NEET Attempt Limit 2026 by NTA- How many attempts for NEET

NEET Attempt Limit 2026 by NTA- How many attempts for NEET

Switch toEnglish IconHindi Icon
Manisha TiwariUpdated on 17 Nov 2025, 11:47 AM IST
Switch toEnglish IconHindi Icon

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is the single largest entrance examination in the medical domain. Through NEET UG, admissions are granted to medical and dental colleges across India. However, there remains confusion regarding the age limit and the NEET exam attempt limit. It has always been a major doubt amongst the aspirants. Every year, lakhs of aspirants register for NEET; however, they are often confused about the NEET UG age and attempt limit.

LiveNEET UG 2026 LIVE: NTA advisory notice to update documents is out; NEET brochure expected soon, updatesJan 9, 2026 | 12:35 PM IST

In the table below is the NEET 2026 exam pattern.

Particulars
Details
Mode of exam
Offline
Duration of exam
3 hours
Total number of questions
180
Total marks
720 marks
Sections
3 sections - Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Physics
Number of questions
45 questions
Sectional marks
180 marks
Chemistry
Number of questions
45 questions
Sectional marks
180 marks
Biology
Number of questions
90 questions
Sectional marks
360 marks
NEET marking scheme
  • +4 marks for a correct answer
  • -1 mark for an incorrect answer
  • 0 marks for an unattempted answer
Read More

This Story also Contains

  1. How many attempts for NEET?
  2. NEET attempt limit 2026
  3. NEET age limit: Overview
  4. How many attempts in NEET?
NEET Attempt Limit 2026 by NTA- How many attempts for NEET
NEET attempts limit

Candidates should know that there are no restrictions on the NEET attempts and the maximum age limit for NEET. The NMC removed the restriction for NEET UG exam on the age and number of attempts. However, as per the NEET age limit, candidates should be above 17 years old to be eligible to fill out the NEET application form. Know more about the NEET 2026 number of attempts and age limit before applying for the entrance test from the article below.

How many attempts for NEET?

There is no limit to the number of attempts in the NEET exam. The committee has also proposed to restrict the number of attempts in the NEET 2026 exam. NEET exam is a single national-level entrance examination which is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to over one lakh MBBS, 27,868 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH courses (BHMS, BAMS, BUMS), and 525 BVSc & AH courses in colleges across the country. Admission to BSc nursing courses in many universities is also granted based on NEET result. As per the paper pattern of NEET, a total of 200 multiple-choice questions are asked, and candidates will have to answer only 180 MCQs.

JSS University Mysore 2025

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

NEET attempt limit 2026

There is no certainty on whether there will be an attempt limit in NEET 2026. The NEET UG attempt limit is set by the NTA, and as per the current update, candidates can appear as many times as they want. Such candidates need to fulfil the NEET eligibility criteria.

NEET age limit: Overview

The NTA has set a certain age limit for the NEET UG exam. Where there is no restriction on the upper age limit, the NTA has implemented a lower age limit for the NEET UG exam.

Minimum age for NEET

Aspirants should have reached the age of 17 by the time of admission or attain this age on or before December 31 of the same year they are seeking admission.

Maximum age limit for NEET

Earlier, the medical aspirant had a cap of 25 years to be eligible for the NEET UG exam. Candidates belonging to the SC/ ST/ OBC and other reserved categories were given a relaxation of 5 years. However, at present, there is no upper age limit. Any student who is 17 years old can take the NEET exam along with no limit on the number of attempts.

How many attempts in NEET?

NEET exam attempt limit refers to the number of times a candidate can appear for the NEET UG exam. As per the NTA (National Testing Agency), there is no restriction on the number of attempts for the NEET exam. Candidates can apply for the NEET exam as many times as they want.

NEET UG attempt limit - historical trends

2022

With an official notification, the National Medical Commission announced that the upper age limit for NEET UG has been removed. The decision on the NEET upper age limit has been taken in the 4th NMC meeting held on October 21, 2021; however, announced on March 9, 2022. The official notice released by the NMC can be checked below.

FNaZ63tXEAMI53-

2019

The ineligibility of NIOS/ open school students for NEET UG was another major controversy that arose in 2019. While they were allowed to appear for NTA NEET until 2017, the Medical Council of India (MCI) decided to bar them from appearing in NEET from 2018 onwards. The clause was later revoked, and open school students were allowed to appear for the exam.

