NEET 2026 Application Form, Exam Pattern, Syllabus

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the NEET 2026 exam for admission into MBBS, BDS and other medical courses across India. The NEET UG 2025 exam date will fall on the first Sunday of May 2026, i.e., May 3, 2026 (tentative). Around 3 months before the exam, NTA will release the official information booklet and application form. The key dates for the NEET 2026 exam will be made public through the NEET UG information brochure. Candidates are required to complete the NEET UG registration and application process on the official website, neet.nta.nic.in. If you are aiming for the NEET UG 2026 exam, then this is the right time to review all important information along with valuable preparation tips provided in this article.

NEET 2026

NEET UG 2026 exam will be administered in a paper-and paper-based test (PBT) format across a single day and shift.  The NEET 2026 exam will be held in 13 languages across India and abroad. Candidates interested in the entrance test should know that the NEET 2026 exam pattern was revised to 180 questions and 3 hour exam duration. Around 23 lakh candidates are expected to register for the NEET 2026 exam, just like last year’s exam. 

The Supreme Court of India has decided that Indian students must pass the NEET UG exam before pursuing MBBS degrees in foreign medical schools. This decisive ruling backs up the National Medical Commission's (NMC) decision that mandates students to pass NEET-UG before being admitted to all medical colleges in India. Considering the competitiveness of the entrance exam, you should be efficiently preparing for the exam in line with the latest NEET 2026 syllabus and updated NEET Exam pattern.

NEET UG 2026: Overview

NTA has been conducting the National Eligibility Entrance Test- Under Graduate (NEET UG) from 2019. This national level exam is the primary and only entrance test for admission into MBBS, BDS, Nursing, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, etc. courses in all Indian colleges. Not only this, candidates will have to qualify for the NEET UG 2026 exam if they want to study medicine abroad. As the NEET exam will be held at the national level, its exam centers are located in every city of India and even in major cities outside India like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, etc. Check the NEET Under Grad Exam 2026 overview table below.

NEET UG Exam Process 2026 at a Glance

If you want to become a Doctor in India, then NEET UG is the sole exam that stands between you and your dream of becoming a doctor. NEET UG is not only the single medical entrance exam at the undergraduate level for pursuing MBBS, BDS, and other allied courses but it is also the biggest entrance exam in the medical sector in India.

The whole admission cycle of NEET UG exam consists of the following main phases.

• NEET Notification
• NEET Registration and Application Form Submission (Ongoing)
• NEET UG Admit Card Release
• NEET UG Exam
• NEET UG Answer Key and Response Sheet Release
• NEET UG Result Declaration
• NEET UG Counselling and admission

The NEET exam will take place using a traditional pen-and-paper format as confirmed by the NTA. The syllabus for NEET 2026 includes Physics, Chemistry, and Biology topics from both class 11 and 12 textbooks. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to fill the NEET application form online.

NEET Notification 2026

The admission process for the NEET UG 2026 begins with the release of the NEET NTA notification. The NTA NEET 2026 notification will be released February 2026 (expected). The National Entrance cum Eligibility Test 2026 notification will include all the important details ranging from registration dates to exam fees. Candidates should read the complete NEET UG 2026 notification before filling the application form.

NTA NEET 2026 Dates - Check All Important Events

Candidates who are going to appear for the NEET UG in 2026 can check the official dates for all the NTA NEET 2026 events below. In this way, applicants will be better able to strategize their preparation.

Who is Eligible for NEET 2026 UG

Candidates must meet the NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 before completing the application form. The NEET UG 2026 eligibility will likely be kept the same as last year. The following points specify the basic requirements to appear for NEET UG.

• Candidates must have completed or planned to take the Class 12 Board exam or its equivalent, including Chemistry, Physics, Biology/Biotechnology, and English subjects.
• General category candidates must have obtained at least 50% overall, while reserved category candidates need to achieve 45% (General-PWD) and 40% (SC, ST, OBC, Reserved PWD).
• Candidates must be 17 years old at the time of admission or will be by December 31, 2026. Therefore, candidates must have a birthdate no earlier than December 31, 2009. There is no maximum age restriction.

