If you have been practising on old NEET papers, you may have noticed something odd: some of them have 200 questions. This post explains why, what the paper looks like now, and what that means for how you practise.
The pattern now
| Questions | 180, all compulsory |
| Marks | 720 |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Marking | +4 right, −1 wrong, 0 left blank |
| Subjects | Physics 45 · Chemistry 45 · Botany 45 · Zoology 45 |
Every question is single-correct multiple choice with four options. Biology is set as one section of 90 questions, but it is really two subjects, Botany and Zoology, and it is worth tracking them separately: a strong Zoology score can hide a weak Botany one until it is too late.
What the 2021–2024 papers did
From 2021 to 2024 each subject had two sections. Section A had 35 questions, all compulsory. Section B had 15, of which you answered any 10. So the paper showed 200 questions but counted 180, and in 2024 you had 200 minutes for it.
From 2025 the NTA removed Section B and the choice with it. The paper went back to its earlier shape: 180 questions, all compulsory, in 180 minutes.
What this means for practice: a paper from 2021 to 2024 is still good practice, but sit it as 180 questions in 180 minutes, not 200 in 200. Our mocks are built on the current pattern.
What happened in 2026
NEET (UG) 2026 was held on 3 May 2026 and then cancelled after a paper-leak allegation that was referred to the CBI. A re-exam was held on 21 June 2026, with results on 16 July. Two things follow from that:
- If you are looking at a "2026 paper", check which one it is. The cancelled May paper and the June re-exam are different papers.
- There is public pressure on the NTA to move NEET to a computer-based test. At present it is a pen-and-paper exam. If it moves, the timing, marking and pattern stay the same — and you will already be used to sitting it on a screen.
Who sets what
The syllabus is published by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission, each cycle. The exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency. When the two publish something new, the bulletin on the NTA site is the source to trust; the chapter list on our NEET page follows it and is versioned, so a change never surprises you mid-year.
What to do with this
- Practise on the 180-question pattern, timed at 180 minutes.
- Treat Botany and Zoology as two subjects in your own tracking.
- Read the year's information bulletin once, properly, for eligibility, dates and the attempt rules. Nothing on a coaching website replaces it.
Checked against the official sources on 27 September 2026.