The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) is an all-India pre-medical entrance examination. NEET(UG) has been administered by the NTA since 2019. Before 2019, the test was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). It is the largest and most important medical entrance exam after the 12th. NEET is also the sole entrance test for admission to any medical course in India.
NEET 2023 schedule:
| NEET 2023 dates | Event |
|---|---|
| March 6, 2023 | NEET Notification |
| March 6 to April 6, 2023 | NEET 2023 Application dates by NTA |
| April 6, 2023 | Last date for application fee payment |
| April 8 to 10, 2023 | Correction window of application form |
| April 12 to 15, 2023 | Re-opening of the NEET application form window |
| April 30, 2023 | Exam city details allotment |
| May 3, 2023 | Release Admit card |
| May 7, 2023 | NEET 2023 exam date |
| June 13, 2023 | Result |
| June 16, 2023 | NEET final answer key date |
| July 20-25 | Round 1 counselling process begins |
Exam Pattern:
- The examination consists of a total of 180 questions, with 45 questions in each of the subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology.
- Each correct answer is awarded with +4 marks, while each incorrect response incurs a negative marking of -1.
- The duration of the exam is 3 hours and 20 minutes, equivalent to 200 minutes.
- The exam carries a total of 720 marks, which is the maximum attainable score.
Some of the recent changes in the question paper format, starting from 2021 are as follows:
- The latest question paper structure includes two sections, labeled A and B, for all four subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology).
- Section A comprises 35 compulsory questions.
- Section B consists of 15 questions, out of which candidates are required to answer 10 questions.
- This leads to a total of 200 questions, with 180 questions that can be answered by candidates (The total maximum attainable score still remains the same as 720).
Syllabus:
The syllabus for NEET(UG) is fairly straight forward. The students need to be thorough with their basic class 11th and 12th subjects, which are Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology from the prescribed NCERT books.
Eligibility:
In order to be eligible for NEET 2024, candidates must achieve a minimum pass percentage in their 12th-grade examinations. The NTA, which oversees the exam, has established specific percentage requirements: 50% for the unreserved category and 40% for OBC/SC/ST and PWD categories in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology combined. The age criterion dictates that candidates must be at least 17 years old as of December 31, 2024.
Candidates who meet the specified eligibility requirements for NEET and successfully complete the application process within the prescribed deadline will qualify for the undergraduate medical entrance test. This also applies to aspirants planning to study medicine abroad but intend to return to India for practice, as NEET is now mandatory for them as well. The eligibility criteria for those appearing in the NEET UG 2024 exam are as follows:
| Minimum age | Candidates must have attained 17 years of age as of December 31 of the year of their admission. |
|---|---|
| Maximum age limit | There is no upper age limit for the exam; candidates of all ages can apply. |
| Citizenship | The exam is open to Indian citizens, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), and foreign nationals. |
Note: People usually ask “What is the upper age limit for NEET(UG)?”
The answer to this is, according to the revised NEET eligibility criteria 2024 all restrictions on the basis of age, subjects and type of school have been eliminated. According to the latest update from the health ministry, there is no longer an upper age limit for the NEET exam in 2024. The upper age limit, as stated in the NEET 2024 eligibility criteria, has been entirely removed.
The official notification released by the NMC on March 9, 2022, confirmed the removal of the age limit for NEET eligibility criteria. Consequently, candidates above the age of 17 years are eligible to apply for the NEET examination. Previously, the NEET exam had an upper age limit of 25 years for general category candidates and 30 years for reserved category candidates, which is no longer applicable.
Candidates must check the eligibility criteria from the official NTA website before applying for the exam as well.
Number of attempts allowed for NEET(UG):
After the changes made in 2018 to the NEET UG eligibility criteria, the limitations on the number of attempts for NEET were lifted. So, there are no restrictions on the number of attempts for NEET 2024. As per the NEET 2024 eligibility criteria, candidates can appear for the entrance exam as many times as they wish, provided they meet the eligibility requirements mentioned above.
Number of Applicants through the years:
| Year | Date of Exam | Registered Candidates | Appeared Candidates | Qualifying Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 May 2019 | 1,519,375 | 1,410,755 | 797,042 |
| 2020 | 13 September 2020* | 1,597,435 | 1,366,945 | 771,500 |
| 2021 | 12 September 2021* | 1,614,777 | 1,544,275 | 870,074 |
| 2022 | 17 July 2022* | 1,872,343 | 1,764,571 | 993,069 |
| 2023 | 7 May 2023 | 2,087,462 | 2,038,596 | 1,145,976 |
*The exam got postponed and delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
Qualifying Cut off for NEET(UG):
Usually the qualifying cut off for NEET(UG) is 50th percentile score as of 2019, but the cut off percentile differs for different category candidates appearing for the examination.
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Percentile |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 50th Percentile |
| Unreserved PH (UR-PH) | 45th Percentile |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 40th Percentile |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 40th Percentile |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 40th Percentile |
| SC-PH | 40th Percentile |
| ST-PH | 40th Percentile |
| OBC-PH | 40th Percentile |
Note: Candidates must note that this is just the qualifying criteria. Admission to different institutions are done on rank basis.
References:
https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/neet-eligibility-criteria