National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET)
The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), formerly known as the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) is a medical qualifying entrance exam for aspiring students to enter MBBS or BDS programs in India. The test is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). NTA is an independent, autonomous, and premier testing organization in India.
The exam is usually conducted online in 11 languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu, Kannada, Bengali, Odia, Telugu, and Assamese. The students can select the language of their choice while filling out the application form. The examination format provides three hours to answer 180 questions from three sections. The sections are divided into Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and Zoology).
The examination provides around 90,000 seats in MBBS to 612 medical colleges in India. In total, the students can avail 48012 seats in government and 43915 seats in private medical colleges in the country. Out of these, around 5024 seats are available for students in Uttar Pradesh alone. Similarly, 26949 seats are provided for BDS in 612 dental colleges in the country.
The selection is based on the cut-off scores of the students. In this year 2023, the cut-off for NEET was as follows:
Category |
NEET 2023 cutoff |
NEET cut-off marks |
General |
50th percentile |
720-137 |
SC/ST/OBC |
40th percentile |
136-107 |
General-PwD |
45th percentile |
136-121 |
SC/OBC-PwD |
40th percentile |
120-107 |
ST-PwD | 40th percentile | 120-108 |
Eligibility Criteria
The aspiring doctors and dentists are eligible for the examination if:
- They have completed 17 years of age at the time of admission.
- They have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology as the main subjects.
This 10+2 certificate in core medical subjects is crucial during the counselling round. Marks in Mathematics instead of Biology are not considered for the examination.
Number of Attempts
Earlier, the students could attempt the examination three times. Recently, however, the government removed the limit on the number of attempts. Today, students can write the examination as many times as they want.