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Engineer, CA

How to prepare

NEET-UG

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate). Run by National Testing Agency (NTA).

The exam
One 3-hour paper of 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions for 720 marks: Physics 45, Chemistry 45, Biology 90.
Opens
The single national entrance for MBBS, BDS and AYUSH degrees (BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, BHMS) across India, and its results are also used for B.Sc (Hons) Nursing at central institutes, the 15 per cent VCI quota for BVSc and AH (veterinary) seats, and, from 2027-28, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
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Your plan, step by step

  1. Now to March 2027 (rest of Class 11)

    NCERT first, in school order

    Read the NCERT Biology chapter the same week it is taught in school, line by line, and make your own short notes and labelled diagrams. For Physics, get the basics of motion, forces and energy right, then solve NCERT exercises and NCERT Exemplar. For Chemistry, master the mole concept and basic organic chemistry early, because later chapters build on them. Take one chapter test every week.

  2. April to June 2027 (summer before Class 12)

    Close the Class 11 gaps

    Revise all of Class 11, because the NEET syllabus covers both years and Class 11 fades fast in Class 12. Solve past NEET questions chapter by chapter. Start short timed practice on a computer screen, since NEET is expected to move to a computer-based test.

  3. July to December 2027 (Class 12)

    Class 12 NCERT plus a weekly Class 11 slot

    Study Class 12 NCERT with school, and keep one fixed slot every week to revise Class 11. Board study and NEET study overlap a lot in Biology and Chemistry, so do not treat them as two separate jobs. From October 2027, sit one full-length mock every week under exam timing.

  4. January to February 2028 (boards and practicals)

    Keep the NEET habit alive during boards

    Board exams need written answers, NEET needs quick choices. Keep at least one full NEET mock a week even in board season, and keep your error notebook going.

  5. March to April 2028

    Full mocks on a screen

    Take two or three full mocks a week, preferably on a computer, in the same time slot as the real exam. After each mock, spend longer checking mistakes than you spent writing it. Re-read NCERT Biology and inorganic chemistry again and again.

  6. Exam week

    Revise, rest, check the admit card

    No new books now. Revise your own notes and NCERT diagrams. Read the admit card and NTA's dress code and items list carefully. Sleep properly the night before.

This plan is advice from the author, not an official schedule. Adjust it to your school and your pace.

What the exam testsPapers, marks, marking and the syllabus

One 3-hour paper of 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions for 720 marks: Physics 45, Chemistry 45, Biology 90. Four marks for a right answer, minus one for a wrong one. In 2026 it was a pen-and-paper (OMR) test in a single shift. The Education Minister has said it will be a computer-based test (CBT) from 2027, but NTA has not yet published the details.

  • 180 questions, all compulsory, to be answered in 180 minutes (3 hours). There is no optional section. (NEET-UG 2026 bulletin)
  • Physics 45 questions (180 marks), Chemistry 45 (180 marks), Biology, that is Botany and Zoology, 90 (360 marks). Total 720 marks. Biology alone is half the paper.
  • Every question has four options and one correct or best answer.
  • Marking: +4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer, 0 if left blank. If a question is dropped, everyone who appeared gets 4 marks.
  • 2026 mode: a single-day, single-shift exam in pen-and-paper mode, as in 2025. The 21 June 2026 re-exam was also on paper, from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm including time for formalities.
  • The paper can be taken in 13 languages: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. A Hindi or regional-language booklet also carries English, and the English version is final if a translation is unclear.
  • Tie-break when marks are equal: higher marks in Biology first, then Chemistry, then Physics, then fewer wrong answers.
  • From 2027: on 15 May 2026 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said NEET would be a computer-based test from the next year (news reports). In July 2026 a news report said the CBT would be spread over at least six days at more than 1,000 centres. In September 2026 news reports said NTA had asked AICTE to list government institutes with computer labs, and NTA's Director General said NEET would move to CBT 'very soon' without naming a year. No official NTA notice on dates, shifts, score normalisation or a mock interface had been found by 27 September 2026.

