NEET 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Pattern, Previous Year Papers, Best Books for Preparation

NEET 2026 exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) tentatively in the first week of May 2026. NEET 2026 is the biggest entrance exam for undergraduate medical courses. Know the details of the exam in terms of important dates, pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, result, cutoff, etc. here on this page.

NTA NEET 2026

The NEET 2026 exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), tentatively on the first Sunday of May 2026, or May 3, 2026. Based on the previous years' trends, it is expected that the exam conducting body will announce the exam date, along with the release of the information bulletin and application form, tentatively in the first week of February 2026. NTA may also announce the NEET 2026 date by the fourth week of December 2025.

NEET 2026 will be the gateway to admission to undergraduate medical, dental, nursing and other allied medical courses across India, such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Veterinary Sciences. It is a paper-pencil-based test (PBT), conducted for a duration of three hours, scheduled from 2 PM to 5 PM as per the Indian Standard Time (IST). 

Generally, students start their NEET preparation approximately two years in advance, i.e. from Class 11, right after the completion of their Class 10 Board exam. Along with the preparation, students must be aware of the other details about the exam. For them, this article of Shiksha brings all about NEET 2026, in terms of important dates, eligibility criteria, application process, exam pattern, syllabus, books and preparation strategy, among others.

Possible Changes in NEET 2026

Even though NEET 2025 was conducted in paper-pencil-based mode or offline mode, based on the NEET Expert Committee recommendations, there might be changes introduced in NEET 2026, such as conducting the exam in a computer-based test (CBT) mode, reviewing the NEET syllabus and pattern, among other changes. The Ministry of Education has asked NTA to review the recommendations and draw an action plan assessing the possibility of implementation in NEET 2026.

The Ministry of Education is conducting a detailed data analysis to explore the possibility of shifting NEET UG 2026 to an online mode. Officials have confirmed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is examining whether a computer-based test can be introduced in the coming years. The exam may also be conducted in multiple days and slots. In that scenario, concept of normalisation will also have to be implemented. 

Also Read: Education Ministry reviews plan to hold NEET-UG in computer-based mode

Another important update that has been doing the rounds in the national media is that students will no longer be able to choose or submit their exam city preferences while filling the NEET application form. NTA will directly allot them exam centres based on their address mentioned on their Aadhaar Cards. According to NTA, this will improve transparency and help curb malpractices like impersonation of test-takers and cheating. The news has caused anxiety among students or NEET 2026 aspirants, whose permanent address printed on the Aadhaar Card, and present address are different. NTA is likely to implement this change in all three major undergraduate entrance exams of India, NEET UG, JEE Main and CUET UG. 

However, there has not been any official information yet. It is expected that the new changes will be revealed along with the NEET 2026 notification. At the same time, there is also a possibility of maintaining the existing format and pattern for NEET UG 2026 exam.

NEET 2026 Exam Overview

The following table brings the NEET 2026 overview or the highlights of the exam.

NEET 2026 Exam Dates

NEET 2026 dates or the complete schedule will be announced by NTA tentatively in the first week of February 2026. NTA may announce the NEET 2026 exam date earlier, or along with releasing the NEET 2026 application form and information bulletin. The following table brings the tentative schedule for NEET 2026.

NEET Exam Date Trends

The following table brings the year-wise NEET exam date along with the notification or application form release. 

NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The NEET 2026 eligibility criteria are likely to remain the same as last year. Take a look at the tentative NEET eligibility criteria 2026 below.

• Candidates should have passed or are slated to appear for the Class 12 Board exam or equivalent with Chemistry, Physics, Biology/Biotechnology and English subjects
• Candidates belonging to the General category should have secured a minimum of 50 per cent aggregate, and reserved category candidates should secure 45 per cent (General-PWD) and 40 per cent (SC, ST, OBC, Reserved PWD)
• Candidates must have attained the age of 17 years at the time of admission or will attain the same by December 31, 2026. Accordingly, the minimum date of birth of candidates should be December 31, 2009. There is no upper age limit.
• Indian Nationals/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) who wish to pursue MBBS/BDS from a foreign university also have to qualify for NTA NEET 2026.

