NEET Exam Past 5 Years Trends Analysis : The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the most important exams for students aspiring to become doctors in India. It is the gateway to undergraduate medical courses like MBBS, BDS, and other medical programs. Over the past five years, the NEET Exam has seen many changes and trends that students need to know before starting their preparation. Understanding these trends can help students prepare better and make informed decisions.
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The NEET 2025 exam date was announced in February, and the exam will be held on May 4, 2025. In recent years, NEET has become more challenging due to the increasing number of aspirants. This year, the notification was delayed, possibly because of an expert committee formed by the central government.
NEET 2025 Biology Paper Analysis | NEET 2025 Physics Paper Analysis | NEET 2025 Chemistry Paper Analysis |
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has made important updates for NEET 2025:
The NEET-UG 2024 exam, held on May 5, faced major controversy after the results were declared on June 4. With over 24 lakh candidates appearing for the test, allegations of irregularities emerged, particularly over the awarding of grace marks to more than 1,563 students. This led to concerns about the fairness of the exam, as 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720, compared to just two in 2023 . Additionally, rumors of a leaked question paper surfaced, prompting legal action. The Supreme Court ordered a retest for the affected students, set for June 23, with results announced on June 30. Despite the controversy, counseling for admissions began on July 6. Petitions were filed, with Alakh Pandey, CEO of PhysicsWallah, claiming that the grace marks were arbitrarily awarded . The Union Education Minister called it an "institutional failure" of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and a high-level committee, led by Dr. K Radhakrishnan, was formed to investigate the issue and ensure future transparency.
On July 26, the NTA released a re-revised result, reducing the toppers’ list from 61 to 17 . This adjustment followed the withdrawal of grace marks and a retest conducted for 1,563 candidates on July 19. The re-revised results highlighted a significant correction in the rankings, reflecting the impact of these controversies on the exam's outcomes.
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The number of students registering for NEET has steadily increased over the past five years, reflecting its growing popularity and competition.
Registration Trends in Past Years in NEET Exam | |||
Year | Registered Candidates | Appeared Candidates | Absent Candidates |
2024 | 2,406,079 | 2,333,297 | 72,782 |
2023 | 2,087,462 | 2,038,596 | 48,866 |
2022 | 1,872,343 | 1,764,571 | 107,772 |
2021 | 1,614,777 | 1,544,273 | 70,504 |
2020 | 1,597,435 | 1,366,945 | 230,490 |
Cut-off marks determine the minimum score needed for admissions. Understanding trends helps students set realistic goals. The cut-off marks for NEET have shown variation due to changes in difficulty level and competition. Higher cut-offs in recent years indicate tougher competition.
Past 5 Years Cut off Analysis of NEET Exam | ||||||
Category | Qualifying Criteria | NEET(UG) 2024 Marks Range | NEET(UG) 2023 Marks Range | NEET(UG) 2022 Marks Range | NEET(UG) 2021 Marks Range | NEET(UG) 2020 Marks Range |
UR/EWS | 50th Percentile | 720-162 | 720-137 | 715-117 | 720-138 | 720-147 |
OBC | 40th Percentile | 161-127 | 136-107 | 116-93 | 137-108 | 146-113 |
SC | 40th Percentile | 161-127 | 136-107 | 116-93 | 137-108 | 146-113 |
ST | 40th Percentile | 161-127 | 136-107 | 116-93 | 137-108 | 146-113 |
UR/EWS & PH | 45th Percentile | 161-144 | 136-121 | 116-105 | 137-122 | 146-129 |
OBC & PH | 40th Percentile | 143-127 | 120-107 | 104-93 | 137-108 | 128-113 |
SC & PH | 40th Percentile | 143-127 | 120-107 | 104-93 | 136-108 | 128-113 |
ST & PH | 40th Percentile | 142-127 | 120-108 | 104-93 | 135-108 | 128-113 |
The top 10 toppers of the NEET exam in the last five years have shown amazing hard work and smart studying. These students scored the highest marks and became the best in the country. Their dedication and effort inspire others to do their best in the NEET exam.
