciled |
| Mizoram | Yes | Permanent resident/domicile of Mizoram |
| Odisha | Yes | Permanent native or child of All India Civil Service officer in Odisha cadre |
| Puducherry | Yes | Resided continuously for 5 years or parents/guardian domiciled |
| Punjab | Yes | Bonafide resident of Punjab |
| Tamil Nadu | Yes | Nativity certificate; resided 10 years; non-residents eligible only for open quota |
| Telangana | Yes | Local areas (OU/AU/SVU); studied Classes 9–12 in state (under court review) |
| Uttar Pradesh | Yes | Native of UP; completed Classes 10 and 12 from UP schools |
| West Bengal | Yes | Domicile certificate; resided for 10 years |
Top Medical Colleges Accepting NEET 2026 Score (State-wise) with Cutoff & Approx. Fees (General Category)
| State | Top College | 2024 Cutoff Rank (State Quota) | Approx. Annual Fee (₹) |
| Andhra Pradesh | Alluri Sitarama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences | 5,000–10,000 | 60,000 |
| Bihar | Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences | 8,000–15,000 | 20,000 |
| Delhi | Maulana Azad Medical College | 100–500 | 4,000 |
| Karnataka | Bangalore Medical College | 2,000–5,000 | 50,000 |
| Kerala | Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram | 1,500–4,000 | 25,000 |
| Maharashtra | Grant Medical College, Mumbai | 1,000–3,000 | 1,00,000 |
| Tamil Nadu | Stanley Medical College, Chennai | 3,000–7,000 | 18,000 |
| Telangana | Osmania Medical College | 2,500–6,000 | 60,000 |
| Uttar Pradesh | King George's Medical University, Lucknow | 1,200–4,000 | 45,000 |
| West Bengal | Medical College, Kolkata | 4,000–9,000 | 50,000 |
NEET 2026: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- **Is NEET mandatory for MBBS abroad?**Yes, Indian students need to qualify NEET for MBBS/BDS in foreign medical colleges recognized by NMC.
- **Can appearing students apply?**Yes, Class 12 appearing students are eligible if they pass before counseling.
- **Is there upper age limit?**No, only minimum 17 years.
- **Number of attempts?**No limit.
- **PCB aggregate for General?**50% in Class 12 PCB.
- **Application fee for General?**₹1,700 (India centres)
- **Correction window?**Yes, 2-3 days in March 2026.
- **Negative marking?**Yes, -1 for wrong answer.
- **Exam medium?**13 languages including English/Hindi.
- **Total marks?**720.
- **Result date?**June 14, 2026.
- **Qualifying cutoff General?**50th percentile (expected 720-164 marks).
- **Counseling rounds?**4 rounds: AIQ, State, Deemed, Stray Vacancy.
- **Security deposit?**₹10,000 for General, ₹5,000 for reserved.
- **Document verification?**Mandatory at reporting.
- **What is 85% state quota?**Reserved for domicile candidates in government colleges.
- **Domicile certificate needed?**Yes, for state quota seats.
- **Open states for non-domicile?**States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu allow in private colleges.
- **Total MBBS seats?**1,09,000+ in 2026.
- **Lowest cutoff states?**Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh (around 400-500 marks).
- **NCERT enough?**Yes, 90% questions from NCERT Class 11-12.
- **Best time to prepare?**Start from Class 11; 1 year intensive for droppers.
- **Re-exam if grace marks?**NTA may conduct if issues like OMR errors.
- **NEET for BDS?**Yes, same exam for dental seats.
- **AYUSH courses via NEET?**Yes, BAMS/BHMS/BUMS.
- **What if miss counseling?**Spot rounds or next year attempt.
- **NEET Private college fees?**₹10-25 Lakh per year.
- **MBBS bond in states?**Yes, service bond in many states like UP, Bihar (1-2 years post-MBBS).
- **NRI quota cutoff?**Lower, around 200-300 marks.
- Can change state in counseling?
No, state quota fixed by domicile.
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