The other controversy was in regard to the question of Biology as an additional subject. Students who had studied Biology as an additional subject in Class 11 and 12 were considered ineligible. This clause was also revoked, and such students were allowed to take the exam in 2019.

2018

The MCI's decision to reintroduce a NEET upper age limit was first revealed via a Gazette of India notification published on January 23, 2018. The introduction of these rules led to tremendous controversy and an uproar among NEET aspirants. Within a week of introducing the NEET attempt limit rule, MCI scrapped it.

For candidates, there is no fixed number of attempts for NEET anymore, and this was to be determined by the upper age limit criterion. However, the minimum age limit for medical students to appear in NEET must be 17 years or above.

2017

CBSE, in 2017, presented an upper age cap along with a maximum attempts limit with a notification that mentions “the number of attempts which a candidate can avail at NEET-UG examination shall be limited to 3 (three) uniformly to all the candidates. The previous attempts in AIPMT/NEET will be counted against these 3 permissible attempts. Candidates who have already exhausted their allowed 3 attempts are not eligible to apply for NEET (UG) 2017”.

CBSE also set an upper NEET exam age limit for unreserved candidates at 25 years and reserved candidates at 30 years, stating that “the upper age limit for NEET-UG is 25 years as on the date of examination with relaxation of 5 years for the candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC category”. This rule was overruled by the Supreme Court in the same year. The clause on NEET age limit and attempts was then reintroduced again in 2018 with a twist.

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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: I am above 25 years of age and I had appeared for NEET 2016, NEET 2017 and NEET 2018. Will I be allowed to appear in NEET 2026?
A:

There is no upper age limit for NEET 2026. You can appear for the examination. 

Q: I completed my Class 12 as a NIOS candidate. Am I eligible to apply?
A:

Yes. NIOS students are eligible to appear for NEET 2026 unless notified otherwise.

Q: How many attempts are there in NEET?
A:

There is no limit to the number of attempts for NEET exam.

Q: How many NEET attempts are allowed?
A:

You can appear for NEET as many times as you wish, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.

Q: What is the minimum basic qualification required for appearing in NEET?
A:

The minimum basic qualification required to appear in NEET is a 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English as core subjects. Candidates must have passed this exam from a recognized board with a minimum of 50% marks in the PCB group for the general category, 40% for SC/ST/OBC, and 45% for PwD candidates. Additionally, candidates must be at least 17 years old by December 31 of the admission year.

Q: I will be appearing for NEET for the first time in. How many times can I attempt the exam?
A:

As stated, there is no longer limit on attempts in NEET. Candidates should just ensure they fulfil the NEET eligibility criteria.

Articles
|
Upcoming Medicine Exams
Ongoing Dates
Odisha BSc Nursing Counselling Date

1 Jan'26 - 15 Jan'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
UPSSSC ANM Admit Card Date

7 Jan'26 - 11 Jan'26 (Online)

Upcoming Dates
MH BSc Nursing CET Exam Date

6 May'26 - 7 May'26 (Online)

Certifications By Top Providers
Biomolecules Structure Function in Health and Disease
Via All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
Industrial Biotechnology
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Certificate Course in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Methodology
Via Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Nutrition in the Health Sector
Via The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
Pathology
Via Tsinghua University, Beijing
Online M.Sc Psychology
Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Andhra University
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 ?

Hi there,

Apart from NEET and CUET you can explore the following career paths to

Students pursuing the PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) stream can explore a wide range of options apart from CUET and NEET. Their choices are not just limited to medicine and can expand to include numerous areas

Hello,

For NEET preparation previous year questions practice is very important for understand paper pattern.

Below, a link to the e-book of NEET previous 5 years previous year questions is given.

Here is the link:

https://medicine.careers360.com/download/sample-papers/neet-previous-5-years-question-papers-20212025-answer-keys-solutions-pdf-free-download

Hope this will help you!

Thank you.

HELLO,

Below i am attaching the link through which you can download the NEET question paper in Hindi PDF

Here is the link :- https://medicine.careers360.com/hi/articles/neet-question-paper

Hope this will help you!

Hello Akanksha

It is possible to complete the syllabus within 4 months with discipline and clear plan. You need to be consistent everyday.

•In the first month you can complete

Units & measurement, motion in 1d and 2d, laws of motion, work power energy

Some basic concepts of chemistry, atomic

Hello,

The application process for NEET UG 2026 state quota seats in Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Puducherry is expected to begin in July 2026, after the NEET 2026 results are announced in June 2026. The exact dates are announced by each state's respective counselling authority.

I hope it will clear