The National Testing Agency (NTA) holds the “National Eligibility and Entrance Test” (NEET) every year in May for admission to various undergraduate medical programs in Indian colleges. NEET is the only gateway for students to get admission to approved or recognized medical colleges or universities to pursue undergraduate degrees such as MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery), BSMS (Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery), BUMS (Bachelor in Unani Medicine and Surgery), BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine, and Surgery), etc. It has officially replaced the former All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Delhi.
The exam is conducted in the following regional languages besides English: Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Urdu, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Malayalam, Odia, Tamil, and Telugu. In addition to standard medical courses, the NEET score can be utilized for admission to the B.Sc. (Honors) Nursing program as well as the Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry programs at accredited veterinary colleges. NEET offers over 90,000 medical schools and colleges throughout India.
The duration of the exam is 180 minutes, and the candidates have to attempt 180 questions out of 200 questions that are based on physics, chemistry, and biology. The total marks are 720 and the minimum required marks to pass NEET for the general category is 720–138, whereas for SC, ST and OBC it is 137–108. Each question in NEET carries four marks, and one mark gets deducted for every wrong answer.
This post by Shiksha discusses in detail the eligibility criteria and the application fees for NEET 2022. If you are planning your career in the medical field, then clearing the NEET exam should be your priority to get admissions into the top medical colleges in India.
Note: The NTA has yet to release the registration dates for the NEET 2022 exam. However, it is likely to begin in May 2022.
NEET Exam Eligibility
Candidates must check the NTA’s eligibility criteria to ensure that they are eligible to take the exam. The general NEET exam eligibility requirements for taking the exam are as follows.
- A candidate should be an Indian citizen or a person who is of Indian origin and has settled in foreign countries, like Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), and Foreign Nationals can also apply.
- The minimum age requirement is 17 years at the time of admission. However, there is no upper age limit for the NEET exam and there are no restrictions on the number of attempts.
- Applicants should have completed 10+2 or equivalent education from recognized schools or institutes.
- The candidate ought to be from the science stream with physics, chemistry, and biology as compulsory subjects in their higher secondary.
- The students who have appeared for their final HSC board exam and are awaiting results are also eligible to apply for NEET.
- Students should secure a minimum of 50% in the physics, chemistry, and biology qualifying exam (40% for ST, SC, and OBC candidates and 45% for PWD candidates).
NEET Application Fee
The registration process for NEET 2022 is through online mode, hence candidates should make sure that they have a stable internet connection while doing the registration. The entire registration process is divided into two phases. Payment of the application fee comes in the first phase.
The NEET 2022 application fee for the respective categories is given below:
| Category | NEET application fee |
| General | INR 1,500 |
| OBC | INR 1,400 |
| ST, SC, and PWD | INR 800 |
The NEET application fee has to be paid through an online mode such as credit card, debit card, net banking, and other UPI payment methods. Applicants should note that the transaction and processing fees levied are to be paid separately from the application fee. Candidates will be contacted through SMS and email after completing the registration process and paying the fee. Students should take note that the application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Also, NTA is not responsible for any failure or reversal of the payment.
Check NEET Application Process here at https://www.shiksha.com/medicine-health-sciences/neet-exam-application-form
It is advisable for the candidates to go through the NEET 2022 eligibility criteria and application fee thoroughly before proceeding with their applications. Solving mock tests and previous year’s question papers is also helpful in cracking an objective type exam such as NEET. We wish everyone all the best for their upcoming NEET 2022 exam preparations.