Also Read: NEET Eligibility Criteria

NEET 2026 Application Form Process

The NEET application forms 2026 will be released online on the official website of the exam tentatively in the first week of February 2026. Applicants will have to fill and submit the NEET application form, including the payment of the application fee, in online mode.

The step-by-step NEET application form procedure is given below.

• Visit the official website of NEET 2026 - neet.nta.nic.in (official website URL may change)
• Click on the NEET 2026 Registration tab under the Latest News or Candidate Activity section
• Read the instructions carefully and click on the agreement checkbox
• Enter the mandatory details, such as personal and contact details, and generate a password
• Verify the details by entering the OTP received on your mobile number and email address
• The registration credentials, such as application number and password, will be sent to candidates via email
• Log in with the NEET 2026 registration credentials to complete the application form
• Fill in the mandatory details in each section, such as personal, educational, medium of question paper, exam city preference, documents upload (photograph, signature, finger and thumb impressions, category certificate, etc.) and other information
• Pay the application fee in online mode with Credit/Debit Card, Net Banking and UPI.

The NEET 2026 application fee is likely to remain the same as last year. The table below brings the category-wise application fee for NEET 2026.

NEET 2026 Admit Card

The NEET admit card or hall ticket is a mandatory document to be carried to the NEET exam centre. NTA will release the NEET 2026 admit card in online mode only for the registered candidates, tentatively in the first week of May 2026, a couple of days before the exam date. Prior to that, NTA will release the NEET 2026 city intimation slip or city allotment slip, which is a document mentioning the city where the candidates’ exam centre will be located. Test takers will have to download the NEET admit card 2026 or hall ticket by logging into the exam website and following the steps given below.

• Visit the NTA NEET 2026 website – neet.nta.nic.in
• Click on the link indicating NEET 2026 Admit Card download
• Enter the NEET 2026 Application Number and Password or Date of Birth (if option is available)
• Enter the Security Pin
• Download the NEET UG 2026 Admit Card
• Take multiple printouts
• Paste photographs and left-hand thumb impression on the applicable fields, but do not sign before entering the exam hall.

Candidates have to take multiple printouts and save the softcopy and preserve the NEET Admit Card 2026 till the admission process is completed. NTA 

NEET Exam Pattern 2026

The NEET 2026 exam pattern states that it is a paper-pencil-based test (PBT) of 180 minutes or 3 hours’ duration. There are total 180 objective type multiple choice questions (MCQs) from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The Biology subject is further bifurcated into two subjects, Botany and Zoology. There are four answer options, and students have to shade the correct answer option with blue/black ball pen evenly on the circle in the OMR sheet. 

Each question carries four marks and there is negative marking of one mark for each wrong answer. The following table brings the detailed NEET exam pattern and structure.

Last year, the NEET exam pattern and structure underwent major changes, wherein the 20 optional questions across sections were removed and the overall duration was reduced from 200 minutes to 180 minutes. The NEET 2025 exam pattern will likely follow the same structure.

NEET 2026 Syllabus

The NEET syllabus was changed for NEET 2024, with the removal and addition of topics from each subject. In the year 2025, the NEET syllabus remained unchanged. Hence, it is expected that the NEET 2026 syllabus will be the same as last year. As per last year’s NEET syllabus, we provide the tentative NEET 2026 syllabus in the table below for each subject.

The subject-wise NEET syllabus is given below.

NEET 2026 Preparation

NEET preparation must be started by candidates at least two years in advance, since the NEET syllabus involves chapters and topics of both Class 11 and Class 12. However, a student who has gained overall subject and conceptual knowledge of Physics, Chemistry and Biology can start their full-fledged NEET preparation a year before the exam, which is right after starting their Class 12. Here we bring some tips to prepare for the NEET 2026 exam.

