NEELGYAN EXAM GUIDE
NEET UG Exam Guide
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)
2026 examination cycle · NTA
Written and source-checked by NeelGyan Team · Last verified 2 August 2026
Checked against the official sources linked below
Current cycle
2026
Current stage
Result published; counselling
Conducting body
National Testing Agency
Mode
Offline OMR
Questions and marks
180 questions · 720 marks
Admission route
Rank → counselling → seat allotment
2026 cycle tracker
- Application8 Feb–8 Mar
- Original exam3 May · superseded
- Re-examination21 Jun
- Score card16 Jul
- CounsellingAuthority-specificYou are here
On This Page
Exam Resources
About NEET-UG
What is NEET-UG?
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate, or NEET UG, is the common entrance examination used for undergraduate medical and allied admission routes covered by the official bulletin, including MBBS, BDS and AYUSH undergraduate courses. NTA conducts the examination and publishes the result; counselling is handled separately by MCC, state authorities and other authorised bodies.
The 2026 cycle did not follow the bulletin's original 3 May exam route. NTA officially refunded the 3 May examination fee, held a re-examination on 21 June and later published the final answer key, result and score card. The superseding official notices, not the original calendar alone, describe the operative cycle.
A NEET score does not by itself guarantee a seat. Candidates must meet course, institution, category, domicile and counselling requirements and complete choices, allotment, document verification, fee and reporting steps with the authority that controls their seat pool.
Latest NEET UG Updates
Verified updates, newest first
NEET UG Highlights
Key verified exam details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate |
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency |
| 2026 operative exam | Re-examination on 21 June 2026 |
| Mode | Pen-and-paper OMR |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Maximum marks | 720 |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry and Biology |
| Current status | Final key, result and score card published |
NEET UG 2026 Important Dates
Official notification and exam timeline
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Application opened | Completed | |
| Application closed | Closed | |
| Correction window opened | Completed | |
| Original examination | Superseded | |
| Re-examination | Completed | |
| Score card | Published |
Date note: Later official notices refunded this examination fee and established a re-examination.
NEET UG Application Process and Fees
Official application route and fee details
The NEET UG 2026 application window is closed. A later-cycle candidate should complete the official NTA application personally, enter identity and academic data, choose permitted centres and language, upload compliant images and pay through the live portal.
Use an accessible mobile number and email address and retain the application number and confirmation page. A correction window is limited and cannot be assumed to cover every field.
After the result, register separately with the counselling authority that controls the intended seats. NTA does not fill MCC or state-counselling choices for a candidate.
| Candidate category | Fee in India |
|---|---|
| General | ₹1,700 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹1,600 |
| SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third gender | ₹1,000 |
| Candidates outside India | ₹9,500 |
- Processing charges and applicable taxes may be additional.
- The official 2026 notices addressed refund of the 3 May examination fee; candidates should use the notice for that exceptional process rather than infer a general refund rule.
NEET UG Eligibility Criteria
Qualification, age and other requirements
Minimum age
17 by 31 Dec 2026
- A candidate had to complete 17 years by 31 December 2026 for the 2026 cycle.
- The bulletin expresses this as a date of birth on or before 31 December 2009.
- The official 2026 bulletin did not impose an upper age limit.
Qualifying subjects
PCB/Biotechnology + English
- The qualifying route requires Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology and English under the recognised examination codes in the bulletin.
- The bulletin includes permitted additional-subject routes; candidates should match their exact study history to the correct qualification code.
- Course and counselling authorities may verify marks, board recognition and documents separately.
Appearing candidates
Provisionally eligible
- Candidates whose qualifying result was awaited could take the examination under the bulletin's provisional conditions.
- They must pass the qualifying examination and meet the required subjects and marks by the admission stage.
- A NEET rank cannot cure a missing qualifying-examination condition.
Counselling eligibility
Seat-pool specific
- All India, central, deemed, state and other seat pools can apply different domicile, category, service or institution conditions.
- Candidates must hold the original and category documents requested by the controlling authority.
- Always read the live counselling brochure before choice filling.
NEET UG Exam Pattern and Selection Process
Stages, papers and qualifying rules
- NEET UG180 OMR questions · 720 marks
- ResultOfficial score, percentile and rank
- CounsellingMCC, state or other authorised route
- AdmissionAllotment, documents, fee and reporting
NEET UG 2026 Exam Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Biology: Botany and Zoology | 90 | 360 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
- All 180 questions are compulsory and the duration is 180 minutes.
