NEET 2025: Pattern (Changed), Exam Date (Soon), Syllabus (OUT), Registration, Question Paper, Cutoff

National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2025 ( NEET )

Sreetama Datta Roy
Updated on Jan 26, 2025 13:01 IST

By Sreetama Datta Roy, Manager Content

NEET 2025 exam pattern has been changed, or revised to the pre-COVID era pattern. The optional questions have been removed, making the total number of questions 180 instead of 200. The total duration of the exam has also been reduced from 200 to 180 minutes. Instead of 3 hours and 20 minutes, the NEET 2025 exam will be conducted for three hours. It is expected that the marking scheme will remain the same as last year. 

NEET 2025 will be conducted in a paper-pencil-based test (PBT) mode, in a single day and shift, NTA has confirmed through a notification. Hence, the recommendation made by the NTA expert committee about conducting the test in a computer-based mode or hybrid mode, and in multiple phases, has been quashed. 

NTA has provided the list of courses through NEET 2025, including MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, BAMS, BUMS and BVSc & AH among others. While the original notification mentioned MBBS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS and BSc Nursing, the addendum notification clarified that the BDS and BVSc & AH courses will also consider NEET 2025 scores for admission. 

This year, the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID will be implemented for the registration and examination process of the exam. Candidates are also advised to align their Aadhaar details with their Class 10 mark sheets and pass certificates to ensure transparency and efficiency. Emphasising on this, NTA has stated, "Candidates are advised to update their credentials in Aadhar, preferably as per their 10th Marksheet/Passing Certificate. Also ensure your Aadhar is linked with a valid mobile number for OTP-based authentication."  However, NTA has clarified that APAAR ID is not mandatory.

NEET 2025 official website has been launched by the National Testing Agency (NTA). NTA will likely release the NEET exam date by January 2025. However, based on past years' trends, NTA may announce the NEET 2025 exam date along with the release of the application form approximately two months ahead of the exam date, tentatively in March 2025. The recent NTA notification stated that the NEET 2025 registration process will begin in due course.

Also Read:

Based on the trends of previous years, it is likely that the NEET UG 2025 exam will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The NEET 2025 application forms will be tentatively released in the first week of March 2025 or by February. The complete exam schedule will be announced by NTA along with the NEET 2025 notification, to be released on the official exam website, with the commencement of the application process.

Latest News & Updates

January 25, 2025: NEET 2025 Exam Pattern Changed; Optional Questions Removed; Duration Reduced

January 24, 2025: NEET 2025: APAAR ID Not Mandatory for Registration, NTA Clarifies

January 18, 2025: NEET 2025 Scores Also Applicable for BDS and BVSc & AH Courses; Clarifies NTA

January 16, 2025: NEET 2025 to be Conducted in Paper Pencil Based Mode in Single Day and Shift

January 15, 2025: NEET UG 2025: NTA Introduces APAAR ID for Registration and Examination Process

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What is NEET Exam?

The full form of NEET is National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). It is the sole entrance test for admission to undergraduate medical and paramedical courses offered in India. The exam is conducted once a year in offline or paper-pencil-based test (PBT) mode for three hours and 20 minutes or 200 minutes. As far as the NEET exam pattern is concerned, there are 200 questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology, out of which 180 questions have to be attempted.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the medical entrance exam for admission to MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, BAMS, Veterinary, and other medical/paramedical courses in India. The exam is conducted in 13 languages. Over 20 lakh candidates appear for the NEET exam. MBBS is the most preferred medical course followed by BDS and BSc Nursing. Last year, the number of NEET aspirants surpassed the previous years' records. 

 

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NEET UG 2025 Highlights

The following table enlists the key features and highlights of NEET UG 2025.

