NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is the doorway for students who aspire to study any graduate medical course (MBBS) – Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, dental course (BDS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery or postgraduate course (MD / MS) in a reputed government or private medical colleges in India. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for MBBS and BDS courses, will be carried out by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This competitive examination has replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and all the other individual MBBS exams conducted by different states and colleges.
- From 2017 onwards, for taking admission intro MBBS or BDS course, in government or private medical colleges, NEET was made Mandatory.
- In 2018, government set up National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct NEET and other similar entrance exams.
Eligibility
- She/he should be 17 years old at the time of admission or should be 17 years of age on or before 31st December of the year of his/her admission to the 1st year MBBS/BDS Course and is must be an Indian national.
- The upper age limit for the candidates seeking admission under 15% All India Quota Seats is 25 years as on 31st December of the year of the entrance exam. This upper age limit shall be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes
Paper pattern
NEET consists of one paper with a total of 180 objective type questions (four options with single correct answer) from Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Botany & Zoology). These are to be answered on the specially devised machine-gradable sheet using Ball Point Pen only. The duration of paper shall be 03 hours. The total weightage of the paper is 720 marks. Each question will give you 4 marks if answered right and 1 mark will be is deducted for every wrong answer.
| SUBJECT | No. of Question | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Biology(Bot + Zoo) | 90 | 360 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
Medium of the Question Papers:
- Candidates can opt for Question Paper in anyone of the following languages:
- English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
- Candidates opting for English would be provided Test Booklet in English only.
- Candidates opting for Hindi would be provided Bilingual Test Booklet in English and Hindi.
- Candidates opting for Regional languages would also be provided Bilingual Test Booklet in selected Regional language and English.
Qualifying Criteria:
Marks in NEET:
- General Category – the minimum marks would be at 50th percentile in NEET
- SC/ST/OBC – the minimum marks would be at 40th percentile.
- GEN PH – the minimum marks would be at 45th percentile
- SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH – the minimum marks would be at 40th percentile
- The percentile shall be determined on the basis of highest marks secured in the All India common merit list in National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for admission to MBBS/BDS courses.
- Any candidate who fails to secure the minimum eligibility marks mentioned above will not be eligible for admission to MBBS/BDS courses.
MBBS/BDS seats available under different quotas through NEET
- All India Quota Seats
- State Government Quota Seats
- Central Institutions/Universities/Deemed Universities
- Central Pool Quota Seats
Admission Process:
Admission to MBBS/BDS Courses within the respective categories shall be based solely on All India Rank as per merit list of NEET. NTA will provide All India Rank. The admitting/counselling authorities will draw merit list of the candidates in the respective categories, declared by the candidates at the time of applying for admission/counseling.
Reservation of seats in government medical colleges under 15% All India Quota:
- 15% seats are reserved for SC candidates,
- 5% seats are reserved for ST candidates,
- 27% seats in Central Educational Institutions are reserved for OBC candidates
- Candidates under PwD category as per MCI guidelines:
Admission in State Medical Colleges / Universities / Institutions / private medical colleges for seats other than 15% All India Quota:
- Admission under State Quota Seats shall be subject to reservation policy and eligibility criteria prevailing in the State/Union Territory as notified by the respective State/Union Territory from time to time.
- Admission to MBBS/BDS Courses in Private Medical Colleges shall be subject to policies of the Government of India/State/Union Territory.
Pros of NEET:
- NEET replaces all entrance exams conducted separately by medical colleges.
- Eliminate malpractices in admission
- Bring transparency in admission in private medical colleges.
Cons of NEET:
- NEET exam is based on CBSE Syllabus and it is a disadvantage to students studying state syllabus
- Poor students from rural background cannot get coaching in coaching centers.
- NEET 2019 will be completely online so it was difficult for rural students.
Even though NEET has some loopholes now, It is one of the biggest reform in the medical education in India. In long run, it will benefit students and strengthens health sector of our country.
