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The NEET 2025 exam has been regarded as one of the toughest exams ever in the NEET history. According to several experts of top coaching institutes, the difficulty level of NEET 2025 is in comparison to that of the 2016 NEET exam. Although several things in the medical entrance exam have changed since its inception,however given the similarity of NEET exam difficulty level, there is a growing speculation that NEET cutoff 2025 might align with the cutoff trends in 2016. Read the article to know a brief comparison of the NEET 2016 and NEET 2025.
The registration deadline for NEET 2026 has been extended to March 11, 2026, till 9 pm. Candidates can complete the application process on the official website neet.nta.nic.in.
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A brief comparison of NEET 2016 and NEET 2025 can be checked below.
Particulars | NEET 2016 | NEET 2025 |
Exam conducting body | Exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) | Exam conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Regulatory body | Regulated by the Medical Council of India (MCI) | Regulated by National Medical Commission (NMC) |
NEET eligibility criteria | Minimum age: 17 years as on December 31 of the year of admission. Maximum age: 25 years (30 years for reserved categories) Number of attempts: 3 Students from J&K, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were not eligible for 15% All India seats | Minimum age: 17 years as on December 31 of the year of admission. No maximum age limit Unlimited attempts Foreign and NRI candidates can also apply |
NEET exam pattern | Exam was conducted in two phases (NEET I and NEET II) | Single phase exam |
NEET exam mode | Pen and paper mode | Pen and paper mode |
Total number of questions | 180 (45 questions in each subject) | 180 (45 questions in each subject) |
NEET paper medium | English and Hindi | 13 languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu) |
720 | 720 | |
15% All India Quota seats were under MCC. States had varying approaches to using NEET scores. | Uniform counselling through MCC and state authorities. Private colleges and Deemed universities are fully under MCC. |
Understanding the NEET marking scheme is important to calculate the NEET scores. A detailed comparison of NEET 2016 marking scheme and NEET 2025 marking scheme can be checked below.
+4 for each correct response.
-1 for each incorrect response.
0 mark for the answered question.
More than one answer marked for a question was considered as incorrect and was negatively marked.
+4 marks will be given for the correct answer or the most appropriate answer.
-1 for any incorrect option marked.
0 mark for unanswered question.
If more than one option is found to be correct, +4 marks will be given to the candidates who have marked any of the correct options.
If all options are found to be correct, +4 marks will be given to candidates who have attempted the question.
If no option is correct or the question is incorrect, +4 will be given to all candidates whether they have attempted the question or not.
Allied & Healthcare programs | 20+ Partner Universities & Institutes | 98% placement record
The NEET 2025 cutoff will be released after the declaration of NEET result. Meanwhile candidates can check the NEET cutoff trend 2016 to 2025 based on the NEET 2025 expected cutoff from the table below.
Category | NEET qualifying percentile | NEET 2016 cutoff for Phase I | NEET 2016 cutoff for Phase II | NEET 2025 expected cutoff marks |
General | 50th percentile | 685-145 | 678-118 | 720-155 |
OBC | 40th percentile | 678-118 | 678-118 | 154-125 |
SC | 40th percentile | 595-118 | 595-118 | 154-125 |
ST | 40th percentile | 599-118 | 599-118 | 154-125 |
General- PwD | 45th percentile | 474-131 | 474-131 | 154-135 |
SC/ ST/ OBC- PwD | 40th percentile | 474-131 | 474-131 | 130-125 |
As the year 2016 was the inception year of the NEET exam, students were unfamiliar with the type of questions to be asked in the exam. The NEET 2016 difficulty level was moderate to tough. However, the NEET UG 2025 exam was notably more difficult compared to previous years. Both students and experts pointed out that the Physics section was especially tough as more complex and time-consuming questions were asked.
The Chemistry section in the NEET 2025 exam was also lengthy and included multiple correct answer questions, which created confusion among many medical aspirants. Additionally, the Botany and Zoology parts were quite extensive, making time management a major challenge.
Many experts believe that the NEET 2025 question paper is the toughest so far, especially when compared to the NEET 2016 paper. The Physics section in NEET 2025 has been considered more difficult than the Physics section in NEET 2016.
On Question asked by student community
To prepare for NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) in 55 days: focus on NCERT revision, especially Biology. Solve 120–150 MCQs daily, including previous-year questions. Take regular mock tests and analyze mistakes. Revise formulas and reactions daily. Study 10–12 hours consistently, avoid new books, and focus on weak topics while
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