NEET Registration 2026

The NEET 2026 registration will begin in the first week of February 2026. The first step towards filling up the NEET application form 2026 is the registration process. The candidate must create a password, select a security question, and provide an answer to register for the NEET exam. After successfully submitting personal information, an application number is produced. The NEET 2026 registration portal remains open for 1 month to allow all candidates to complete their registration.

NEET UG 2026 Registration Dates

The NEET UG 2026 registration link is expected to be activated on the official portal in the first week of February 2026. Candidates are given ample time and some time date extensions to complete their NTA NEET registration 2026. The NEET UG registration 2026 is expected to remain active till the first week of March 2026.

• NEET UG Registration 2026 Begins: First week of February 2026
• NEET UG 2026 Registration Last Date: First Week of March 2026 (till 11:50 PM)

NEET Registration 2026 Link

The NEET 2026 registration form link is provided on the official website neet.nta.nic.in . All candidates must provide an accurate e-mail address and mobile number. To register and while paying the fee, candidates have to enter the OTP sent to their registered mobile number and e-mail address. All these steps must be performed through the official website. Once active, we will share the direct link for the NEET UG 2026 exam here.

NEET Application Form 2026

The NTA releases the NEET application form so that applicants can submit their candidature to appear for the NEET Exam. The NTA NEET UG 2026 application form will be issued in the first week of February 2026. The NEET 2026 application is expected to remain live until the first week of March 2026. Only after their successful registration, candidates can proceed to fill out the application form. The application number generated during the registration process will be used to complete the following steps of the Application Form and for future reference/correspondence. Candidates can use their generated Application Number and Password for future logins.

neet.nta.nic.in 2026 Application Form Link

The NEET UG 2026 application form link will be provided below for candidates who have to fill it after the completion of their registration process. Candidates will be able to fill out the NEET 2026 application form in online mode only. The NEET application process includes registration, filling out necessary details, uploading the required documents, and fee payment for final submission.

Click Here to Fill NEET 2026 Application Form (to be active later)

NEET UG 2026 Registration Step-by-Step Procedure

NEET registration is the first step of the whole NEET application process. We have provided a step-by-step approach for completing NEET registration 2026 below.

Step 1: Navigate to the official website of National Entrance cum Eligibility Test UG 2026.

Step 2:  Select the "Registration for NEET(UG)-2026 is LIVE!" link available at the top of the page. It will take you to a new page.

Step 3: On the new page, click on the link "NEET(UG)-2026 Registration and Online Application". You will be redirected again to the registration and application form home page.

Step 4: On that page, click on the "New Registration" button. Tick the declaration box and press the "click here to proceed" button.

Step 5: You will reach the registration page. Fill in your information, such as your name, date of birth, and contact information.

Step 6: After entering the contact information, OTP will be sent to you on your mobile number and email address. Enter the OTP and click on the submit button.

Step 7: You will be assigned a unique registration ID and password after successful registration.

Step 8: Enter your registration ID and password to gain access to the NEET application form 2026.

How to Fill NEET UG Application Form 2026

After completing the NEET registration process 2026, candidates must submit the NEET application form. The NEET application form can be accessed through the candidate login after the registration process. The complete application process must be completed online through the official website. Candidates can check the instructions given below to fill up the NEET 2026 application form.

Step 1: Visit the official website of the NEET UG 2026 exam

Step 2: On the home page, look for the link that says "Login" and click on it

Step 3: On the new page, enter the login details that were provided to you after completing the registration process and click on the Login button.

Step 4: Enter all the information required in the application form like personal details, academic details, etc. You must be cautious while filling up the application form. Make sure to cross-check every detail you entered

Step 5: Upload the documents required in the specified format

Step 6: After providing all the required information and documents you will be asked to do final submission of the application form. Preview the application carefully before the final submission.