Here is the list of the top 10 candidates in NEET (UG) – 2024 :
S. No. | Candidate Name | Roll Number | Total Marks | Percentile | NEET Rank | State |
1 | Mridul Manya Anand | 2001920176 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Delhi |
2 | Ayush Naugraiya | 4408010813 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Uttar Pradesh |
3 | Mazin Mansoor | 1518070396 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Bihar |
4 | Prachita | 3918040017 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Rajasthan |
5 | Saurav | 3923490143 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Rajasthan |
6 | Divyansh | 3905130233 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Delhi |
7 | Gunmay Garg | 3805040153 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Punjab |
8 | Arghyadeep Dutta | 4608060714 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | West Bengal |
9 | Shubhan Sengupta | 3111200278 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Maharashtra |
10 | Aryan Yadav | 4408010212 | 720 | 99.9992714 | 1 | Uttar Pradesh |
Here is the list of the top 10 candidates in NEET (UG) – 2023:
S. No. | Candidate Name | Roll Number | Total Marks | Percentile | NEET Rank | State |
1 | Prabanjan J | 4101200189 | 720 | 99.999901 | 1 | Tamil Nadu |
2 | Bora Varun Chakravarthi | 1205120175 | 720 | 99.999901 | 1 | Andhra Pradesh |
3 | Kaustav Bauri | 4101050478 | 716 | 99.999852 | 3 | Tamil Nadu |
4 | Pranjal Aggarwal | 3804010869 | 715 | 99.999068 | 4 | Punjab |
5 | Dhruv Advani | 2712450104 | 715 | 99.999068 | 5 | Karnataka |
6 | Surya Siddharth N | 4101060193 | 715 | 99.999068 | 6 | Tamil Nadu |
7 | Shriniketh Ravi | 3114130288 | 715 | 99.999068 | 7 | Maharashtra |
8 | Swayam Shakti Tripathy | 3604180344 | 715 | 99.999068 | 8 | Odisha |
9 | Varun S | 4102030633 | 715 | 99.999068 | 9 | Tamil Nadu |
10 | Parth Khandelwal | 3903170245 | 715 | 99.999068 | 10 | Rajasthan |
Here is the list of the top 10 candidates in NEET (UG) – 2022:
S. No. | Candidate Name | Roll Number | Total Marks | Percentile | NEET Rank | State |
1 | Tanishka | 3905190306 | 715 | 99.9997733 | 1 | Rajasthan |
2 | Vatsa Ashish Batra | 2001350019 | 715 | 99.9997733 | 2 | Delhi (NCT) |
3 | Hrishikesh Nagbhushan Gangule | 2712130298 | 715 | 99.9997733 | 3 | Karnataka |
4 | Rucha Pawashe | 2701140052 | 715 | 99.9997733 | 4 | Karnataka |
5 | Errabelly Sidharth Rao | 4204010052 | 711 | 99.9997166 | 5 | Telangana |
6 | Rishi Vinay Balse | 3110320171 | 710 | 99.9992066 | 6 | Maharashtra |
7 | Arpit Narang | 1601050034 | 710 | 99.9992066 | 7 | Punjab |
8 | Krishna S R | 4122020826 | 710 | 99.9992066 | 8 | Karnataka |
9 | Zeel Vipul Vyas | 2209040165 | 710 | 99.9992066 | 9 | Gujarat |
10 | Haziq Parveez Lone | 2508010476 | 710 | 99.9992066 | 10 | Jammu & Kashmir |
Here is the list of the top 10 candidates in NEET (UG) – 2021:
S. No. | Candidate Name | Roll Number | Total Marks | Percentile | NEET Rank | State |
1 | Mrinal Kutteri | 4201113147 | 720 | 99.999806 | 1 | Telangana |
2 | Tanmay Gupta | 2001012341 | 720 | 99.999806 | 1 | Delhi (NCT) |
3 | Karthika G Nair | 3114010091 | 720 | 99.999806 | 1 | Maharashtra |
4 | Aman Kumar Tripathi | 3905004441 | 716 | 99.999741 | 4 | Uttar Pradesh |
5 | Jashan Chhabra | 2707002547 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Karnataka |
6 | Deepak Sahu | 4411109202 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Uttar Pradesh |
7 | Shubham Agarwal | 4409008060 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Uttar Pradesh |
8 | Nikhar Bansal | 4410007356 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Delhi (NCT) |
9 | Suyash Arora | 1601009298 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Haryana |
10 | Meghan H K | 2708015146 | 715 | 99.998705 | 5 | Karnataka |
Here is the list of the top 10 candidates in NEET (UG) – 2020:
S. No. | Candidate Name | Roll Number | Total Marks | Percentile | NEET Rank | State |
1 | Soyeb Aftab | 3905115049 | 720 | 99.9998537 | 1 | Odisha |
2 | Akanksha Singh | 4405121083 | 720 | 99.9998537 | 2 | Delhi |
3 | Tumala Snikitha | 4201122291 | 715 | 99.9995611 | 3 | Telangana |
4 | Vineet Sharma | 3903205561 | 715 | 99.9995611 | 4 | Rajasthan |
5 | Amrisha Khaitan | 2302112104 | 715 | 99.9995611 | 5 | Haryana |
6 | Guthi Chaitanya Sindhu | 1205004532 | 715 | 99.9995611 | 6 | Andhra Pradesh |
7 | Satwik Godara | 2001210356 | 711 | 99.9994879 | 7 | Haryana |
8 | Srijan R | 4108003171 | 710 | 99.9985369 | 8 | Tamil Nadu |
9 | Karthik Reddy | 2705014153 | 710 | 99.9985369 | 9 | Karnataka |
10 | Matravadia Maanit | 2207005077 | 710 | 99.9985369 | 10 | Gujarat |
PhysicsWallah (PW) has been a part of the journey for many students preparing for NEET UG over the years. Each year, the incredible achievements of PWians inspire millions of students, proving that with determination, hard work, and the right guidance, success is within reach.
