Rules for Changing Exam City Preference in NEET
Rules for Changing Exam City Preference in NEET have been updated by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Candidates' present and permanent addresses will now determine their exam city. Applicants must choose up to three cities close to these verified addresses. Aadhaar-based eKYC and live photograph capture are now mandatory to prevent address misuse and ensure closer exam centre allocations.
Rules for Changing Exam City Preference in NEET have been updated by the National Testing Agency (NTA . These updates, effective from February 9, 2026, will now determine exam cities based on candidates' present and permanent addresses. This change impacts approximately 24–26 lakh students expected to take the NEET UG exam this year. The aim is to streamline the allocation process and enhance security.
Rules for Changing Exam City Preference in NEET
NEET UG 2026 has eliminated flexible exam city changes under new NTA rules, tying allocations strictly to your Aadhaar-registered address for transparency and to curb cheating. No post-submission modifications allowed and update Aadhaar beforehand or face distant centers.
No Choice After Application Submission
Candidates can no longer select 3-4 preferred cities during registration like past years. The system auto-assigns the nearest available center matching your Aadhaar address, verified against Class 10 marksheet details. Once the city intimation slip drops (10-15 days pre-exam), that city locks and no requests, helpline pleas, or correction windows for location swaps.
This shift , targets impersonation by keeping rural/small-town students local, preventing urban overcrowding. Mismatches (name/DOB/address) reject your form outright, so sync documents at UIDAI centers now.
Pre-Application Prep Steps
Verify Aadhaar reflects current residence. During March-April 2026 registration, eKYC via live photo confirms details and no edits post-payment.
NEET 2026 New Exam City Selection Rules
As per the new NEET 2026 exam city selection rules, the chosen exam city will align with the candidate's present and permanent address. These addresses must be accurately stated in the application form. NTA has implemented Aadhaar-based eKYC and live photograph capture for identity verification. These measures aim to prevent the use of fake addresses. They also ensure students receive exam centres closer to their verified locations. This update addresses concerns regarding exam city discrepancies.
NEET Exam City Selection: Previous vs New Rules (2025 vs 2026)
Significant changes have been made to the NEET UG exam city selection process. The table below highlights the key differences between the NEET 2025 and NEET 2026 rules. These revisions affect how candidates indicate their preferred exam locations.
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NEET Exam City Selection: Previous vs New Rules (2025 vs 2026) |
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|---|---|---|
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Criteria |
NEET 2025 (Previous Rules) |
NEET 2026 (New Rules)
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Basis of Exam City Selection |
Candidates could choose up to 4 preferred cities freely, irrespective of address. |
Applicants can only select exam cities close to their present and permanent address entered in the application form. |
|
Address Validation |
Manual entry with minimal cross-verification. |
System auto-verifies address through Aadhaar linkage. |
|
City Preference Flexibility |
High flexibility; candidates could pick any available city. |
Restricted to nearby cities matching verified addresses. |
|
Purpose of Change |
Convenience-based selection. |
To ensure fair, location-based, and verified center allocation. |
Step-by-Step: Verify and Preparation for No-Change Rules
First, log into the application portal early and link your Aadhaar seamlessly and upload it during registration to trigger the address-based magic. Cross-check every detail against your Class 10 board certificate; even a spelling slip in "Nawābganj" could nix your shot, so visit UIDAI if corrections are due. No city preference form appears anymore, unlike past years' multi-choice lists.
Next, after submission, monitor your dashboard for the city intimation slip (usually 10-15 days pre-exam). It shows your allotted center and print it alongside your admit card. Travel light: centers are now hyper-local, so plan local stay if needed, but expect 20-50 km radius from your Aadhaar pincode.exception will only appear if the body flags an error, opening a short window via email alerts.
This no-change policy forces proactive prep, turning potential stress into streamlined focus.
NEET 2026 Exam City Selection Process
The process for selecting NEET 2026 exam cities is now more structured. Candidates must follow these steps to ensure their preferences are accurately registered and verified.
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Go to the official website, neet.nta.nic.in.
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Open the NEET 2026 registration window and complete Aadhaar-based eKYC.
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Fill in the present and permanent address correctly.
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The system will auto-generate a list of nearby NEET 2026 exam cities based on the provided addresses.
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Select any three preferred exam cities.
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Preview and submit the application form.
Documents Required for NEET 2026 Exam City Selection
For the NEET 2026 exam city selection, candidates primarily need their Aadhaar card. This is essential for the verification of the permanent address. No specific document is required as proof for the present address. Candidates must enter their present address carefully, as the NEET 2026 exam center will be allotted based on this information.