Step 7: After submitting the NEET application form, you will be redirected to the application fees page

Step 8: Pay the application fees online as per your category to successfully submit your candidature

Step 9: Take a printout of the submitted application form for future use

NEET 2026 Application Fees

The NEET application fee is the amount that students need to pay to appear for the entrance test. The application fee is used by the National Testing Agency in various tasks like publishing the exam papers, arranging exam centers for students, etc.

The NTA is expected to keep the NEET National Entrance cum Eligibility Test UG 2026 application fee consistent with the previous year. Below is the table displaying the application fee for the NEET category-wise.

Documents Required for NEET Form 2026

Candidates must make sure that they possess the following documents in advance as they will be used in the NEET application form 2026 during upload or during entering the information.

• Class 10 and 12 details (Marksheet, certificate, roll number, school address, and other details)
• Aadhaar number (last 4 digits only)
• Class 10 pass certificate and postcard-size photograph
• Class 12 Roll number issued by the Board/Election Card (EPIC No.), passport number, ration card number, bank account or any other valid Govt. identity number
• Scanned images of passport-size photograph, signature, left-hand thumb impression,
• Credit/Debit card, Net Banking and UPI payment gateway details (for online payment)

NEET Application Form Document Specification 2026

Required Documents, such as scanned images of the candidate's passport, postcard, signature, left and right-hand fingers and thumb impressions, citizenship certificate, and PwBD certificate (if applicable) must be submitted in the prescribed format. The official format issued by the NTA has been given below.

Will NEET Happen Twice in 2026?

As of now, there is no approval from the authority to conduct the NEET UG exam twice a year. The NTA put an end to the speculations surrounding the NEET exam frequency in the year 2026 itself. At first, there was a thought of conducting NEET two times annually, but it is now verified to be a yearly written exam. The NTA will remain to be held only once, unlike the JEE Main exam.

NTA NEET 2026 UG Exam Pattern

NTA revised the NEET UG exam pattern last year and the same pattern is expected to continue this year too. The NTA removed optional questions, however, the number of compulsory questions has remained the same. The exam duration has been changed to 180 minutes, equivalent to 3 hours. As per the NEET UG Exam Pattern, a combined total of 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Now, the NEET question paper will not have any optional questions. The NTA has removed optional questions and section B completely from the NEET question paper. Now there will be only one section per subject with only compulsory questions. Also, the NEET UG exam duration has been revised to 180 minutes or 3 hours.

NEET Exam Pattern Revised

The NEET UG question paper has been modified to the pre-COVID format, leading to the removal of section B from each section. That is, now physics and chemistry will contain 45 questions each while Biology will contain 90 questions. Every question is worth four marks and one mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

NEET Exam Syllabus

The NMC revised the NEET Syllabus before the conduction of NEET UG exam in the previous year. The NTA is likely to go with the same official syllabus this year too. The NEET syllabus consists of topics from class 11 and class 12 physics, chemistry, and biology. Candidates must have a proper understanding of the detailed syllabus before taking the NEET UG exam. The NEET UG 2026 syllabus is carefully designed to incorporate topics from all education boards to give a fair ground to applicants from each state and UT.

NEET 2026 Admit Card

The NTA announces the NEET UG 2026 admit card release date in its official notification. As per the official trends, the NEET UG admit card will be released 3 to 4 days before the exam. As the NEET 2026 is expected on May 03, the NTA hall tickets will be issued on or before April 30, 2026. Before the release of the admit card, the NTA will release the NEET UG city intimation slip. The NEET admit card is compulsory to appear for the exam.

The NEET admit card 2026 acts as a pass to the exam room and includes important details about the applicant and the exam. Candidates must provide their registration number, date of birth, and security pin to download the NEET admit card. After submitting this information, eligible candidates can access a downloadable NEET hall ticket PDF that shows all the information provided in the NEET application form.