When. Early May, on a Sunday afternoon: 4 May 2025 and 3 May 2026 (NTA bulletins). The 3 May 2026 exam was cancelled on 12 May 2026 and held again on 21 June 2026, with results on 16 July 2026. Dates for 2027 and 2028 have not been announced.

Syllabus. The syllabus is notified by the NMC and printed as Appendix III of the NTA bulletin. It follows the Class 11 and 12 Physics, Chemistry and Biology taught in school, which is why the NCERT textbooks are the base for almost every student. Check the NEET 2028 syllabus when it is published. (NEET-UG 2026 syllabus, NTA)

Source: NTA: Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2026Source: NTA: Syllabus for NEET (UG) 2026
Study materialFree official material first, then books

Free and official

Books students commonly use

Commonly used, not endorsed. Finish the free official material first.

  • NCERT Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Class 11 and 12 by NCERT

    The base for everything, above all Biology. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Concepts of Physics (Vol 1 and 2) by H.C. Verma

    Understanding Physics concepts, good for beginners. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Objective Physics by D.C. Pandey

    MCQ practice in Physics once basics are clear. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Physical Chemistry by O.P. Tandon

    Graded practice in physical chemistry. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Organic Chemistry by M.S. Chouhan

    Reaction mechanisms and conversion problems. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Objective Biology (Vol 1 and 2) by Trueman's

    Extra Biology MCQs after NCERT. Commonly used, not endorsed.

  • Objective NCERT at your Fingertips by MTG Editorial Board

    Chapter-wise NCERT-based MCQs for revision. Commonly used, not endorsed.

Source: Shiksha: Best books for NEET 2027 (not official)
Coaching: do you need it?Your options, how to choose, red flags

Self-study with free material

Free: NCERT books, SATHEE and NTA's mock tests cost nothing

Students who can keep a daily routine and have one teacher or senior to ask doubts. Many students reach a good NEET score this way, especially in Biology, which rewards careful NCERT reading more than tricks.

Online course or test series

Varies. Physics Wallah's own fee page (checked 27 September 2026) says online NEET courses start from Rs 2,999.

Students in small towns without a good centre nearby, or who need structure and full mocks but not daily travel. Needs a phone or laptop and steady internet.

Classroom coaching

Varies. No 2026-27 classroom fee was verified on an institute's own page.

Students who need a fixed timetable and face-to-face doubt clearing, and whose family can afford it without strain. It helps least when it replaces school, sleep or revision time, or when the batch is so large that no teacher knows the student.

How to choose a coaching centre

  • Attend two or three demo classes before paying anything. Judge the teacher, not the advertisement.
  • Ask for the full fee, the refund policy and the payment schedule in writing. The Ministry of Education's 2024 coaching guidelines ask centres to publish fees and refund rules and to refund on a pro rata basis if a student leaves.
  • Ask: who is your counsellor or psychologist, do you split batches by test marks, and where is the helpline displayed? The Supreme Court's July 2025 directions require institutions with 100 or more students to have a counsellor and not to split batches by marks.
  • Ask how many students sit in one batch and how doubts are cleared.
  • Ask whether their tests will be on a computer, since NEET is expected to become a computer-based test.
  • Check that class hours leave time for school and sleep. The 2024 guidelines suggest no more than 5 hours of coaching a day.