• Know the NEET exam pattern and structure thoroughly – The first and foremost method of NEET preparation is to be abreast with the exam pattern and structure. While the NEET exam pattern is given above, students are also advised to go through previous years’ NEET question papers to get a thorough idea of the exam structure.
• Be thorough with the NEET syllabus – It is expected that the NEET 2026 syllabus will be the same as last year. Hence, they must go through the syllabus of NEET and check and prepare for the additional areas which they have not studied at their Class 11 and Class 12.
• Analyse strengths and weaknesses – It is very important to assess one’s strengths and weaknesses to prepare properly. Based on the analysis, one should plan the preparation strategy to improve the weak areas and revise the strong areas to not lose guard on the same.
• Practice – Along with preparation, it is important to practice from various sources such as NEET mock tests (full length and sectional), solving previous years’ NEET question papers, test series, etc.
• Make a timetable - To maintain a disciplined approach, it is important to create a timetable and stick to it. The timetable should include your daily routine and a slated time period, including going to school/college, personal and other daily activities, subject-wise study or revision timing, and time to solve previous year NEET question papers, mock tests, etc.

Best Books for NEET 2026

Based on the expert and topper suggestions, the following books are suggested as NEET best books and study materials for NEET:

Best Books for NEET Physics

Some of the best books and study materials for NEET Physics are given below. 

• NCERT Textbook for Class 11 Physics
• NCERT Textbook for Class 12 Physics
• Objective Physics by DC Pandey
• Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick and Walker
• Concepts of Physics by H C Verma
• Fundamental Physics by Pradeep
• Problems in General Physics by IE Irodov

Also Read: NEET Best Books for Physics

Best Books for NEET Chemistry

Take a look at some of the popular books and study materials for NEET Chemistry subject.

• NCERT Chemistry textbooks for Class 11
• NCERT Chemistry textbooks for Class 12
• Dinesh Chemistry Guide
• Organic Chemistry by Morrison and Boyd for Organic Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry Objective by Arihant
• Modern’s ABC of Chemistry for Class 11 and Class 12
• Physical Chemistry by OP Tandon
• Physical Chemistry by P Bahadur
• Concise Inorganic Chemistry by JD Lee
• Practice Books by VK Jaiswal (Inorganic), MS Chauhan (Organic) and N Awasthi (Physical)

Also Read: NEET Best Books for Chemistry

Best Books for NEET Biology

Here is the list of the most studied books for the Biology section of NEET. 

• NCERT Biology Class 11 Textbook
• NCERT Biology Class 12 Textbook
• Trueman's Biology Vol 1 and 2
• Objective Biology by Dinesh
• Objective Biology by Ansari
• Pradeep Publication's Biology
• Biology by GR Bathla Publications
• SC Verma Biology

Also Read: NEET Best Books for Biology

NEET 2026 Centres

The total number of NEET 2026 exam centres is likely to be over 5,000, which will be located in over 550 cities across India and abroad. Last year, the total number of NEET exam cities in India was 552, and outside India was 14. The total number of exam cities in India was reduced, whereas the number of international cities remained the same. It is expected that the number of NEET 2026 exam cities will be higher than last year. The actual number of NEET exam centres will be announced after the exam is conducted.

Candidates have to select three exam city choices in order of preference. NTA will allot the NEET 2026 exam centre based on candidates’ preferences and availability. The name and address of the NEET 2026 exam centre will be provided on the NEET 2026 admit card. Candidates are advised to visit the exam centre a day or two before the exam to avoid last-minute stress or hassle to reach the NEET centre on time.

NEET 2026 Question Paper

The NEET question paper will be available in 13 languages. Candidates have to select their preferred NEET question paper language while filling up the application form and must ensure that they receive the question paper of the language they opted for. Test-takers are allowed to carry the NEET question paper outside the exam centre after the exam.

