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NEET Age Limit 2026 in India for General, SC, ST and OBC Category

NEET Age Limit 2026 in India for General, SC, ST and OBC Category

#NEET
Ujjwal KirtiUpdated on 26 Dec 2025, 05:19 PM IST

Every year, lakhs of medical aspirants appear in the NEET exam and understanding the NEET age limit 2026 before applying is important. NMC, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) as the conducting body, sets the age limit for NEET, which is published in the official information brochure.

This Story also Contains

  1. NEET Age Limit 2026: Highlights
  2. What Is NEET and Why Age Criteria Matter?
  3. What is the NEET Minimum Age Limit 2026?
  4. NEET Age Limit 2026: Category-wise
  5. What is the NEET Age Limit for Girls?
  6. NEET Upper Age Limit 2026
  7. NEET Attempt Age Limit 2026
  8. NEET Eligibility Age vs Academic Qualification
NEET Age Limit 2026 in India for General, SC, ST and OBC Category
NEET Age Limit 2026

Candidates planning to appear in the NEET exam must go through all the details about the category-wise age limit. Over the years, NEET age limit criteria have gone through many changes, as earlier there was a strict NEET age limit for students, which was later removed by the NMC. To know all about the NEET 2026 age limit, detailed criteria and other information, read the full article below.

NEET Age Limit 2026: Highlights

Medical aspirants preparing to get into their dream medical college must go through this brief overview of the NEET age limit 2026 to avoid any hassle while applying for the NEET exam 2026.

NEET UG Age Limit 2026: Overview

Parameter

Details

Exam Name

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG)

Conducting Authority

National Testing Agency (NTA)

Academic Year

2026

Minimum Age Completion Date

On or before December 31, 2026

NEET Minimum Age Limit 2026

17 years

Maximum Age Limit for NEET 2026

No upper age limit

NEET UG Age Limit 2026

Same for candidates from all the categories

NEET 2026 Age Limit for Girls

Same as male candidates

Age for NEET exam calculation basis

Based on date of birth mentioned in Class 10 certificate

Courses Covered Under NEET

MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS

What Is NEET and Why Age Criteria Matter?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET 2026), which is a single national-level entrance examination for admission to all the undergraduate medical courses, such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS, and others. The NEET 2026 age criteria has been set to ensure that the candidate applying for admission is ready for medical education after completing the required academic qualification. Candidates are advised to adhere to the NEET rules and regulations as provided by the authority.

What is the NEET Minimum Age Limit 2026?

As per the conducting authority, candidates who complete their age of 17 years on or before December 31, 2026, are eligible for the NEET exam. Along with the age limit, candidates need to meet the NEET criteria for 12th percentage. The NEET minimum age limit 2025 is as mentioned in the table below.

Minimum Age Limit for NEET Exam 2026

For Candidates of General (UR)/General-EWS

Born on or before

December 31, 2009

For Candidates of SC/ST/OBCNCL/PwBD/PwD Category

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NEET Age Limit 2026: Category-wise

Candidates must know that no relaxation is provided in the NEET 2026 age limit as per the category of the applicant. The age for the NEET exam 2026 is the same for all the candidates irrespective of their category. Check the details in the table below.

Category-wise NEET Exam Age Limit 2026

Category

NEET Minimum Age Limit

Maximum Age

NEET 2026 age limit for General

17 years

No limit

NEET age limit for OBC 2026

17 years

No limit

NEET age limit for SC

17 years

No limit

NEET age limit 2026 for ST

17 years

No limit

NEET age limit for EWS

17 years

No limit

NEET 2026 age limit for PwD

17 years

No limit

Also Read: Do’s and Don’ts of the NEET exam

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

What is the NEET Age Limit for Girls?

The NEET 2026 age limit for girls is the same as that of male applicants, which is 17 years. The authority does not provide any gender-based NEET age limit relaxation. There is no maximum NEET age criteria 2026 for female candidates either.

NEET Upper Age Limit 2026

NEET does not have any upper age limit restrictions. Earlier, an upper age limit was introduced for NEET along with the maximum NEET attempt limit in 2017, which was removed later by NMC on March 9, 2022.

NEET Attempt Age Limit 2026

There is no restriction on the number of NEET attempts. Candidates can appear in the NEET UG exam as many times as they want. Earlier, there were 3 attempts for NEET exam, which were later scrapped by the authority.

NEET Eligibility Age vs Academic Qualification

Along with the NEET age limit 2026, candidates have to meet the NEET eligibility marks in class 12th too. According to the NEET eligibility criteria, candidates who have passed or are appearing in class 12th with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from a recognised board. The minimum marks vary by category.

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Questions related to NEET

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NEET ?
Is it possible to prepare both neet and jee entrances exam ?

Good Morning, Aspirant,

Preparing for both NEET and JEE entrance exams at the same time would be challenging but possible. AS physics and chemistry are both subjects common to both exams. Students need to balance math and biology. A proper timetable can help you manage time and prepare for the exam without stress. You can register for the mock test for JEE students, conducted by Creers360. Giving a mock test can help you analyse your in-depth performance. The last date of registration on 8th January. The link to the mock test is attached herewith.


Read Complete Answer
S
SUANGANA ROY
24 Dec'25
Is it possible to prepare both neet and jee entrances exam ?

Hello Aspirant

Preparing for both NEET and JEE together is possible, but honestly, very tough.
The syllabus is huge. NEET needs strong Biology, and JEE needs strong Math.
Both exams have very different styles and expectations.
Only students with very strong basics and high discipline can manage both well.

If you are an average student, it’s better to choose one exam and focus fully on it. These are my honest advise to you, you can prepare for one exam and crack that exam, the future opportunities are many in JEE and NEET.

Read Complete Answer
S
SEJAL JAIN
24 Dec'25
odisha pg neet registration for round 2

Hello,

Here is your Odisha NEET PG Admission 2025 - Counselling, Round 2 Choice Filling (Dec 18), Seat Allotment. I am providing you the link. Kindly open and check it out.

https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/odisha-pg-medical-admission

I hope it will help you. For any further query please let me know.

Thank you.

Read Complete Answer
P
Pawni Goyal
24 Dec'25
Neet syllabus and paramedical syllabus are exactly same or any changes are there

Hi dear candidate,

Although NEET and paramedical courses (nursing, lab tech etc.) share same core subjects of PCB but the syllabus for NEET is NOT identical with that of paramedical exams as they require extra sections of GK and aptitude that is beyond NEET.

Kow more at:

NEET Syllabus 2026 by NMC (Released): Download Official PDF

BEST REGARDS

Read Complete Answer
A
Aryan
23 Dec'25
I had done my 12th in 2021 in science bio stream. Then i had taken 2 drops to prepare for neet i didn't got selected and then i had joined for online bca in 2023 from university of mysore. And now i am planning to do mca regular so which college would be better private and government both.

Hello Yashpal

Your plan to shift from online BCA to regular MCA is completely valid and acceptable. The gap years taken for NEET preparation will not affect MCA admission.
You should first try government colleges through exams like NIMCET or CUET-PG for better fees and placements. Top options include NITs, University of Hyderabad, JNU, and Delhi University.
If not, good private choices are VIT, Manipal, SRM, Amrita, and Christ University. Choose a college based on placements, fees, and industry exposure, not just the name.

Hope it helps you, and if you face any other query, you can raise your question directly. We are here to assist you with the best.

Read Complete Answer
S
SEJAL JAIN
22 Dec'25
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