NEET UG Exam Pattern 2026

NEET UG 2027 is not yet confirmed as a computer-based test. NTA has published no NEET UG exam pattern for 2027 as of 20 October 2026. The latest official NEET UG exam pattern is from 2026. It has 180 compulsory questions, 720 marks and 180 minutes, in pen-and-paper mode.

Many pages claim to give the NEET 2027 exam pattern as a confirmed fact. Only the NEET UG 2027 Information Bulletin can confirm it, and NTA has not released it. You can read the NEET UG exam overview for the wider picture. The NEET UG 2027 syllabus page lists every unit behind this pattern.

The NEET UG exam pattern covers the subjects, the number of questions, the marks, the time and the marking rules. The NEET UG exam pattern 2027 is not announced, so the 2026 pattern is the latest official one. It is the base for your NEET UG 2027 preparation until the NEET 2027 exam pattern is official.

The NEET UG exam pattern in the 2026 bulletin is one paper with Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Botany and Zoology). All 180 questions are compulsory. The 2026 exam was a single-day, single-shift pen-and-paper test. The NMC letter of 5 December 2025 set this mode, "as was conducted in 2025".

Is NEET UG 2027 a CBT exam?

Not confirmed. NTA has not announced CBT for NEET UG 2027. On 25 July 2026, All India Radio reported that the Education Minister had resigned. His post said future exams "will be computer-based from next year". That is a ministerial statement, not an NTA notice. In August 2026, the Centre told the Supreme Court that no final decision had been implemented. The NEET UG exam pattern 2027 has no confirmed mode yet. Wait for the NEET UG 2027 Information Bulletin before you rely on any NEET 2027 exam pattern claim.

How many papers are there in the NEET UG exam?

The NEET UG exam pattern has one paper. It carries Physics, Chemistry and Biology questions together, and you attempt all of them in one sitting. You do not choose subjects, and you do not get a separate paper for each subject.

What are the NEET UG exam timings?

The 2026 paper was scheduled from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM on 3 May. The re-exam on 21 June 2026 ran from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM including formalities. Re-exam candidates reported between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, and the gates closed at 1:30 PM. NTA has not announced the NEET UG exam pattern 2027 timings.

In which languages is the NEET UG exam held?

The NEET UG exam was held in 13 languages in 2026. English candidates get an English-only booklet. Candidates who choose Hindi or a regional language get a bilingual booklet. You choose the medium while filling the application form, and the NEET UG 2027 registration page covers the form.

Key Highlights: Frequently Asked Questions

The NEET UG exam pattern has three subject groups, and Biology is the largest. Physics and Chemistry carry 45 questions each. Biology carries 90 questions from Botany and Zoology together. The bulletin gives these figures for 2026, and none has been announced for 2027.

The NEET UG exam pattern gives one figure for Biology and does not split it between Botany and Zoology. Plan for both halves of Biology. Biology marks also decide ties, so it is the subject to protect first.

The NEET UG exam pattern gives 180 questions for 720 marks. Every question carries 4 marks, so the paper has no heavy or light question. The table shows how the marks are spread.

In the NEET UG exam pattern, Biology holds half of the marks. A candidate who scores well in Biology starts with a strong base before Physics and Chemistry are counted. The highest score in 2026 was 715 out of 720. Two candidates shared it, as per NTA's press release of 16 July 2026.

What is the maximum score in the NEET UG exam?

The maximum score under the NEET UG exam pattern is 720. A candidate earns it by answering all 180 questions correctly. The highest NEET UG score in 2026 was 715. In 2025, it was 686. These are the top scores reported by NTA, so very few candidates come near the full 720.

The NEET UG exam has no sectional time limit. You get 180 minutes for the whole paper, and the bulletin gives no separate time for Physics, Chemistry or Biology. You can move between subjects in any order. This was the rule in the 2026 Information Bulletin, and NTA has announced no change for 2027.

The NEET UG exam pattern gives you one minute for each question on average. The split below is a sample plan, not an NTA rule. Adjust it to your strongest subject.

The NEET UG exam pattern allowed extra time in two cases in 2026. For the 21 June re-exam, it allowed a 195-minute window under its student-friendly measures. PwBD candidates get compensatory time, and the bulletin gives one hour for a three-hour paper. The NEET UG exam pattern 2027 may or may not repeat these measures.

Is there a sectional cutoff in the NEET UG exam?

No. The bulletin sets the qualifying cutoff as a percentile and gives no subject-wise qualifying marks. See the NEET UG cutoff page for category-wise marks.

