NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Updated Paper Structure, Question Format & Latest Changes

The National Testing Agency will release the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 along with the information brochure for the upcoming session. Since the exam structure was revised last year, no further changes are expected in the NEET 2026 format. The exam will have 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions, and the duration will remain 3 hours. Early awareness of the paper pattern helps candidates plan their preparation more effectively. The complete details on the NEET UG 2026 format, marking method, and subject-wise question count are given below.

NEET Exam Pattern 2026

NEET UG 2026 will continue with the revised format, which matches the pre-COVID structure. The test will carry 180 mandatory questions, without any optional sections or extra time. The paper will cover Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, carrying a total of 720 marks, and will be held in offline mode for 180 minutes. Candidates should review the NEET UG exam pattern to understand the marking system and subject distribution to prepare accurately.

NEET 2026 Exam Pattern: Key Points

Previous years’ question papers and mock tests remain the best sources to understand the latest pattern. NEET mock tests mirror the real exam format and help students practice time management and question approach strategies. A summary of the NEET UG paper structure is given in the table below.

Parameters – Details

• Name of Examination: National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)

• Conducting Body: National Testing Agency

• Exam Type: Single-day exam

• Total Sections: 4

• Mode: Pen-and-paper

• Subjects: Biology (Botany + Zoology), Physics, Chemistry

• Duration: 3 hours (2 PM – 5 PM)

• Total Questions: 180

• Section-wise Questions: Biology (45 + 45), Physics (45), Chemistry (45)

• Question Type: MCQ, OMR-based

• Medium: 13 languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Oriya, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Urdu)

• Total Marks: 720

• Marking Scheme: +4 for correct answer, –1 for incorrect answer

Major Changes Reflected in NEET UG Exam Pattern 2026

The changes made over the last two years continue in 2026:

1. Removal of Optional Questions

Earlier, each subject included five optional questions. This has been discontinued, and all 180 questions are now compulsory.

2. Reduced Duration

Earlier the exam lasted 200 minutes. The extra 20 minutes have been removed, making the duration 3 hours (180 minutes).

3. Reduction of Syllabus

A total of 18 chapters were removed two years ago. The syllabus now includes 79 chapters.

4. Removal of Section A and B

Subjects previously contained Section A (35 questions) and Section B (15 questions with 5 optional). This format has been scrapped. Each subject now contains a single set of 45 mandatory questions.

NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Subject-wise Questions & Marks

NEET 2026 Marking Scheme

NEET UG 2026 follows a fixed marking method:

Each correct answer carries four marks. One mark is deducted for every wrong attempt. No marks are deducted for unattempted questions. If multiple responses are marked on the OMR sheet, the answer is treated as incorrect.

NEET 2026 Exam Duration

The NEET UG exam will be held in a single shift lasting 3 hours (2 PM – 5 PM). The exam previously ran for 200 minutes but has now been standardized to 180 minutes. Any updates regarding NEET Exam Pattern 2026 will be added as released.