Is NEET Required for Paramedical Courses?

Is NEET Required for Paramedical Courses?

Manisha TiwariUpdated on 08 Dec 2025, 04:03 PM IST

As we are heading towards the admission for 2026 academic year, students are anxious to know ‘Is NEET required for Paramedical courses’? Until now, NEET was not required for Paramedical courses like Physiotherapy, Optometry, Radiotherapy including others. However, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) has implemented a new regulatory framework making NEET a mandatory eligibility requirement for Allied and Healthcare undergraduate courses from the academic year 2026-27. This rule applies to those Paramedical courses whose curriculum has been notified by the authority. This article on ‘Is NEET required for Paramedical courses?’ explains about the updated Paramedical admission rules and affected courses.

This Story also Contains

  1. Is NEET required for Paramedical courses in 2026?
  2. Which Paramedical courses require NEET?
  3. NEET required for Paramedical courses: Eligibility criteria
  4. NEET for Paramedical courses: Admission process
  5. NEET for Paramedical courses: Tips for candidates
Is NEET Required for Paramedical Courses?
Is NEET Required for Paramedical Courses?

Paramedical courses are widely chosen by candidates who want to serve in the medical field. The requirement of NEET for paramedical courses may make the admission process similar to that of MBBS and BDS. As a result, students planning a career in allied healthcare fields must now prepare for NEET 2026, even if they are not aiming for MBBS or BDS. Read the full article to know more on NEET for Paramedical courses, eligibility requirements and other information.

Is NEET required for Paramedical courses in 2026?

Yes, NEET UG scores will be required for several Paramedical course admissions from 2026 onwards. With the NCAHP introducing new curricula, various Paramedical undergraduate courses will require NEET UG as an essential criteria from the 2026-27 session. In other words, admission to popular Paramedical courses such as Physiotherapy, Radiotherapy, Nutrition & Dietetics and others will now be granted based on the NEET scores. Although the admission process is yet to be released by the authority, candidates aiming for Paramedical courses must now prepare for NEET 2026.

JSS University Mysore 2025

NAAC A+ Accredited| Ranked #24 in University Category by NIRF | Applications open for multiple UG & PG Programs

Which Paramedical courses require NEET?

NEET 2026 scores will be used for admission to Paramedical courses whose curriculum has been released by the NCAHP. List of Paramedical courses through NEET is provided below.

  • Anesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology

  • Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health

  • Dialysis Therapy Technology & Dialysis Therapy

  • Health Information Management

  • Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology

  • Nutrition and Dietetics

  • Optometry

  • Physician Associates

  • Physiotherapy

  • Radiotherapy Technology

  • Emergency Medical Technologist (Paramedic), Burn Care Technologist and Advance Care Paramedic

NEET 2026 Free Mock Test with Solutions
Download the NEET 2026 Free Mock Test PDF with detailed solutions. Practice real exam-style questions, analyze your performance, and enhance your preparation.
Download EBook

NEET required for Paramedical courses: Eligibility criteria

As per the regulation, one of the NCAHP eligibility criteria for admission to allied and healthcare courses from 2026 onwards will be NEET. The NEET exam eligibility for Paramedical courses is mentioned below.

  • Students must have completed their class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology courses.

  • Candidates must have obtained 50% marks in aggregate in the qualifying examination (for general category candidates).

  • Students must be of 17 years of age as on December 31 of the year of admission.

  • Candidates must appear for the medical entrance examination and must qualify the exam by securing minimum NEET cutoff marks.

NEET for Paramedical courses: Admission process

As the admission to Allied and Health care programs will be through NEET 2026 now, the admission process will also change. Many state-level or university-level Paramedical exams will now be discontinued. Candidates will have to register and fill the NEET application form. Registered candidates will have to download the admit card of NEET and appear for the medical entrance examination. Candidates who will qualify for the NEET UG 2026 examination will be eligible for the admissions to Paramedical courses listed by the NCAHP. However, the further counselling and admission process is still unclear and is to be released by the authority.

NEET Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

NEET for Paramedical courses: Tips for candidates

Candidates wishing to secure admission to Paramedical courses in 2026 session will have to appear for the NEET examination (for those courses whose curriculum has been notified by the NCAHP). Here are some tips for Paramedical aspirants.

  • Prepare well for the medical entrance examination according to the NEET exam pattern.

  • Check for your eligibility to appear for NEET.

  • Prepare through previous year’s NEET question papers and mock tests.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which Paramedical courses require the NEET UG exam?
A:

Paramedical courses such as Physiotherapy, Nutrition & Dietetics, Dialysis Therapy and others will be granted through NEET 2026. A complete list of Paramedical courses which require NEET is provided above.

Q: Can I get paramedical admission without NEET?
A:

Admission to Paramedical courses whose curriculum has been notified by NCAHP will be granted through NEET. List of Allied and Health care courses through NEET is provided above.

Q: Is NEET compulsory for Paramedical in government colleges?
A:

As per the NCAHP regulation, NEET is mandatory for Paramedical courses admission from 2026 onwards.

Articles
|
Upcoming Medicine Exams
Ongoing Dates
GAHET Application Date

7 Oct'25 - 26 Dec'25 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
Odisha BSc Nursing Counselling Date

1 Dec'25 - 31 Dec'25 (Online)

Certifications By Top Providers
Management of Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice
Via Tagore Dental College and Hospital, Chennai
Industrial Biotechnology
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Via Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Maternal Infant Young Child Nutrition
Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Experimental Biotechnology
Via Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Coursera
 355 courses
Futurelearn
 310 courses
Edx
 233 courses
Udemy
 191 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to NEET

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NEET ?

Hello,

Here you can access Subject Wise High Scoring Topics for NEET 2026:

Biology

  • Human Physiology
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Ecology & Environment
  • Plant Physiology
  • Cell Biology

Chemistry

  • Organic Chemistry Basics
  • Physical Chemistry Numerical
  • Inorganic Chemistry

Physics

  • Modern Physics
  • Current Electricity
  • Optics
  • Thermodynamics & Heat
  • Laws of Motion & Work/Energy

For more access below mentioned link:

https://medicine.careers360.com/download/ebooks/neet-most-scoring-chapters-topics-based-on-past-5-year-analysis

Hope it helps.

Hello,

NTA itself offers free NEET Mock Tests so you need to visit their official website and then u can go to the NEET section and under that there will be free mock tests available.. also there they provide pyqs as well.. so u can also download that in the pdf form

Hello Candidate.

OCE is known as  "Other eligible communities". If your OCE is  OBC-NCL, you can choose the option for other backward classes with proper verified documents. if not, then choose the general category.

Thank You. Hope this information helps you to apply properly.

firstly, for NEET the main requirements are ur own details.. ur name, ur dob, photo, signature and identity proof.. if ur mother's name is slightly different on ur 10th marksheet and her aadhar card, it usually doesnt create any issue during NEET admission or registration as well.. however if there is a major difference then u should consider getting the aadhar updated to avoid confusion during counselling or document verification