The NEET UG marking scheme gives 4 marks for a correct answer. It takes away 1 mark for a wrong answer. This negative marking applies to every candidate. An unanswered question gets zero. The bulletin words it as "Four marks (+4)", "minus one mark (-1)" and "No mark (0)". This is the latest official NEET UG marking scheme. The marking for the NEET UG exam pattern for 2027 is not announced.

Is there negative marking in the NEET UG exam?

Yes. The NEET UG exam has negative marking. Each wrong answer takes away 1 mark. A correct answer adds 4. A blind guess among four options is right one time in four. So its expected gain is 4 times 0.25 minus 1 times 0.75, which is plus 0.25 mark. Removing even one wrong option improves the odds. Wrong answers still cost time, so guess with a reason.

How is the NEET UG score calculated?

Your score is 4 times the correct answers minus the number of wrong answers. This is the full marking scheme in one line. Two examples show how negative marking changes the total.

• A candidate answers 160 questions, with 128 correct and 32 wrong, and leaves 20 blank. The score is 512 minus 32, which is 480.
• A candidate answers all 180 questions, with 140 correct and 40 wrong. The score is 560 minus 40, which is 520.

Does the NEET UG exam pattern change for PwBD candidates?

The questions and marks stay the same, but PwBD candidates get extra time. The bulletin gives one hour of compensatory time for a three-hour paper. On 21 June 2026, compensatory time ran to 6:20 PM. NTA opened a scribe portal from 9 to 12 June 2026 for the re-exam. The qualifying percentile is also different: 45th for General and EWS with PwBD, and 40th for reserved categories with PwBD.

What happens if a NEET UG question is wrong or has more than one answer?

NTA has three rules in the 2026 Information Bulletin for faulty questions.

• If more than one option is correct, only candidates who marked a correct option get 4 marks.
• If all options are correct, every candidate who attempted the question gets 4 marks.
• If no option is correct, NTA treats the question as wrong or dropped. All candidates who appeared get 4 marks, whether they attempted it or not.

How does NTA break a tie in the NEET UG exam?

In the NEET UG exam pattern, NTA first compares Biology marks. If the tie remains, it compares Chemistry marks and then Physics marks. It then looks at the lower share of incorrect answers among attempted answers, overall and by subject. If candidates are still equal, NTA breaks the tie at random. This order is from the 2026 bulletin.

The NEET UG exam pattern rests on 50 syllabus units: 20 in Physics, 20 in Chemistry and 10 in Biology. NMC finalised this syllabus on 22 December 2025 for NEET UG 2026. NMC has published no syllabus for 2027 as of 20 October 2026. The full list sits on the NEET UG 2027 syllabus page.

NTA and NMC publish no topic-wise weightage. A simple average shows why units are not equal. Physics and Chemistry carry 180 marks over 20 units each, which is 9 marks a unit. Biology carries 360 marks over 10 units, which is 36 marks a unit. This is an average, not an official weightage, but it shows how much weight each Biology unit carries.

You can open the official NEET UG 2026 syllabus PDF to check each unit.

The NEET UG exam pattern did not change between 2025 and 2026. Both years had 180 compulsory questions, 720 marks and a single-day, single-shift pen-and-paper paper. The 2026 bulletin states this mode followed the NMC letter and matched 2025. The marking scheme and negative marking rules also stayed the same. This page compares the two latest bulletins only.

NTA's notice of 25 January 2025 is titled "Clarification on Question Paper Pattern and Examination Duration for NEET (UG)-2025". The 2026 cycle added one-time changes for the re-exam. These were a 195-minute window, four rough-work pages instead of two, and reporting from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM. They applied to 21 June 2026 only.

Will the NEET UG exam pattern change in 2027?

Not announced. Four changes are under discussion, and NTA has confirmed none of them.

• CBT mode: The Centre told the Supreme Court it is weighing a gradual move to CBT and multi-session exams.
• Two-stage format: The Centre is also considering a two-stage exam like JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
• Class 12 marks: A committee is reportedly looking at 50% weightage for Class 12 board marks. No official confirmation exists.
• Attempt and age limits: A parliamentary committee recommended exploring limits on 10 October 2026.

Treat all four as proposals for the NEET UG exam pattern. Only the NEET UG 2027 Information Bulletin can confirm a change in the NEET 2027 exam pattern.

The Centre's affidavit, as reported, said NTA has moved seven of its eight major exams to CBT and multi-session formats. NEET UG is the only one still on pen and paper. At a hearing on 18 September 2026, the Solicitor General said the move to CBT "remains under active consideration". That is why the mode is the most likely part of the NEET UG exam pattern to change.