Reason for No 700+ Score in NEET 2025, Tough Paper, Exam Pattern and More

Reason for No 700+ Score in NEET 2025: The NEET 2025 exam was held on May 4, 2025, and the result was announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 14, 2025. This year, something surprising happened. In the history of NEET exams, there are always students who score 700 marks or more out of 720. But in NEET 2025, no student reached this score. The highest marks scored this year were 686, and the AIR 1 (All India Rank 1) student scored this.

This has made many students and parents wonder — why did no one score 700+ in NEET 2025? Was the paper too hard? Was something different this year? Let us try to understand the reasons here.

Also Check:

• NEET 2025 Toppers List
• NEET 2025 Cut Off
• NEET 2025 Counselling Process

Reason for No 700+ Score in NEET 2025

NEET 2025 was very different from previous years. Even though lakhs of students appeared, no one scored 700+. The topper of NEET 2025 got 686 marks, and that became the highest score this year. The Reason for No 700+ Score in NEET 2025 is not just one factor—it is a combination of various elements, including the tougher paper, exam pattern change, psychological pressure, and time management issues. Let us understand the key reasons behind this change in top scores:

Difficulty Level of NEET 2025 Exam 

One of the most important reasons was the overall difficulty level of the NEET 2025 paper. Experts and coaching institutes across India have agreed that NEET 2025 was the toughest exam since NEET 2016. Particularly, the Physics section was considered the most challenging in many years. It included high-level numerical questions, concept-based problems, and tricky one-liners that required not only strong fundamentals but also quick and accurate problem-solving.

Even top-performing students took longer than usual to attempt Physics, and many of them couldn't complete it with confidence. As a result, their total marks dropped significantly.

Also Check: NEET 2025 State‑Wise Qualified Trends

Changed Exam Pattern of NEET 2025 

Another major change introduced in NEET 2025 was the removal of Section B from the paper pattern. In previous years (NEET 2021–2024), students had the flexibility to choose 10 out of 15 questions in Section B of each subject. This provided a safety margin for avoiding tougher or doubtful questions.

But in NEET 2025, NTA made all 180 questions compulsory, meaning there was no internal choice. This increased the pressure on students. They had no option but to attempt every single question, regardless of its difficulty. For many, this led to mistakes and eventually, negative marking. This shift in structure directly impacted the final scores.

Negative Marking Impacted Student Scores 

In a high-stakes exam like NEET, negative marking always plays a critical role. However in NEET 2025, its impact was more pronounced because students had no optional questions to skip or leave. With all questions being compulsory, students had to attempt even the ones they were unsure about.

This pressure to attempt every question—especially under time constraints—resulted in a higher number of incorrect attempts, leading to increased deduction of marks. For high scorers, even 3–4 wrong questions can reduce the score significantly, preventing them from crossing the 700+ mark.

Also Check: How Many Students Appeared for NEET 2025?

Time Management Became Extremely Challenging

Another major reason for the dip in high scores was poor time management due to unexpected paper toughness. Most students reported that Physics consumed too much time, which left them with limited time to attempt Biology and Chemistry with full focus.

The surprise element of a tougher paper left students mentally drained mid-way. This disturbed their strategy, and many couldn’t complete the paper with the same energy or accuracy. Even those who had prepared well academically couldn’t perform to their potential because of exam pressure and poor time division.

Concept-Based Questions and Less NCERT Dependency

Another noticeable change in NEET 2025 was the shift from NCERT-based direct questions to conceptual and application-based problems—especially in Physics and Chemistry. While Biology still had NCERT-aligned questions, many required interpretation and logical reasoning rather than rote memorization.

This shift meant that students who had only focused on reading and memorizing NCERT line-by-line found it difficult to solve unfamiliar, twisted questions in a short time. This raised the bar for scoring high and filtered out guesswork or surface-level preparation.

Psychological Pressure Due to No Optional Questions

Having no internal choice also created psychological pressure. In earlier papers, students had a buffer of choosing their strong areas. But NEET 2025 gave no such relief. Knowing that every question counts and can’t be skipped made students nervous and more prone to mistakes.

Even confident students were forced to attempt sections outside their comfort zone, which created self-doubt and impacted their speed and accuracy during the exam.

Also Check: How Many Students Registered for NEET 2025?

Strict Evaluation Standards

Though not officially confirmed by NTA, coaching experts believe that the evaluation process was stricter this year. Unlike previous years, where some ambiguous questions or bonus marks were provided, NEET 2025 had very clearly defined marking guidelines and little to no grace marks reported. This may have further contributed to the overall low top scores.

NEET 2025 Toppers and Their Score

This year, the topper of NEET 2025 scored 686 marks. This is the highest score in NEET 2025. Compared to previous years, this is a big drop in top scores. Let’s take a look at the previous years.

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