The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) is a crucial entrance examination for students aspiring to pursue a career in medicine in India. NEET UG is a national-level medical entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses. Students who qualify for NEET UG can pursue MBBS, BDS, and other medical and allied health courses where NEET scores are accepted.

NEET UG assesses students in three main subjects — Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Biology holds particular importance for medical aspirants, as it covers a significant part of the examination. The exam tests students' understanding of concepts from the prescribed school-level curriculum and plays an important role in determining their eligibility, merit, and admission opportunities for undergraduate medical courses.

NEET UG Eligibility

Candidates seeking to appear for NEET UG must meet the eligibility requirements specified by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the applicable medical education regulations.

• Candidates must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 or an equivalent qualifying examination.
• The qualifying examination must include English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology as prescribed under the applicable eligibility rules.
• Candidates must fulfil the prescribed minimum marks requirement in the qualifying subjects. For the General category, the commonly applicable requirement is 50% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology, while the prescribed qualifying percentage is relaxed for eligible reserved and PwBD categories.
• Candidates must have completed 17 years of age on or before 31 December of the year of admission/examination, as applicable under the prevailing rules.
• There is currently no upper age limit for appearing in NEET UG.
• Indian nationals, NRIs, OCIs and eligible foreign nationals may apply, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions and admission regulations.Candidates appearing for their Class 12 or equivalent qualifying examination may also apply provisionally, provided they fulfil the required eligibility conditions by the relevant stage of admission and counselling.

How to Apply for NEET UG

To apply for NEET UG, you need to fill out the application form online on the official NTA/NEET website. Before you start, it's a good idea to read the latest information bulletin carefully and have all your necessary documents and personal information ready.

Here’s how to fill out the application:

• First, go to the official NEET UG website and find the link to apply.
• Next, register by providing your personal and contact information.
• Then, fill in the application form with your academic details, category, and other required information.
• After that, upload your photograph, signature, and any other required documents. Make sure they are in the correct format and size.
• You'll then need to pay the application fee using the online payment options available.
• Before submitting, double-check all the information you've entered to make sure there are no mistakes or missing details.
• Finally, submit the application and download the confirmation page. It's wise to save a copy for your records.

After you submit your application, keep your application form, confirmation page, payment receipt, and other important documents safe. NTA might also open a window for corrections or share further instructions about the application process. It’s important to check the official NEET UG website regularly for any new announcements or updates.

After you pass the NEET UG exam, that's not the end of the process for getting into medical school. Once the results are out, you'll need to go through the right counseling steps depending on the program, school, quota, and your category.

For MBBS and BDS degrees, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) manages online counseling for the All India Quota seats and other specific seats they oversee, including those in some central institutions and universities. Counseling for seats within their own areas is handled by the counseling authorities in each state and Union Territory.

For programs like BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, and BHMS, the Ayush Admissions Central Counseling Committee (AACCC) handles counseling for the All India Quota and seats in central/deemed universities. State authorities manage counseling for seats within their states.

The usual steps for counseling are:

• Sign up on the correct counseling website.
• Choose and confirm the programs and colleges you want.
• Take part in the seat allocation stages.
• Download your seat assignment.
• Go to the school you were assigned to before the deadline.
• Complete the document checks and admission paperwork.
• If you're eligible and need to, join further counseling rounds.

It's important to look at the official announcements from the counseling bodies each year. Things like how seats are divided, the counseling dates, who is eligible, and which schools are participating can change.

NEET UG 2026 has 180 multiple-choice questions, with 45 each from Physics and Chemistry, and 90 from Biology. The total marks for the exam is 720.

You can mainly use NEET UG for MBBS and BDS admissions. It's also used for BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, and BHMS programs, following the rules. Some B.Sc. Nursing programs might also use NEET scores, depending on the specific authority.