- A correct answer receives four marks, an incorrect answer loses one mark and an unanswered question receives zero.
- The examination is conducted offline on an OMR answer sheet.
NEET UG Syllabus Overview
Subjects and stages in the official syllabus
- Physics covers the officially notified units from basic measurement and mechanics through thermal physics, waves, electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics and experimental skills.
- Chemistry covers physical, inorganic and organic chemistry under the topic wording published for the current cycle.
- Biology combines Botany and Zoology topics across diversity, structure, physiology, reproduction, genetics, evolution, ecology, biotechnology and human welfare.
Physics
45 questions and 180 marks; concept, calculation and experimental-skill topics from the official syllabus.
Chemistry
45 questions and 180 marks across physical, inorganic and organic chemistry.
Biology
90 questions and 360 marks across Botany and Zoology, making it half of the total score.
NEET UG 2026 Result and Score Card
Result, final key and score card published after the re-examination
Current status: NTA published the NEET UG 2026 score card on 16 July 2026.
Use only the official NTA score-card route and verify the identifying information, total marks, percentile, rank and category information shown.
The score card is not an admission letter. Save a copy and follow the applicable MCC, state or other authorised counselling process.
NEET UG 2026 Counselling
Choose the authority that controls the intended seats
Current status: MCC and state or other authorities publish separate registration, choice, allotment and reporting schedules.
MCC handles the seat pools assigned to it, while state authorities and other bodies handle their respective seats. Registering on one portal does not automatically register a candidate everywhere.
Read the live scheme for security deposits, free-exit or forfeiture rules, upgradation choices and document requirements before submitting preferences.
NEET UG Preparation Strategy
A syllabus-first preparation route
- Start with the official syllabus and map every chapter to the current NCERT treatment before adding question practice.
- Give Biology proportional time because it contributes 360 of 720 marks, but protect Physics and Chemistry accuracy so one weak subject does not dominate the result.
- Practise full 180-question OMR papers in 180 minutes, including bubbling discipline and final-page checks.
- Maintain an error log for knowledge gaps, calculation errors, misread questions and risky guesses; the −1 rule makes avoidable errors expensive.
- Revise high-density diagrams, examples, tables, reactions and exceptions repeatedly rather than depending on a single late reading.
- Track counselling documents early, especially category, domicile and qualifying-examination records required by the intended seat pool.
NEET UG Books and Study Material
- Use the official bulletin, current syllabus and NTA official question resources as the source-of-truth set.
- Use current NCERT Class XI and XII Biology, Chemistry and Physics as the primary content base, then add one revisable question source per subject.
- Avoid resources that preserve deleted or outdated syllabus topics without clearly labelling them.
NEET UG Previous Question Papers
Official question-paper resources
Attempt official papers under the current 180-question, 180-minute pattern and use an OMR sheet so practice tests the exam process as well as subject knowledge.
Re-score carefully with +4/−1/0 and revise the cause of every error before attempting the next full paper.
NEET UG Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current status of NEET UG 2026?
NTA held the operative re-examination on 21 June and has published the final answer key, result and score card. Candidates should now follow the counselling authority that controls their intended seats.
Why was the NEET UG 2026 exam date changed?
The bulletin originally listed 3 May, but later official NTA notices refunded that examination fee and established the 21 June re-examination route. The later notices supersede the original calendar.
How many questions are in NEET UG?
The 2026 paper has 180 compulsory questions: 45 Physics, 45 Chemistry and 90 Biology, for 720 marks in 180 minutes.
Is there negative marking in NEET UG?
Yes. A correct answer receives four marks, a wrong answer loses one mark and a blank answer receives zero.
What is the minimum age for NEET UG 2026?
A candidate had to complete 17 years by 31 December 2026, corresponding to a date of birth on or before 31 December 2009. The bulletin did not set an upper age limit.
Does NTA conduct NEET counselling?
NTA conducts the examination and publishes the result. MCC, state authorities and other authorised bodies conduct counselling for the seat pools they control.
Does qualifying NEET guarantee an MBBS seat?
No. Admission depends on rank, course and institution eligibility, category or domicile rules, choices, seat availability and completion of counselling steps.
Can appearing Class XII students take NEET?
They may take the exam provisionally where the bulletin permits, but must pass the qualifying examination with the required subjects and other conditions by admission.
Official Information and Sources
Primary notice and authority links
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