Particulars Details
Exam Name

National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET)

Conducting Body

National Testing Agency (NTA)

Exam Level

Undergraduate (UG) Exam at National Level

Exam Frequency

Once a year

Total Registrations

24,06,079 (NEET 2024 Data)

Exam Mode Offline or Paper Pencil Based Test (PBT)
Courses Offered Through NEET UG MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, BAMS, BUMS, BVSC & AH
Exam Fees

INR 1,700 (General), 1,600 (OBC), 1,000 (Reserved category candidates), 9,500 (Foreign nationals)

Exam Duration and Timing

3 hours 

2 PM to 5 PM (IST)

Number of Subjects and Total Marks Physics (180 marks), Chemistry (180 marks), Biology (360 marks): Total Marks - 720
Total Questions

180 

Marking Scheme

+4 for each correct answer

-1 for each incorrect answer

Number of Exam Cities

557 (India)

14 (Abroad)

Language/Medium of Paper 13 Languages - English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Assamese, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi and Telugu
Accepting Colleges 1,613 colleges
Total Number of Seats MBBS - 1,17,950 BDS - 27,868 BAMS - 52,720 BVSc & AH - 603
NEET Helpline Numbers

011-69227700, 011-40759000

Email: neetug2025@nta.ac,in

NEET Official Website www.neet.nta.nic.in
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NEET Exam Pattern 2025

NEET exam pattern has undergone major changes. The latest NEET pattern and structure states that it is a paper-pencil-based test (PBT) or offline test of three hours duration. The exam will consist of 180 questions, 45 each from Physics and Chemistry and 90 questions in Biology. All 180 questions will be compulsory to attempt. The questions are objective-type and carry multiple-choice or four-answer options. The correct answer option has to be marked by shading the corresponding circle on the OMR sheet with a blue/black ballpoint pen provided at the test centre.

The following table brings the detailed structure of the exam.

Subject

Number of Questions

Marks

Physics

45

180

Chemistry

45

180

Botany

45

180

Zoology

45

180

Total

180

720

Earlier, speculations were made that the optional questions may be removed, which has now been officially confirmed.

Also Read: NEET Total Marks

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NEET 2025 Syllabus PDF

The NEET 2025 syllabus has remained the same as last year. Announcing the finalised NEET 2025 syllabus, NMC has stated, “It is notified to all the stakeholders, especially to the aspiring candidates that the Under Graduate Medical Education Board, an autonomous body under the National Medical Commission has finalized the NEET (UG) 2025 Syllabus.” Last year, a number of chapters and topics were removed from all three subjects, whereas a few topics were added as well. The changes in the NEET UG syllabus were introduced to maintain parity with the other State Board exam syllabus for Class 11 and Class 12. Moreover, the  NEET syllabus for Chemistry was segregated into three parts, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry

Download the NEET 2024 syllabus by NTA

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NEET Mock Test Series

The NEET mock test 2025 is an important part of the exam preparation. After completing the basic and section-wise preparation, students should start taking the NEET 2025 mock test. NEET mock tests are available at various sources, as well as at the NTA NEET website for candidates to prepare for. The NEET mock tests are categorised into sectional and full-length. At the beginning of the preparation, students should take a diagnostic mock test of NEET 2025 to assess their preparation level, as well as the strong and weak areas. After that, along with subject-wise preparation, or as and when a subject or chapter is completed, they should appear for a sectional or subject-wise NEET 2024 mock test. Once the preparation is complete, the full-length NTA NEET mock test 2025 should be taken at regular intervals and must be analysed by experts or mentors for complete feedback. Shiksha.com experts have curated free mock tests for NEET 2025.

Download the NEET mock test PDF free download 2025 prepared by Shiksha.com experts below.

NEET 2025 Mock Test PDF
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 1
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 2
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 3
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 4
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 5
Download NEET 2025 Mock Test - 6

Also Read: NEET Prep Questions and Solutions

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NEET 2025 Application Form Process and Eligibility Criteria

DeskCalendarRegistration: 1 Mar '25 - 31 Mar '25

The NEET 2025 application forms are expected to be released by NTA in the first week of March 2025, approximately two months before the exam date. The total duration of the application process will be around one month. Based on student requests or other external factors, NTA may reopen or extend the NEET 2025 application window.

