NEET 2026: Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Free Practice
NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate)
NEET UG is the single national entrance exam for undergraduate medical courses in India — MBBS, BDS and AYUSH — conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is a 720-mark, single-shot paper, and because Biology alone carries 360 of those marks, it is an exam won on NCERT mastery and Biology accuracy.
This is a working reference for NEET: the exact paper pattern and marking scheme, the full Class 11 and 12 syllabus by subject, and a practice plan — with free chapter-wise NCERT MCQs and full-length mock tests you can start right now.
NEET exam pattern at a glance
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
|---|---|
| Mode | Pen-and-paper (OMR), offline |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany + Zoology) |
| Total questions | 180 — all compulsory |
| Subject split | Physics 45 · Chemistry 45 · Biology 90 (Botany 45 + Zoology 45) |
| Total marks | 720 — Physics 180 · Chemistry 180 · Biology 360 |
| Marking | +4 correct · −1 wrong · 0 unattempted |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Syllabus | NCERT Class 11 & 12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology |
Each correct answer is +4, each wrong answer is −1, and blanks score 0. Since 2025 all 180 questions are compulsory — the earlier option to skip 15 questions per subject is gone — so there is no room to dodge weak areas. With roughly one minute per question, NEET rewards fast, confident recall and a disciplined skip decision on anything you are genuinely unsure of, because a single wrong guess is a two-mark swing (+4 you miss, −1 you take).
NEET syllabus & free chapter-wise practice
The NEET syllabus is the NCERT Class 11 and 12 syllabus for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Biology in particular is close to 85–90% NCERT and rewards line-by-line mastery. Below, each subject links straight to free chapter-wise practice; the difficulty tiers sit a notch above the real paper, including AIIMS-style stingers in the Hard sets.
Biology
Half the exam — 90 questions, 360 marks. This is where rank is decided. NCERT Botany and Zoology, mastered line by line with heavy MCQ drilling, is the single highest-yield habit in all of NEET prep.
Chemistry
The fastest-scoring section for most aspirants. Physical is numerical, Inorganic is direct NCERT recall, Organic is mechanism-based — all three reward NCERT-faithful practice.
Physics
The most feared section, and the one that separates ranks at the top. It is application-heavy; steady problem practice under a timer is the only reliable fix.
How to prepare for NEET
NEET is an accuracy-and-recall exam built on NCERT. Most aspirants lose rank not because they don't understand the theory, but because they can't convert it into fast, correct answers under a timer — which is a practice problem, not a lectures problem.
- Master NCERT Biology line by line, then drill each chapter with MCQs the same day you finish it.
- Always practise with negative marking on — train the skip-vs-attempt instinct, because a wrong guess is a two-mark swing.
- Keep a one-line error log and review it the same day; NEET mistakes cluster around a few recurring traps.
- From two months out, do one full 180-question timed mock every week in your real exam slot, and analyse every mistake.
- In the final month, revise from concept notes and past papers only — no new material.
Why Biology decides your NEET rank
With 90 questions and 360 marks, Biology is worth as much as Physics and Chemistry combined. It is also the most NCERT-faithful and therefore the most scorable section — a student who has genuinely mastered NCERT Botany and Zoology can convert almost all 90 questions. That is why NEET toppers treat Biology as non-negotiable marks and use Physics and Chemistry to build the lead, not to rescue a weak Biology score.
NEET — frequently asked questions
What is the NEET 2026 exam pattern?+
NEET UG has 180 compulsory questions for 720 marks — Physics 45, Chemistry 45 and Biology 90 (Botany 45 + Zoology 45). Marking is +4 for correct, −1 for wrong and 0 for unattempted, in a 3-hour pen-and-paper exam.
How is NEET marked, and is there negative marking?+
Yes. Each correct answer is +4, each wrong answer is −1, and blanks score 0. Since 2025 all 180 questions are compulsory, so there are no optional questions to skip your weak areas with.
How many questions are there in NEET?+
180 questions in total — 45 in Physics, 45 in Chemistry and 90 in Biology (45 Botany + 45 Zoology) — each carrying 4 marks, for a maximum of 720.
Is NCERT enough for NEET?+
For Biology, NCERT is roughly 85–90% of the paper and is close to sufficient if mastered line by line. For Physics and Chemistry, NCERT is the essential foundation but must be paired with ample numerical and application practice. Either way, NCERT-aligned chapter-wise MCQ practice is the highest-yield habit.
What is the NEET syllabus?+
The complete NCERT Class 11 and 12 syllabus for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. NEET does not test outside this syllabus, and Biology in particular follows NCERT very closely — which is why chapter-wise NCERT practice is the core of NEET preparation.
Can I prepare for NEET with a free app?+
Yes. A free NCERT-aligned practice platform plus a lecture source for new topics is a complete self-study stack. XamBaaz offers free chapter-wise Biology, Physics and Chemistry MCQs with worked explanations and full-length NEET mock papers with real +4/−1 marking, running in any mobile browser with no download.
Start free NEET practice
Free chapter-wise NCERT MCQs with worked explanations, plus full-length NEET mock tests. No download — it runs in any browser.
Read next: NEET preparation guide · JEE Main guide · CBSE Boards guide