NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Time Duration, Questions & Marking Scheme

Understanding the NEET Exam Pattern 2026 is necessary for planning smart and score-focused preparation. The exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and is expected to continue with the revised pre-COVID structure, as followed in NEET 2025.

NEET 2026 will consist of 180 compulsory questions, conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode, with a total duration of 3 hours.

NEET Exam Pattern 2026 – Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Exam Mode	Offline (OMR-based)
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Total Questions	180 (All compulsory)
Total Marks	720
Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)
Subjects	Physics (45), Chemistry (45), Biology (90)
Question Type	MCQs (+4 / −1)
Languages	13 languages

This pattern removes optional questions, allowing students to focus on complete syllabus coverage.

NEET Exam Duration 2026

NEET 2026 will be conducted for 180 minutes (3 hours).

Important points:

No sectional time limits
Time must be managed across all subjects
Approx. 1 minute per question is ideal for accuracy

Number of Questions in NEET 2026

NEET has 180 mandatory MCQs, divided equally across subjects.

Subject	Number of Questions
Physics	45
Chemistry	45
Botany	45
Zoology	45
Total	180

There are no optional or internal choices, making preparation more structured.

NEET Exam Pattern 2026 – Total Marks

Subject	Questions	Marks
Physics	45	180
Chemistry	45	180
Botany	45	180
Zoology	45	180
Total	180	720

NEET 2026 Marking Scheme

Response Type	Marks
Correct Answer	+4
Incorrect Answer	−1
Unanswered	0
Multiple Answers	−1

Once marked on the OMR sheet, responses cannot be changed
If multiple answers are later declared correct, full marks are awarded to all valid responses

Subject-Wise Weightage for NEET 2026

Physics Weightage (Approximate)

Major focus areas include Mechanics, Current Electricity, Magnetism, Modern Physics, and Optics.

High-weight chapters:

Properties of Bulk Matter
Current Electricity
Laws of Motion
Magnetic Effects of Current
Atoms Nuclei

Chemistry Weightage Overview

Physical Chemistry

Solutions
Electrochemistry
Chemical Kinetics
Thermodynamics

Inorganic Chemistry

Chemical Bonding
p-block d-block elements
Coordination Compounds

Organic Chemistry

Hydrocarbons
Carbonyl Compounds
Amines
Biomolecules

Balanced preparation across all three chemistry sections is recommended.

Biology Weightage (Highest Scoring)

Biology carries 50% of the paper, split evenly.

Class XI Focus Areas

Human Physiology
Diversity in Living Organisms
Cell Structure Function

Class XII Focus Areas

Genetics Evolution
Reproduction
Ecology Environment

Biology is usually lengthy but high-scoring if NCERT is followed strictly.

NEET 2026 Question Paper Format

All questions are MCQs with four options
Only one correct answer
OMR sheet must be filled using black ballpoint pen
Biology is calculation-free but time-consuming
Physics is concept-based and often toughest

NEET 2026 Language Options

NEET 2026 is expected in 13 languages:
English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Language rules:

English medium → English paper
Hindi medium → Hindi + English
Regional medium → Regional language + English
In case of mismatch, English version is final

How to Avoid Negative Marking in NEET

Avoid blind guessing
Attempt only confident questions
Read statements carefully
Prioritise accuracy over speed
Solve easy questions first

NEET 2026 Difficulty Level (Expected)

Subject	Difficulty
Physics	Tough
Chemistry	Moderate
Biology	Easy but lengthy

NEET 2026 Updates Changes

As of now, no major changes are expected in NEET 2026 exam pattern compared to 2025. Any official update released by NTA will be reflected immediately.