NEWS
NEET UG 2026
The official notification and dates for the NEET UG 2026 exam have not yet been released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). However, based on previous years' trends, the exam is expected to follow a consistent timeline.
Expected NEET UG 2026 Schedule (Tentative)
The NEET UG exam is traditionally held on the first Sunday of May. The application process generally begins several months prior.
| Event | Tentative Dates |
|---|---|
| Official Notification Release | January/February 2026 |
| Online Application Form Available | February 2026 |
| Application Submission Deadline | March 2026 |
| Application Correction Window | March 2026 |
| Admit Card Release | Last week of April 2026 |
| NEET UG 2026 Exam Date | May 3, 2026 (Sunday) |
| Result Declaration | June 2026 |
Key Information
- Official Website: All official information and the application form will be available on the NTA's official NEET portal at neet.nta.nic.in.
- Mode of Exam: The exam will be conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode.
- Eligibility Criteria: Candidates must be at least 17 years old by December 31, 2026, and must have passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology.
- Syllabus & Pattern: The syllabus is expected to remain consistent with the NEET 2025 exam (based on the Class 11 and 12 NCERT curriculum). There are 180 compulsory Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) in total.
Candidates are advised to regularly check the official NTA website for the final, confirmed dates and information bulletin.
NEET UG Qualifying Marks (2020-2025)
The NEET UG qualifying marks (minimum scores required to pass the exam) fluctuate yearly based on the exam's difficulty and candidate performance, but the percentile requirement remains constant: the 50th percentile for the General/EWS category and the 40th percentile for reserved categories (OBC, SC, ST).
NEET UG Qualifying Marks Statistics (2020-2025)
The table below details the official qualifying marks range released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for different categories over the last six years.
| Category | 2025 Marks Range | 2024 Marks Range | 2023 Marks Range | 2022 Marks Range | 2021 Marks Range | 2020 Marks Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General/EWS (UR) | 686 - 144 | 720 - 162 | 720 - 137 | 715 - 117 | 720 - 138 | 720 - 147 |
| OBC/SC/ST | 143 - 113 | 161 - 127 | 136 - 107 | 116 - 93 | 137 - 108 | 146 - 113 |
| UR/EWS-PwD | 143 - 127 | 161 - 144 | 136 - 121 | 116 - 105 | 137 - 122 | 146 - 129 |
| OBC/SC/ST-PwD | 126 - 113 | 143 - 127 | 120 - 107 | 104 - 93 | 121 - 108 | 128 - 113 |
Key Points:
- Qualifying vs. Admission Cutoff: These marks are the minimum required to qualify for the counseling process. The scores needed for admission into a specific medical or dental college are known as the "admission cutoff" and are significantly higher.
- Percentile Consistency: The required percentile has remained constant at the 50th percentile for unreserved categories and the 40th percentile for reserved categories, even as the corresponding raw scores have changed yearly.
- Annual Variation: The year-to-year changes in the score range are primarily due to variations in the NEET exam's overall difficulty level and the performance of all candidates who appeared for the exam.
Appeared and qualified candidates in neet ug from 2020 to 2025
Here are the statistics for the number of candidates who appeared for and qualified the NEET UG exam from 2020 to 2025, based on data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
NEET UG Appeared vs. Qualified Candidates (2020-2025)
| Year | Total Registered Candidates | Total Appeared Candidates | Total Qualified Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22,76,069 | 22,09,318 | 12,36,531 |
| 2024 | 24,06,079 | 23,33,162 | 13,15,853 |
| 2023 | 20,87,462 | 20,38,596 | 11,45,976 |
| 2022 | 18,72,343 | 17,64,571 | 9,93,069 |
| 2021 | 16,14,777 | 15,44,273 | 8,70,074 |
| 2020 | 15,97,435 | 13,66,945 | 7,71,500 |
Category-wise Qualified Candidates (2025)
For the most recent year, 2025, the breakdown of qualified candidates by category is as follows:
- OBC: 5,64,611
- General/Unreserved (UR): 3,38,728
- SC: 1,68,873
- EWS: 97,085
- ST: 67,234
- PwD (across all categories): 3,673
More female candidates (7,22,462) qualified than male candidates (5,14,063) in 2025.
