Courses
By Ankit Gupta
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Updated on 13 Oct 2025, 12:57 IST
The NEET 2026 exam pattern will be announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with the official notification, expected in February 2026. Based on the previous year, the exam will have 180 compulsory questions: 45 each from Physics and Chemistry, and 90 from Biology. Students will get 3 hours (180 minutes) to complete the paper.
In 2025, NTA revised the format back to the pre-COVID structure. Optional questions were removed, and the total number of questions reduced from 200 to 180. The exam duration was also shortened from 200 minutes to 180 minutes. However, the mode of exam, subject-wise question distribution, and the marking system remained unchanged.
The NEET UG 2026 exam is expected to follow the same pattern as 2025, unless NTA introduces new changes. Candidates are advised to prepare according to this format and keep checking the official website neet.nta.nic.in
for updates regarding the exam date, application form, and detailed exam pattern.
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode of the examination | Offline |
| Duration of the examination | Three hours |
| Exam timing | 2 PM to 5 PM (as per Indian Standard Time) |
| Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Total number of Questions | 180 |
| Total Marks | 720 |
| Negative marking | Yes |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer 0 for unattempted questions |
| Total sections in the question paper | 4 (45 questions for each subject) |
| NEET Subjects | Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Botany + Zoology) |
| NEET Question Paper Mediums or Languages | 13 - English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam |
The NEET exam pattern has been updated to follow the pre-COVID format. The main changes are:
Do Check: NEET 2026 Exam Date
The detailed subject-wise question distribution for NEET 2026 is expected to remain the same as in the previous year. The exam will have a total of 180 compulsory questions, divided across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Physics will include 45 questions carrying 180 marks, while Chemistry will also have 45 questions with the same weightage. Biology, being the most important section, will have 90 questions and account for 360 marks—half of the total score.
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Biology | 90 | 360 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
In the latest format, the exam time is 3 hours (180 minutes). Students must complete the paper within this time. There are no optional questions or extra sections. Every question is compulsory. Unless NTA announces a change, NEET 2026 will follow the same duration as NEET 2025.
The NEET exam will have a total of 180 questions. These will come from three main subjects:
All 180 questions are mandatory. Students must prepare every chapter thoroughly, as there are no optional questions.
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CBSE
| Subject | Number of Questions | Marks |
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Biology | 90 | 360 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
Do Check: NEET 2026 Application Form
The marking system is straightforward but includes negative marking.
The maximum marks are 720. Students must mark answers carefully on the OMR sheet since changes are not allowed once an option is selected.
| Response Type | Marks Awarded |
| Correct answer | +4 |
| Incorrect answer | -1 |
| Unanswered question | 0 |
| Multiple responses selected | -1 |
| If all options are correct | +4 |
The total marks for NEET 2026 will be 720.
Biology carries the highest weightage, so students should give it extra focus while preparing.
Physics requires strong conceptual understanding and problem-solving speed. The approximate topic-wise distribution based on past trends is:
| Unit | Weightage (%) |
| Physical World and Measurement | 2% |
| Kinematics | 7% |
| Laws of Motion | 7% |
| Work, Energy and Power | 4% |
| System of Particles & Rotation | 4.5% |
| Gravitation | 4.5% |
| Properties of Bulk Matter | 9% |
| Oscillations and Waves | 7% |
| Thermodynamics | 4.5% |
| Behaviour of Perfect Gas, Kinetic | 2% |
| Electrostatics | 4% |
| Current Electricity | 9% |
| Magnetism | 7% |
| Electromagnetic Induction, AC | 4% |
| Electromagnetic Waves | 2% |
| Optics | 4.5% |
| Dual Nature of Matter | 4% |
| Atoms and Nuclei | 7% |
| Electronic Devices | 7% |
Do Check: NEET 2026 Syllabus
Chemistry has three main branches – Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry.
| Chapter | No. of Questions |
| Solid State | 2 |
| States of Matter | 2 |
| Thermodynamics | 1 |
| Electrochemistry | 2 |
| Surface Chemistry | 1 |
| Solutions | 2 |
| Chemical Kinetics | 2 |
| Nuclear Chemistry | 1 |
| Mole Concept | 1 |
| Atomic Structure | 1 |
| Ionic Equilibrium | 1 |
| Chapter | No. of Questions |
| Chemical Bonding | 5 |
| s-block | 2 |
| p-block | 3 |
| d and f block | 2 |
| Metallurgy | 2 |
| Environmental Chem | 1 |
| Coordination Compounds | 2 |
| Chapter | No. of Questions |
| Basic Principles & Techniques | 1 |
| Hydrocarbons | 4 |
| Haloalkanes & Haloarenes | 2 |
| Alcohol, Phenol & Ether | 1 |
| Carbonyl Compounds | 3 |
| Amines | 2 |
| Biomolecules | 1 |
| Polymers | 1 |
| Chemistry in Everyday Life | 1 |
Biology has the highest weightage and is the deciding factor for most students. It includes both Botany and Zoology.