Registered candidates will be given an opportunity to make corrections in the NEET application form 2025 in the selected fields during the given duration. In case of a change in category, or selection of an international exam city, they had to pay the additional fee. However, if candidates had paid an extra fee, that was not refunded by NTA. The fields of change will vary for Aadhaar-verified and non-verified candidates. 

NEET 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Last year, the NEET eligibility criteria changed in terms of subjects and schooling type. Candidates who studied Biology/Biotechnology as additional subjects along with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English, were also eligible to appear for the exam. Earlier, candidates who passed Class 12 or equivalent from Open Schools or as private candidates were not allowed to appear for NEET, but last year, this factor was removed by NMC. Candidates who have passed their Class 12 Board exam from Open Schools will now be eligible for NEET 2024. The Supreme Court of India has ruled that students from open schools recognised by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and State Boards are now eligible to take NEET. 

Let us take a look at the NEET eligibility criteria for 2025. 

Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India. Non-resident Indians (NRI), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), Persons of India Origin (PIO) and foreign nationals are also eligible to appear for NEET if they wish to pursue MBBS or any other medical courses accepting NEET scores from an institute in India.

Age Limit: Candidates must have attained the age of 17 years at the time of admission or will attain the same by December 31, 2025, or the last date of the year. Accordingly, the minimum date of birth of candidates should be December 31, 2008. There is no upper age limit for NEET.

Educational and Qualifying Marks Criteria: Candidates must have passed PhysicsChemistryBiology/Biotechnology and English subjects individually in the qualifying examination. The qualifying aggregate for General, General-PWD and Reserved category candidates is 50 per cent, 45 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.

Since the NEET eligibility criteria are dynamic, there may be changes introduced in the eligibility criteria for NEET 2025, especially in terms of NEET age restriction and limit in the number of attempts. According to some experts, having an age restriction and limit in the number of attempts will lead to moderation of competition and filtering of genuine candidates.

Also Read: NEET 2024 Eligibility Criteria: Upper Age Limit, Number of Attempts, Qualification

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How to Prepare for NEET?

NEET preparation should be started well in advance since it is a highly competitive exam. They should dedicate at least one year to preparing for the exam. Candidates preparing for NEET should first be familiar with the exam pattern and syllabus. After that, they need to shortlist the best books to refer to for NEET preparation. To complete the topics in the syllabus, one must refer to NCERT books.

Candidates must prepare a timetable for NEET preparation. This should be followed to complete the preparation on time. Another important aspect of preparation is solving mock tests and sample papers. Since the weightage of all sections is equal in the exam, aspirants should focus equally on all sections or subjects to secure a balanced score. After taking regular mock tests, students would develop an understanding of their strong and weak areas and should channelise their subject or topic-wise preparation accordingly. Students should invest at least two years in NEET preparation. In general, students start NEET preparation after the Class 10 Board exam. As the NEET syllabus is similar to that of Class 11 and Class 12, it is convenient for candidates to prepare simultaneously. 

 

 Also Read:

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NEET 2025 Admit Card

DeskCalendarAdmit Card: 1 May '25

NEET 2025 admit is expected to be released online on the official website of NTA NEET 2025 exam, three to four days before the exam, or in the first week of May 2025. Only registered candidates will be issued the NEET admit card or hall ticket, which will carry crucial information such as exam date and time, centre address, guidelines, etc., along with candidate details including photograph and signature. Candidates failing to carry the NEET admit card or hall ticket will not be allowed to appear for the exam. In case of wrong information printed on the admit card of NEET 2025, they have to contact NTA to get those rectified. 

