NEET Exam 2026: Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Application Form, Cutoff & Counselling

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is India’s single medical entrance examination for undergraduate medical courses. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), NEET determines admission to MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, and AYUSH courses across government and private medical colleges in India.

Every year, more than 20 lakh students appear for the NEET exam competing for around 1.29 lakh MBBS seats. Because of this intense competition, understanding the exam pattern, eligibility criteria, syllabus, and counselling process is extremely important for medical aspirants.

This detailed guide explains everything about NEET Exam 2026, including the application process, exam pattern, syllabus, marks vs rank analysis, cutoff trends, counselling procedure, and seat distribution.

What is NEET Exam?

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national-level entrance examination conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India.

The exam is mandatory for admission to:

• MBBS
• BDS
• BSc Nursing
• AYUSH courses (BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS)
• Veterinary programs
• Medical courses abroad (for Indian students)

NEET replaced several entrance exams previously conducted by different states and institutions, creating a single standardized medical admission system in India.

NEET 2026 Highlights

Particular	Details
Exam Name	National Eligibility cum Entrance Test
Conducting Authority	National Testing Agency
Exam Level	National
Mode	Offline (Pen & Paper)
Duration	3 Hours
Total Questions	180
Maximum Marks	720
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Biology

NEET 2026 Important Dates

Event	Expected Date
Application Form Release	February 8, 2026
Last Date to Apply	8 March 2026
Correction Window	10 Mar’ 2026 – 12 Mar’ 2026
Admit Card Release	April 2026
NEET Exam Date	May 3, 2026
Result Announcement	June 2026
Counselling Start	July 2026

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates must satisfy the eligibility conditions set by the National Testing Agency.

Age Limit

• Minimum age requirement: 17 years
• Candidates must complete the age of 17 years on or before 31 December of the admission year.
• Currently, there is no upper age limit for appearing in NEET.

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have completed Class 12 or equivalent examination with the following subjects:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology or Biotechnology
• English

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Category	Minimum Marks
General	50%
OBC / SC / ST	40%
PwD	45%

The percentage is calculated based on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology subjects combined.

NEET Exam Application Process

The NEET application form is available online on the official NTA website.

Steps to Apply

1. Online registration
2. Fill personal details
3. Upload required documents
4. Select exam city
5. Pay application fee
6. Submit application form

After submission, candidates should download the confirmation page for future reference.

For official notifications, candidates should regularly visit the NEET official website.

Documents Required for NEET Application

Candidates must upload the following documents during the application process:

• Passport size photograph
• Signature
• Left thumb impression
• Class 10 certificate
• Category certificate (if applicable)
• PwD certificate (if applicable)

All documents must be uploaded according to the format specified by the National Testing Agency.

NEET Application Correction Window

After the application process is completed, NTA provides a correction window that allows candidates to edit certain details in their application form.

Candidates may be able to modify:

• Personal details
• Exam centre preferences
• Uploaded documents
• Category information

However, certain details such as registered email ID and mobile number cannot be changed.

NEET Exam Pattern

Understanding the exam pattern is essential for effective preparation.

Feature	Details
Mode	Offline
Duration	3 Hours
Total Questions	180
Total Marks	720
Question Type	Multiple Choice

Marking Scheme

• Correct answer: +4 marks
• Incorrect answer: -1 mark

Subject Wise Question Distribution

Subject	Questions	Marks
Physics	45	180
Chemistry	45	180
Biology	90	360
Total	180	720

Biology carries the highest weightage in the NEET exam.

NEET 2026 Syllabus

The NEET syllabus is primarily based on NCERT Class 11 and Class 12 curriculum.

Physics Topics

Important topics include:

• Laws of motion
• Thermodynamics
• Current electricity
• Magnetism
• Optics
• Modern physics

Chemistry Topics

Key topics include:

• Chemical bonding
• Thermodynamics
• Equilibrium
• Organic reactions
• Biomolecules
• Coordination compounds

Biology Topics

Biology is divided into Botany and Zoology.

Important areas include:

• Cell structure
• Plant physiology
• Human physiology
• Genetics
• Ecology
• Biotechnology

NEET Admit Card

The NEET admit card is released online by the National Testing Agency.

Candidates must download the admit card using:

• Application number
• Date of birth

The admit card contains details such as:

• Exam centre address
• Exam date and timing
• Candidate details
• Exam instructions

NEET Dress Code

Candidates appearing for the NEET exam must follow a strict dress code.

Recommended Clothing

• Light coloured clothes
• Half sleeve shirts or t-shirts
• Slippers or sandals

Items Not Allowed

• Shoes
• Watches
• Jewellery
• Electronic devices
• Sunglasses

NEET Answer Key

After the exam, NTA releases the provisional answer key.

Candidates can:

• Check correct answers
• Estimate expected score
• Challenge incorrect answers

After reviewing objections, NTA releases the final answer key.

NEET Result 2026

The NEET result is published online in the form of a scorecard.

The scorecard includes:

• Total marks
• Percentile score
• All India Rank
• Category rank
• Qualification status

NEET Tie Breaking Criteria

If two candidates obtain the same marks, the ranking is determined based on the following order:

1. Higher marks in Biology
2. Higher marks in Chemistry
3. Higher marks in Physics
4. Fewer incorrect answers

NEET Cutoff

The cutoff represents the minimum marks required to qualify for counselling.

Category	Percentile
General	50th
OBC / SC / ST	40th
PwD	45th

NEET Seat Matrix

Approximate seats available in India:

Course	Seats
MBBS	1,29,000+
BDS	27,000+
AYUSH	50,000+

NEET Counselling Process

After results are announced, qualified candidates participate in counselling conducted by:

1. Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) – All India Quota
2. State counselling authorities – State quota seats

Counselling Steps

1. Registration
2. Choice filling
3. Choice locking
4. Seat allotment
5. Document verification
6. Reporting to college

There are usually three counselling rounds followed by a stray vacancy round.

All India Quota counselling is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee.

Documents Required for Counselling

Candidates must carry the following documents during counselling:

• NEET Exam admit card
• NEET scorecard
• Class 10 certificate
• Class 12 marksheet
• Identity proof
• Category certificate (if applicable)

Original documents are required during college reporting.