Red flags

  • A promise of guaranteed selection or a rank. The 2024 guidelines bar such promises.
  • Pressure to pay a full year or two years upfront, with no written refund policy.
  • Very large batches where teachers do not know students by name.
  • Batches reshuffled every month by test scores.
  • Topper posters that do not say which course the topper actually took.
  • Anyone selling 'leaked' or 'sure-shot' papers. The 2026 exam was cancelled over exactly this and the case went to the CBI.
Names families usually consider
  • Allen Career Institute. Publishes 2026-27 NEET course pages by city. 'Nurture' is a two-year course for students moving from Class 10 to 11, targeting NEET 2028. Fees did not display on the page. Source: Allen Ahmedabad: NEET courses 2026-27
  • Physics Wallah (online and Vidyapeeth centres). Its own fee page lists online NEET courses from Rs 2,999 and a Rs 5,000 seat-booking price for offline NEET batches. Source: Physics Wallah fee page
  • Aakash. Commonly considered national chain. No fee or course data verified.
  • Narayana. Commonly considered. No fee or course data verified.
  • Sri Chaitanya. Commonly considered. No fee or course data verified.
  • Motion. Commonly considered. No fee or course data verified.
  • Unacademy. Online platform, commonly considered. No fee or course data verified.
  • Vedantu. Online platform, commonly considered. No fee or course data verified.
  • Listed so you know the names, not ranked or endorsed. Visit, ask the questions above, and compare in writing.
Mocks and the last monthsPractice tests, final months, common mistakes

NTA's free mock tests are at nta.ac.in/Quiz (NEET is listed) and National Test Abhyas at nta.ac.in/Abhyas. NTA posts provisional and final answer keys for each NEET on neet.nta.nic.in. SATHEE has free NEET tests. Past NEET papers are widely available on coaching and publisher sites; solve at least the last five years under a 3-hour timer. Once NTA confirms the computer-based format, look for an official NEET CBT mock on neet.nta.nic.in.

  • Stop starting new books. Revise NCERT Biology line by line at least twice more; it is half the paper.
  • Take two or three full mocks a week in the same afternoon slot as the real exam, on a screen if you can.
  • Keep an error notebook: every wrong or guessed answer goes in, with the reason. Re-read it every Sunday.
  • Practise leaving questions. With minus 1 for a wrong answer, a blind guess on a 4-option question costs you on average.
  • Keep sleep, food and one short break every day. Tired students lose more marks than they gain by studying late.

Common mistakes

  • Using too many reference books and never finishing NCERT properly.
  • Ignoring Class 11 once Class 12 starts, even though the syllabus covers both years.
  • Taking mocks but not analysing them, so the same mistakes repeat.
  • Only practising on paper when the exam is moving to a computer screen.
  • Believing social-media 'news' about the exam instead of checking neet.nta.nic.in.
Who can sitAttempts, age, marks and subjects
  • Age: at least 17 years by 31 December of the year you sit NEET. For NEET 2026 this meant born on or before 31 December 2009. (2026 bulletin)
  • No upper age limit, per NMC letters of 9 March 2022 and 13 January 2026. (2026 bulletin)
  • The 2026 bulletin does not set any limit on the number of attempts.
  • Class 12 students can apply in the year they sit their boards, but must have passed Class 12 by the first round of counselling to get a seat.
  • Class 12 subjects: Physics, Chemistry and Biology or Biotechnology, with practicals, plus English. Since an NMC public notice of 22 November 2023, these may also be passed as additional subjects after Class 12 from a recognised board.
  • To be eligible for admission you must score at least the 50th percentile (General and EWS), the 40th percentile (SC, ST, OBC) or the 45th percentile (General PwBD). These are percentiles, not per cent marks.
  • Application fee 2026: Rs 1,700 (General), Rs 1,600 (General-EWS and OBC-NCL), Rs 1,000 (SC, ST, PwBD and third gender), Rs 9,500 for a centre outside India. The fee is not refunded, except that NTA refunded the fee for the cancelled 3 May 2026 exam.
  • Physiotherapy (BPT) and occupational therapy (BOT): the allied health commission NCAHP deferred the NEET requirement by one year, so NEET is reported to be required for these courses from 2027-28 (news report, not seen in an official notice).
Source: NTA: Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2026, Chapters 6 and 8

This exam leads to

MedicineDentistryAYUSHVeterinary scienceNursingPhysiotherapy and allied health

Want a plan for your own situation?

Tell Raahi your class, your marks and how many hours you have.

Plan my NEET-UG preparation
Sources, checked 27 September 2026

Rules change every year. Confirm each detail on the official site before you register or pay.