Official Website:neet.nta.nic.in — Check this for all notifications, admit card downloads, and results.

NEET UG is conducted only once a year, in a single shift, across India in 552 cities and 14 international locations. Unlike JEE Main, there is no second session — your one attempt each year is all you get.

3.1 Nationality

• Indian nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and foreign nationals are all eligible to apply.

3.2 Age Limit

• Minimum age: 17 years as of December 31, 2026.
• Maximum age: No upper age limit. The Supreme Court struck down the upper age cap, and NTA has confirmed there is no maximum age limit for NEET UG 2026.

3.3 Educational Qualification

• Must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 (or equivalent) from a recognised board.
• Compulsory subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English.
• Minimum aggregate marks in PCB: 50% for General / EWS / OBC-NCL category candidates.
• Minimum aggregate marks in PCB: 40% for SC / ST / OBC-PH / General-PH category candidates.
• Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or are appearing in 2026, are eligible.

3.4 Number of Attempts

• There is NO limit on the number of NEET UG attempts. NTA removed the attempt cap entirely. You can appear as many times as needed, as long as you meet the age and educational qualifications.

3.5 Mandatory NEET for Studying Medicine Abroad

• Any Indian student wishing to study MBBS or equivalent abroad and practise medicine in India must qualify NEET UG — this is a legal requirement under the National Medical Commission Act.

• +4 marks for every correct answer.
• -1 mark (negative marking) for every incorrect answer.
• 0 marks for unattempted questions.
• If more than one option is marked, it counts as incorrect and attracts -1.

5.1 Biology (Botany + Zoology) — 360 Marks

Biology carries the highest weightage in NEET (360 out of 720 marks). It is also the most NCERT-aligned subject.

5.2 Chemistry — 180 Marks

5.3 Physics — 180 Marks

6.1 Total Seats Available Through NEET UG 2026

Reality Check:Over 25 lakh students are competing for roughly 1.29 lakh MBBS seats. For government MBBS alone (~58,000 seats), fewer than 3 in 100 NEET aspirants succeed. Understanding this motivates preparation — not fear.

6.2 States with Most MBBS Seats

6.3 Seat Quota System

Government MBBS seats are divided into two main quotas:

• 15% All India Quota (AIQ): Open to candidates from any state. Counselling conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) at mcc.nic.in.
• 85% State Quota: Reserved for domicile candidates of the respective state. Counselling conducted by each state`s own authority (e.g., DMER Maharashtra, KEA Karnataka, DGHS Delhi).
• AIIMS and JIPMER seats fall entirely under AIQ and are filled through MCC counselling.

Tip:Register for BOTH AIQ counselling (MCC) and your state quota counselling simultaneously. Missing either registration can cost you a seat even if you have a qualifying rank.

7.1 Two Types of Cutoffs

Qualifying Cutoff: The minimum score/percentile set by NTA to be eligible for counselling. Crossing this does not guarantee a seat — it just makes you eligible to participate.Admission Cutoff: The actual score at which a seat closes in a specific college, quota, and category during JoSAA/MCC/State counselling. This is what truly determines admission.

7.2 NEET UG Qualifying Cutoff — Category-wise

Important:Qualifying the NEET cutoff only makes you eligible for counselling. Securing a government MBBS seat requires a significantly higher score — typically 600+ for General category and 500+ for reserved categories.

7.3 Realistic Score Targets for Different Goals

Perspective:A 650+ score (out of 720) in NEET puts you comfortably in the running for a government MBBS seat in most states. Aim for 650+ as your floor, not your ceiling.

7.4 Previous Year Qualifying Cutoff History

The qualifying cutoff has remained broadly stable around 137–165 for the General category across years. Cutoff fluctuations are driven by the difficulty of the paper and the number of candidates — not arbitrary decisions.

8.1 MCC Counselling — 15% All India Quota

• Conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) at mcc.nic.in.
• Covers: 15% AIQ seats in all government medical colleges, AIIMS (all 15 campuses), JIPMER (both campuses), ESI and central university medical colleges.
• Open to candidates from any state across India.
• Typically conducted in 3–4 rounds including a mop-up round.

8.2 State Quota Counselling — 85% State Quota

• Conducted independently by each state`s counselling authority (e.g., DMER, DGHS, KEA, DME).
• Covers: 85% seats in state government medical colleges + state-specific private college seats.
• Generally restricted to candidates with domicile/residency in that state.
• Each state has its own timeline and registration process — track these separately.

8.3 AYUSH Counselling

• Conducted by AACCC (AYUSH Admissions Central Counselling Committee) for central and deemed institutes.
• State-level AYUSH counselling is conducted by respective state AYUSH departments.

8.4 Counselling Process — Steps

Pro Tip:Fill as many college preferences as possible during choice filling — including colleges you may not prefer. A seat allotted in round 1 can always be upgraded in later rounds if a better option opens up.

9.1 Start With Biology, Always

Biology is 50% of your paper. With 360 marks on offer, your NEET rank is largely decided by how well you perform in Biology. NCERT Biology (Class 11 and 12) is your primary and often sufficient resource — read it thoroughly, not superficially.

9.3 Chapter-Wise Weightage — What to Prioritise

9.4 Mock Tests Are Your Best Friend

Practise is more important than studying more topics. Solve full-length mock tests weekly once your syllabus is covered. Analyse every wrong answer — understand why you went wrong, not just what the right answer is. This step is where most serious aspirants separate themselves.

9.5 Previous Year Papers — The Gold Standard

Solve NEET PYQs from the last 10 years (2016–2025). A significant portion of questions in any NEET paper are conceptually similar or directly repeated from previous years. Time your practice under real exam conditions — 3 hours, offline.

9.6 Revision Strategy

Revise every topic at least 3 times. First revision within 24 hours of studying. Second revision at the end of the week. Third revision during the final month. Use short notes or mind maps for Biology taxonomy, chemical reactions, and Physics formulae.

9.7 Recommended Books for NEET UG

Important:Do not use too many books. Depth over breadth — two books per subject, thoroughly done, outperforms ten books skimmed.