Past Years Topper List by PhysicsWallah | |
Name | Marks |
2024 | |
Arindam Chowdhury | 715 |
Chand Mallik | 715 |
Tathagat Awatar | 715 |
Suhani | 712 |
Biplab Karak | 711 |
Kunwar Digvijay Singh | 710 |
Sumit Jakhar | 710 |
Subham Paul | 710 |
Vidhey Dave | 710 |
Karan Garg | 710 |
2023 | |
Samuel H. Tsapa | 711 |
Nishant Sharma | 710 |
Vaibhav Golani | 710 |
Prayas Rout | 710 |
Palak Shah | 705 |
Md Rejaullah | 705 |
Anik Bakshi | 701 |
Asmita R. Kadam | 700 |
The table above presents the year-wise data of candidates who appeared and qualified in the NEET UG exam from 2020 to 2024. It highlights the number of Indian and international candidates who appeared for the exam and successfully qualified across various years. This data provides a clear view of the trends and performance in NEET UG over the past five years.
Result Analysis in NEET Past 5 Years | ||||||||||
Nationality | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
Appeared | Qualified | Appeared | Qualified | Appeared | Qualified | Appeared | Qualified | Appeared | Qualified | |
Indian | 2,330,090 | 2,036,316 | 1,144,399 | 868,483 | 1,762,476 | 991,629 | 1,542,099 | 868,483 | 1,365,154 | 770,201 |
Foreign Nationals | 1,122 | 786 | 521 | 427 | 676 | 424 | 695 | 427 | 424 | 256 |
NRI | 1,214 | 852 | 533 | 736 | 851 | 558 | 962 | 736 | 854 | 600 |
OCI | 736 | 642 | 523 | 428 | 568 | 458 | 519 | 428 | 481 | 418 |
PIO | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 32 | 25 |
Total | 2,333,162 | 2,038,596 | 1,145,976 | 771,500 | 1,764,571 | 993,069 | 1,366,945 | 771,500 | 1,366,945 | 771,500 |
India has made substantial progress in increasing the number of medical seats. The total number of medical colleges has grown from 387 in 2014 to 780 in 2024. Below is the state-wise seat distribution:
State | MBBS Seats |
Tamil Nadu | 11,225 |
Karnataka | 10,145 |
Maharashtra | 9,895 |
Uttar Pradesh | 9,053 |
Gujarat | 5,700 |
Andhra Pradesh | 5,335 |
Telangana | 5,040 |
Rajasthan | 4,005 |
West Bengal | 4,225 |
Delhi | 1,497 |
The NEET UG exams over the past few years have displayed varying levels of difficulty across different subjects. Each year has brought unique challenges for aspirants, influencing preparation strategies and exam expectations. Here's a breakdown of the paper analysis for the past few years:
The NEET 2024 exam was generally considered moderate to difficult . The Physics and Chemistry sections were slightly more lengthy, but relatively easier compared to last year. Physics included more NCERT-based questions, particularly from class 11, with a focus on Thermodynamics and Optics. The Chemistry section was deemed easier than the previous year, although Physical Chemistry posed a higher level of difficulty. Biology remained moderate, with most questions derived from the NCERT curriculum.
NEET 2024 Paper Analysis | NEET 2024 Chemistry Paper Analysis |
NEET 2024 Biology Paper Analysis | NEET 2024 Physics Paper Analysis |
The NEET UG 2023 exam presented an overall difficulty level that ranged from moderate to tough , with Physics and Chemistry being the more challenging sections, while Biology remained easier. The Physics section was considered easy to moderate, requiring a solid understanding of key concepts. Chemistry, on the other hand, was moderately difficult, with Physical Chemistry posing more of a challenge than Organic or Inorganic Chemistry. The Biology section was moderately easy, with the majority of the questions being closely aligned with the NCERT syllabus, making it relatively more accessible for students well-prepared with the textbook material.
The overall difficulty level of the 2022 exam was easy to moderate . While the Physics section remained similar to previous years, Chemistry and Biology were found to be more challenging than in 2021. The chemistry paper saw questions across physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry topics, and the Biology section included questions primarily from the NCERT syllabus.
The NEET 2021 exam posed challenges, particularly in Physics , where the difficulty level was considered difficult due to a higher number of numerical-based questions. Topics like Optics, Semi-Conductors, and the Photoelectric Effect were tricky. Chemistry was NCERT-based, ranging from easy to moderate. In Biology, both Botany and Zoology sections were mostly based on NCERT, with Botany being easier and Zoology moderately difficult. Biotechnology questions made up about 11-12 of the total questions.
The NEET 2020 exam presented a mixed difficulty level . The Physics section was considered easy compared to previous years, with a large portion of the questions directly from the NCERT textbook. In contrast, the Biology section, especially Botany, had a higher difficulty level, with two controversial questions. Zoology was generally moderate but required precision and multi-conceptual thinking.
Each year's NEET exam has had a blend of easy, moderate, and difficult questions across subjects, with a strong emphasis on the NCERT syllabus. This trend shows how students must be well-prepared in both conceptual knowledge and practical application.
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