NEET 2024 Exam Centres

The total number of NEET 2025 exam centres is expected to be over 5,000. Last year, the number of NEET centres across India and abroad was 4,750, which were located in 557 cities across India and 14 international cities. The NEET 2025 exam centres list or the city list will be released by NTA along with the information brochure. Applicants will be given a chance to select two exam cities as per their preference, based on which NTA allotted the NEET 2025 centre

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NEET Question Paper PDFs 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

NEET 2025 question paper will be provided to candidates on the day of the exam at the exam centre. In case the NEET 2025 exam is conducted in computer-based, or online mode, then the question paper will be displayed onscreen, and test-takers will not be able to carry the NEET question paper 2025 out of the exam centre.

Candidates preparing for NEET 2025 must solve NEET previous year question papers to be well-versed in the exam pattern and structure. Solving previous years’ NEET question papers will give much-needed exposure to candidates in terms of the difficulty level, chapter-wise weightage of question papers, and question types, to name a few. There are four sets of the NEET question papers which are further divided into six subsets. The medium or language of NEET question papers is 13, including English and Hindi. NTA has released previous years' NEET question paper PDFs except for the NEET 2022 question paper. 

Get the NEET 2024 question paper PDFs and NEET previous year's question paper PDFs with solutions by clicking on the tab below. 

Download NEET Papers PDF

Also Read:

NEET 2024 Analysis

According to the experts and students, the NEET 2024 exam difficulty level was moderate to tough. The Physics section was the toughest and the Biology section was the easiest. The Chemistry section was of moderate difficulty level. The Physics section had questions mostly from the numerical portion. In the Chemistry section, Inorganic Chemistry portion was the easiest. Some of the common topics were Human Health and Diseases, Human Reproduction, Plant Physiology, Chemical Bonds and Semi Conductor. Some of the questions were very lengthy which caused several candidates to leave out some questions. 

Also Read: NEET Re-exam 2024 Answer Key and Question Paper Analysis

Watch out for the NEET 2024 analysis along with answer keys and solutions for each subject, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, by Shiksha experts.

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Also Read: NEET 2024 Paper Analysis: Check Difficulty Level, Student Reactions and Reviews

The NEET 2025 analysis will be provided here based on the student reactions and expert opinions. Aspirants can go through last year’s analysis or review to get an idea of the exam structure, pattern and difficulty level.

Read more
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NEET 2025 Result

DeskCalendarResult: 15 Jun '25

The NEET 2025 result will be declared tentatively in the first week of June 2025, in online mode. NTA will release the NEET 2025 result through scorecards and merit lists. The steps to download the NEET 2025 scorecard are given below:

  • Visit the official website of NEET
  • Click on the link 'Click Here for Revised Scorecard'
  • Enter NEET 2025 Application Number, Date of Birth and Email Address or Mobile Number and Security Pin
  • Click on Submit
  • The NEET result 2025carries the following information:
  • Candidate Name
  • Subject-wise marks or scores
  • Subject-wise percentile
  • Total score obtained out of 720
  • Total percentile
  • All India Rank (AIR)

NEET Tie-Breaking Policy

The NEET 2024 tie-breaking criteria were changed as compared to last year, but it was reversed to the previous year's policy soon after. Take a look at the revised criteria below:

  1. Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
  2. Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Chemistry in the Test, followed by,
  3. Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in Physics in the Test, followed by,
  4. Candidate with less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the Test,
  5. Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by
  6. Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Chemistry in the Test, followed by
  7. Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in Physics in the Test.
  8. Application Number in ascending order.  

Also Read: NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Criteria

NEET 2024 Toppers

As many as 17 NEET 2024 candidates have secured AIR 1. The following table brings the list of toppers along with their ranks, percentiles and states.

