The NTA has announced the NEET 2026 exam mode. In a notice, the conducting body has confirmed that NEET UG 2026 will continue to be conducted in pen-and-paper mode where candidates will mark their answers on the OMR sheet. Like previous years, the exam will be held in a single day and single shift on May 3, 2026. Despite discussions about the shifting to online mode, the NEET UG offline mode (OMR-based) continues to remain the same for now.
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The NEET 2026 will be held in offline mode. The NTA has officially announced that the NEET exam will be conducted in pen-and-paper mode in a single day and single shift. Like every year, students will use the ball point pen to mark their answers on the OMR sheet. The exam will be held in 3 hours and a total of 180 multiple choice questions will be asked in the test. The total marks in NEET 2026 are 720.
The NTA has announced the NEET exam mode 2026 at neet.nta.nic.in. Check the details of the NEET 2026 exam mode in the table below.
Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Exam name | NEET UG 2026 |
Mode of exam | Offline (Pen & Paper based) |
Format | Single shift |
Question type | MCQs |
Time duration | 3 hours |
Exam date | May 3, 2026 (Sunday) |
Official website | neet.nta.nic.in |
For the 2026 session, the NTA is conducting the NEET UG exam in the same traditional offline mode and in the single day and single shift. The NEET syllabus 2026 also remains the same as there are no changes to the syllabus of NEET UG 2026 compared to last year. The duration of NEET exam is the same 3 hours as 20 extra minutes were rolled back in 2025. The number of types has been set at 180 MCQs and students have to attempt all the questions.
The NEET exam 2026 will be held in pen and paper mode. The shifting of NEET UG to CBT online mode will have some challenges. The key insights about the offline mode of NEET UG 2026 can be checked here.
Exam Accessibility: The offline mode of NEET allows candidates from all backgrounds like rural area students to participate and appear in the entrance exam without any technical issues. The switching to NEET exam in CBT mode can put students from underprivileged backgrounds at the receiving end as such candidates might not be familiar with computer education.
Exam Familiarity: As the NEET exam has been held in the same format since the beginning of the exam. The familiarity of the entrance test allows a large chunk of students to appear and write the test without any issue. The offline format of NEET is known to all students.
Check the detailed exam structure of NEET UG 2026 in the table below.
Subjects | Number of questions | Section-wise marks |
|---|---|---|
Physics | 45 | 180 |
Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
Botany | 45 | 180 |
Zoology | 45 | 180 |
Total | 180 | 720 |
On Question asked by student community
For preparing NEET entrance exam in three months, you can check the link attached below:
https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/how-prepare-for-neet-in-3-months
Hi! As per the NEET eligibility criteria , you must be 17 years of age as on December 31 of the year of admission. As you will complete the age criteria, you can definitely appear for NEET 2027. Do check the other eligibility criteria and apply for the NEET 2027
The NEET qualifying cutoff for ST category was 143-113. For ST (PWD) , the cut off marks 2025 was 126-113. As you have not mentioned the closing rank for a particular college. Here, we have provided the college wise 2025 MBBS closing rank for ST category.
Regards.
With 400-500 score in NEET, securing MBBS admission at CMC Vellore is highly challenging for students. With such score, you can apply for allied health science courses offered by the institute.
Regards,
Will you be appearing in NEET 2026 under any reserved category or general category as the NEET cutoff varies according to the category of student?
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