The admit card for the NEET exam generally contains the following details:

• Name of the Candidate
• Father’s name of the candidate
• Date of birth of the candidate
• Gender of the applicant
• Application number
• Roll number
• QR code
• Category of applicant
• Sub-category of the applicant
• NEET exam date
• NEET exam timings
• Reporting time and time for last entry
• Language (medium) of question paper
• NEET exam centre name and address
• Exam centre number
• Passport-size photograph (uploaded in the application form)
• Signature (uploaded during registration)
• The IP address and date of downloading of admit card
• Space to paste passport-size photograph (same as used during registration)
• Signature of the candidate (to be done in the exam hall in front of the invigilator)
• Signature of parent
• NEET-UG senior director signature
• Other general instructions to be followed

The sample image of the NEET UG admit card from the previous year has been provided below.

NEET UG 2026 Best Books

After checking the official syllabus, students must carefully choose the right study material for their exam preparation. The right study material means those books and resources that are particularly designed for the NEET exam preparation. The best books available in the market are given below.

• NEET Class 11 Study Material by Adda247
• NEET Class 11 Daily Practice Problem (DPP) Book by Adda247
• 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
• NEET Class 12 Study Material by Adda247
• NEET Class 12 Daily Practice Problem (DPP) Book by Adda247
• 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)
• Class 11+ Class 12 Study Material for NEET by Adda247
• Class 11 + Class 12 Daily Practice Problem (DPP) Book by Adda247
• 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

Candidates should choose any two books (one for reference and one for questions) for every subject. Do not study from different books for the same concept.

Check :- NEET Cut Off 2025

NEET Previous Year Papers of 2025 to 2016

In this preparation journey, the NEET Previous year paper plays a crucial role for the students preparing for the medical entrances. NEET applicants are constantly looking for past year's papers to familiarize themselves with the exam format, receive exposure to different question kinds, and improve their problem-solving abilities. Understanding the significance, we are offering the NEET's previous year's question paper to reduce the students' efforts.

Click to download the NEET PYQs PDF with Solution

NEET 2026 Exam Centers

The NEET exam center is the place where the test is held on the exam day. It is expected that there will be approximately 5,000 NEET exam centres in 2026, spread out in more than 570 cities in both India and other countries.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the total number of exam cities throughout India. Nevertheless, there has been no change in the amount of international exam locations, with a total of 14 still in operation.

There is an anticipation that there will be more NEET exam cities in 2026 compared to the previous year. In India, there were 4,750 exam centers and 557 NEET exam cities last year, with an additional 14 cities overseas. Applicants must choose their top two preferred exam locations. NTA will assign the NEET 2026 test center according to the choices and availability of the candidates. Candidates can check the complete list of NEET exam centres 2026 here.

NEET 2026 Question Paper

The NEET 2026 question paper will be made available in thirteen different languages. Candidates must choose their desired language for the NEET question paper when completing the application form and make sure they get the paper in their chosen language. Candidates can take the NEET question paper out of the exam center after completing the exam.

The NTA generally prepares four groups of question papers. Last year in 2025, the four sets of question papers were named numerically as 45, 46, 47 and 48. Each paper will contain 180 questions, with candidates required to answer 180 of them. Although the questions in every NEET exam are identical, the order or placement of the topics or questions will differ.

Read :- NEET Previous years Question Paper Sufficient for getting good marks?

NEET UG Answer Key 

The NTA releases two types of answer key for the NEET UG exam: Provisional / Preliminary answer key and final answer key. NTA will announce the NEET provisional answer key release date on its website after the exam. Candidates will have a period of four to five days to submit any objections or challenges against the provisional answer key.

The final answer keys will be deduced by the NTA expert panel after reviewing the objections. The NEET UG final result will be calculated using the NEET final answer key. The NEET UG final answer key is published shortly (few hours) before the result is announced. Under no circumstances can candidates contest the final answer key of NTA NEET UG .

Check:- NEET UG Scorecard 2025

NEET UG Cutoff 

The NTA releases the NEET UG cutoff every year which determines the qualifying marks required to appear in the counselling process of the NEET exam. The NEET UG cutoff will be announced after the result declaration in June. The cut-off marks are released separately category-wise. From the past trends, it has been observed that the cut-off marks for the General category are the 50th percentile, while it is the 45th percentile for other categories. Also, check the NEET Safe Score for the MBBS College.