| Unit | Approx. Weightage |
| Diversity of Living Organisms | 12% |
| Structural Organisation in Plants & Animals | 9% |
| Cell: Structure and Function | 8% |
| Plant Physiology | 8% |
| Human Physiology | 16% |
| Unit | Approx. Weightage |
| Reproduction | 11% |
| Genetics and Evolution | 13% |
| Biology and Human Welfare | 9% |
| Biotechnology and Applications | 4% |
| Ecology and Environment | 10% |
Do Check: NEET 2026 Admit Card
The NEET 2026 exam pattern offers candidates the option to choose their preferred language for the question paper. This allows students from different states and regions to attempt the exam in the language they are most comfortable with. English and Hindi are available at every exam centre across India, while other regional languages are provided only in specific states.
| Medium / Language | Availability in Exam Centres |
| English | Available in all cities and centres |
| Hindi | Available in all cities and centres |
| Urdu | Available in all cities and centres |
| Marathi | Available only in Maharashtra |
| Bengali | Available only in West Bengal |
| Gujarati | Available in Gujarat, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| Tamil | Available only in Tamil Nadu |
| Telugu | Available in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana |
| Kannada | Available only in Karnataka |
| Oriya (Odia) | Available only in Odisha |
| Assamese | Available only in Assam |
| Punjabi | Available in Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi |
| Malayalam | Available in Kerala and Lakshadweep |
According to NTA data from 2025, after English and Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Tamil were the most popular regional language choices among candidates.
The NEET 2026 exam pattern is expected to remain the same as NEET 2025. Last year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) made changes by removing optional questions and returning to the pre-COVID structure. This means the paper will again have 180 compulsory questions (45 each in Physics and Chemistry, and 90 in Biology) to be completed in 3 hours (180 minutes).
So far, NTA has not announced any new NEET UG 2026 exam pattern changes. The official notification with the detailed structure and marking scheme will likely be released in February 2026 along with the information bulletin. The exam itself is expected to be conducted in the first week of May 2026.
Do Check: NEET 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Students should note that the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 marking system will continue to follow the same rule: +4 marks for each correct answer and -1 mark for every wrong answer. The exam will also be held in 13 languages, including English, Hindi, and regional languages.
As of now, the NTA NEET Exam Pattern 2026 shows no changes, but students are advised to keep checking the official website neet.nta.nic.in for the latest updates and to download the official PDF when it is released.
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The exam pattern of NEET 2026 will have 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions. These will be divided into Physics (45), Chemistry (45), and Biology (90). The total marks will be 720, and the exam duration will be 3 hours. This structure is part of the NTA NEET Exam Pattern 2026.
Biology has the maximum weightage in the NEET 2026 Pattern with 90 questions, carrying 360 marks. Physics and Chemistry each have 45 questions worth 180 marks. This makes Biology the most important section in the NEET UG exam pattern.
The Pattern of the NEET 2026 Exam confirms it will be conducted in offline mode (pen-and-paper). Candidates must mark their answers on an OMR sheet. As of now, there is no official update on a computer-based format for NEET 2026.
Yes, the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 Marking System includes negative marking. Candidates will get +4 marks for every correct answer and -1 mark for every wrong answer. Unanswered questions will get zero marks.
No, there are no optional questions in the NEET 2026 exam pattern. Earlier, each subject had optional questions in Section B, but according to the neet ug 2026 revised exam pattern, all 180 questions will now be compulsory.
The total marks in the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 will be 720. Physics and Chemistry each contribute 180 marks, while Biology carries 360 marks.
The paper pattern for NEET 2026 provides 180 minutes (3 hours) to answer 180 questions. On average, students get 1 minute per question.
As per the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 Marking System, if two answers are marked for a single question, it will be treated as incorrect. Even if one option is correct, no marks will be given, and -1 will be deducted.
No, leaving a question unanswered will not affect your score. The exam pattern of NEET 2026 awards zero marks for unattempted questions.
According to the NTA NEET Exam Pattern 2026, the test will be held in 13 languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Kannada, Malayalam, and Punjabi.
Yes. Students who select Hindi in the application form will receive the question paper in Hindi. As per the NEET UG exam pattern, it will also include English alongside Hindi for bilingual clarity.
No. The exam pattern of NEET does not require students to pass subjects individually. The selection is based on overall marks out of 720.
As of now, there are no major neet ug 2026 exam pattern changes expected. The structure is the same as 2025: 180 questions, 3-hour duration, and no optional questions. Any official update will be released by NTA in the information bulletin.
Every correct answer in the exam pattern of NEET 2026 carries 4 marks. An incorrect answer deducts 1 mark. This negative marking system is part of the official NEET Exam Pattern 2026 Marking System.
The paper pattern for NEET 2026 confirms there will be 180 questions in total. Physics will have 45, Chemistry 45, and Biology 90. These are all compulsory as per the neet exam pattern.