There will be a total of four sets, which will be named numerically. Last year, the NEET question paper sets were 45, 46, 47 and 48. Till NEET 2024, there used to be 24 question paper sets in total, wherein for each set, there were six subsets. The names of the NEET question paper sets were also alphanumeric. However, this trend changed last year when only four sets of question papers were distributed. This pattern of NEET question paper sets is likely to be followed next year as well. 

While the questions in each NEET question paper are the same, the arrangement or the positioning of the subjects or questions will vary. NEET 2026 aspirants can check the previous years’ NEET question papers, answer keys and solutions below.

NEET Question Paper for Previous Years

The best way to prepare for the NEET exam is to solve previous years' NEET question papers. Even though the NEET exam pattern has changed a couple of times over the past few years, students can get an overview of the question types, topics covered, and get an estimate of the overall duration taken to solve the NEET question paper. Based on that, they are advised to make further changes in the preparation and test-taking strategy and time management.

Till 2024, NEET question papers had four sets divided into six subsets. Last year, the NEET 2025 question paper had four sets, and no subsets were there. The following table brings NEET question papers 2025 along with answer keys. 

Also Read:

• NEET Previous Years’ Question Papers
• NEET 2025 Question Paper with Answer Key Solutions; PDF Available
• NEET 2024 Question Papers with Answer Key Solutions PDF Download
• NEET Question Paper PDF in Hindi

NEET 2026 Answer Key

The NEET 2026 provisional answer key will be released by NTA tentatively in the fourth week of May 2026. Candidates will be given a window of two to three days to submit objections. The NTA expert panel will review the objections and deduce the final answer keys. The fee to submit objections against each NEET answer key or OMR response sheet is INR 200. Candidates must note that this fee is non-refundable. The NEET 2026 result will be computed based on the NEET 2026 final answer keys.

After the conclusion of the exam, experts from top coaching institutes will release the NEET 2026 answer keys for each question paper set or code. These are unofficial NEET answer keys and should be used by candidates to calculate their estimated scores. In case of any error in the question or answer options, NTA has stated the following resolution:

• If more than one option is found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
• If all options are found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
• If none of the options is found correct or a Question is found to be wrong or a Question is dropped then all candidates who have appeared will be given four marks (+4) irrespective of the fact whether the question has been attempted or not attempted by the candidate.

NEET 2026 Result

The NEET 2026 result will be declared by NTA tentatively in the second week of June 2026. NTA will release the NEET result 2026 in the form of a merit list and scorecard.  Candidates will have to download their scorecards in PDF format by logging in to the NTA NEET 2026 website. Along with the NEET result, NTA will also release the data and statistics of the exam in terms of the total number of applicants, exam takers and qualifying candidates. The process to check the NEET 2026 result or scorecard download is given below:

• Visit the official website of NEET 2026 
• Click on the link indicating NEET 2026 Result or Scorecard Download
• Enter the NEET 2026 Application Number and Password along with the Captcha or the Security Code
• Download the NEET 2026 Scorecard in PDF file.

Test-takers should preserve the NEET scorecard till the admission process is over.

NEET 2026 Cutoff

The NEET 2026 cutoff will be released by NTA along with the result. The NEET cutoff percentile remains the same, but the NEET score will vary based on factors such as difficulty level of the exam, the number of test-takers, etc. For reference, we bring last year’s NEET cutoff.

Also Read: NEET Passing/Qualifying Marks: Know Minimum Marks to Qualify for Counselling

NEET 2026 Counselling

The NEET 2026 counselling or the admission process will begin approximately a month after the declaration of the result. There will be two types of NEET counselling process, one for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats and another for the 85 per cent State Quota seats. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts the admission or seat allotment process for the AIQ seats, and the state counselling or medical councils conduct the NEET counselling for the State Quota seats.

Read More:

• NEET Chapter-wise Weightage
• Total Marks in NEET
• Government MBBS Seats Available Through NEET