NEET UG College Admission Process 

The NEET UG admission begins after the result is announced by the authority. Admission to both state-level and national-level colleges are done through the counselling process. Candidates who qualify for the NEET UG exam will have to register for the NEET counselling on the official website. The admission is done solely based on the merit rank obtained by the candidate in NEET. No other factor is taken into account during the admission.

NEET Counselling

NEET counselling for 15% of AIQ seats in government colleges and 100% for deemed/central universities, ESIC/AFMS, AIIMS, and JIPMER is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) using NEET scores. State counseling authorities are responsible for managing counseling sessions for the remaining 85% of state quota seats. The state counselling is generally considered side by side with central counselling with a gap of two days.

The NEET AIQ (All India Quota) counseling process consists of four rounds: rounds 1, 2, 3, and a stray vacancy round. A seat is assigned based on applicants' choices, NEET 2026 rank, and seat availability and reservations. The NEET UG counselling procedure involves signing up, selecting courses, and making the registration payment.

Individuals who meet the requirements for the NEET All India Quota can take part in the counselling procedure. The unused seats following the second round of NEET counseling 2026 in AIQ will be given back to the specific states. The following seats will be filled through NEET AIQ counselling 2026 held by MCC:

• 15% MBBS/BDS Seats of States
• 100% MBBS/BDS Seats of BHU
• 100% MBBS Seats of AIIMS across India
• All India Quota of JIPMER (Puducherry/ Karaikal)
• All India Quota seats of AMU/ DU/ VMMC/ ABVIMS
• All India Quota Seats of Faculty of Dentistry (Jamia Millia Islamia)
• All India Quota Seats of ESIC

List of Courses Available Under NEET 

The NEET UG 2026 exam is conducted for admission into various medical courses at the undergraduate level. Candidates often think that NEET UG is used for admission to MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and BSc Nursing only. But it is inaccurate as there are many other courses which are offered through the NEET UG exam. Candidates can check the list of courses available through NEET below along with the duration of the course.

Number of Seats Under NEET

The NEET exam is used to fill around 2 lakh undergraduate medical seats in various institutions in India. The number of seats available for popular courses offered through the NEET 2026 exam has been given below.

NEET 2026 Preparation Tips

Candidates should begin preparing for the NEET 2026 exam as early as possible due to the vast syllabus that covers chapters and topics from both Class 11 and Class 12. Following a dedicated preparation strategy will help candidates achieve a good rank in the exam. Follow some of the best tips provided below for cracking NEET UG with a good score.

• Understanding the NEET exam pattern and structure is essential for effective preparation. Although the NEET exam pattern is provided, it is recommended that students review previous years' NEET question papers for a better understanding of the exam format.
• Make sure you are familiar with the syllabus - the NEET 2026 syllabus is expected to be identical to the one from the previous year. Therefore, it is necessary for them to review the NEET syllabus and revise the topics they have not covered in Class 11 and Class 12.
• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses - Assessing one's strengths and weaknesses is crucial for adequate preparation. After analyzing the same, it is important to develop a preparation plan that focuses on strengthening weaknesses and maintaining proficiency in strong areas.
• Practice is essential, so along with preparation, it's important to practice from different sources like NEET mock tests, solving previous years' NEET question papers, test series, etc.

Can I Crack NEET 2026 If I Start Now?

Starting the NEET 2026 preparation ahead of time necessitates a well-thought-out and thorough strategy. For those aiming for NEET 2026, it is likely they are currently in 12th grade, which is essential for preparing for the exam. Even if you start late, you can still crack the NEET UG exam but you will have to study with utmost presence of mind and dedication. If you begin your NEET preparation late, you cannot skip your study any day.

NEET 2026 Mock Tests

If you are planning to crack the NEET UG exam, then you must attempt the mock tests and solve practice papers. Attempting the mock test not only boosts your confidence but also improves your score and rank.

Choosing the right mock test is also necessary as it presents you with the exact replica of the official question paper. Check out some of the most popular mock test series in India that have been vetted by experts. Click the link to view the details and enrolment for Free.