NEET 2024 Topper Name

Gender

Category

State

Mridul Manya Anand

Male

OBC-NCL

Delhi

Ayush Naugraiya

Male

Gen-EWS

Uttar Pradesh

Mazin Mansoor

Male

OBC-NCL

Bihar

Prachita

Female

General

Rajasthan

Saurav

Male

General

Rajasthan

Divyansh

Male

General

Delhi

Gunmay Garg

Male

General

Punjab

Arghyadeep Dutta

Male

OBC-NCL

West Bengal

Shubhan Sengupta

Male

General

Maharashtra

Aryan Yadav

Male

OBC-NCL

Uttar Pradesh

Palansha Agarwal

Female

General

Maharashtra

Rajaneesh P

Male

SC

Tamil Nadu

Shreenand Sharmil

Male

General

Kerala

Mane Neha Kuldeep

Female

OBC-NCL

Maharashtra

Taijas Singh

Male

General

Chandigarh

Devesh Joshi

Male

Gen-EWS

Rajasthan

Iram Quazi

Female

General

Rajasthan

As per the NEET 2024 revised merit list, the maximum toppers are from Rajasthan (four), followed by Maharashtra (three) and Delhi (two). There is one topper each from Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Chandigarh.

Also Read: NEET 2024 Toppers List (Out): Check AIR, Name, Rank, Score and Percentile

NEET Answer Key

NEET answer keys refer to the correct answer options for each question. Experts from top coaching institutes released the NEET 2024 answer key for each question paper set and code soon after the conduct of the exam. Based on that, test takers can calculate the estimated scores and predict the admission chances.

NTA first releases the provisional answer keys, after which candidates can submit challenges or objections against one or more questions’ answer options, which will be reviewed by the NTA expert committee and the final NEET answer keys will be released after that.

Also Read: NEET 2024 Answer Keys Codes Q, R, S, T

Read more
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NEET 2025 Cutoff

NEET cutoff is released by NTA along with the result. NEET 2025 cutoff refers to the minimum score one has to obtain out of 720 in order to qualify for the exam. The NEET cutoff marks vary for each candidate category. The following table brings the NEET cutoff marks and percentiles.

The following table brings the NEET cutoff marks and percentiles.

Category

NEET 2024 Cutoff percentile

NEET 2024 Cutoff score

UR/EWS

50th

720-162

SC, ST, OBC

40th

161-127

UR/EWS-PwD

45th

161-144

PwD (SC, OBC)

40th

143-127

PwD (ST)

40th

142-127

Last year, the NEET cutoff was revised owing to the declaration of re-revised scorecards, which led to a reduction of two marks for each category.

Also Read:

Read more
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NEET 2025 Counselling

DeskCalendarCounselling: 31 Jul '25 - 30 Nov '25

The NEET 2025 counselling process will be conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee tentatively within one month of the declaration of result. Candidates who will qualify for the exam by securing the NEET cutoff marks will be able to participate in the NEET 2024 counselling process. NEET counselling process is conducted in two categories, for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats and 85 per cent State Quota (SQ) seats. MCC will conduct the counselling for the AIQ seats and the state counselling authorities or the Directorates of Medical Education for different states are conducting the NEET state counselling. 

The different steps of NEET counselling are as follows:

  • Registration
  • Choice filling and locking
  • Seat allotment result
  • Institute reporting

Courses Offered Through NEET UG

NEET UG is the gateway to admission to multiple medical and paramedical courses:

In India, there are a total of 706 Medical, 323 Dental, 914 AYUSH, and 47 BVSc & AH colleges that will accept NEET scores. There are a total of 23 AIIMS and two JIPMER campuses that also accept this exam score for admission. Admission to the BSc Nursing course is also conducted through NEET scores since 2021. 

NEET Participating Institutes

The list of prominent medical colleges in India that accept NEET scores is as follows:

To view the complete list of participating institutes, Click Here.

Read more
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FAQs Regarding NTA NEET UG 2025

Take a look at the top NEET 2025 FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions.

Download Important Dates for Medicine & Health Sciences Exams

2275 Institutes accepting NEET

Banaras Hindu University

Varanasi Public

Banaras Hi
    • 2.32 Lakh
    • 66 months
    • |
    • Full Time
    • 6,075
    • 66 months
    • |
    • Full Time
    • 13,500
    • 66 months
    • |
    • Full Time
      • 4,800
      • 3 years
      • |
      • Full Time

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