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How many questions are in NEET?
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NEET-UG has 180 questions, and all of them are compulsory: 45 in Physics, 45 in Chemistry and 90 in Biology (45 Botany and 45 Zoology). Each is a multiple-choice question with one correct answer, worth 4 marks, for a total of 720 marks in 3 hours. This has been the format since NEET 2025 and was followed in the valid NEET 2026 exam on 21 June.
The count by subject
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 45 | 180 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 180 |
| Botany | 45 | 180 |
| Zoology | 45 | 180 |
| Total | 180 | 720 |
Biology is half the paper. That is why tie-breaking rules look at Biology marks first, as covered in what happens if two students get the same NEET score.
Why you may have read 200
From 2021 to 2024, the paper had 200 questions, with optional questions in Section B, and you answered 180 of them in 200 minutes. From NEET 2025 onward, there is no Section B, no choice, and the time is 180 minutes. If an article, a mock test or a solved paper still says "200 questions" or "3 hours 20 minutes", it is describing the older format.
| Feature | 2021 to 2024 | 2025 onward |
|---|---|---|
| Questions in paper | 200 | 180 |
| Questions to answer | 180 | 180 |
| Duration | 200 minutes | 180 minutes |
| Optional questions | Yes | None |
Time per question
Three hours for 180 questions is one minute per question on average. In practice, Biology questions are quicker and Physics numericals take longer, so plan your time by subject. The NEET time management guide gives a round-by-round approach.
Marking and 2027
A correct answer earns 4 marks, a wrong answer loses 1 and an unanswered question scores 0 (how negative marking works).
For 2027, the Union Education Minister has announced a move to computer-based testing and said the 720-mark format stays. NTA has not yet published the 2027 bulletin, so the number of questions and the duration are not confirmed for 2027. Prepare for 180 questions in 3 hours and re-check when the bulletin is out. The complete pattern is on NEET exam pattern.
PrepMatic's full-length NEET mocks are built to match the real paper's length.
Official source
The pattern is stated in the NEET (UG) information bulletin issued by NTA at neet.nta.nic.in. Confirm the numbers in the latest bulletin.
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- NEET exam patternThe NEET-UG pattern: 180 compulsory questions, 720 marks, 3 hours, +4/−1 marking, 13 languages, OMR mode in 2026 and the computer-based test announced for 2027.
- Negative marking in NEETNEET-UG gives +4 for a right answer and −1 for a wrong one, with no penalty for blanks. See when guessing pays and how errors change your score.
- NEET time managementHow to split 180 minutes across 180 NEET questions: time budgets per subject, subject order, a three-round method, guessing maths and OMR habits.
- NEET 2027 computer-based?The Education Minister announced that NEET-UG goes computer-based from 2027 with 720 marks unchanged. What is confirmed, what is not, and how to prepare.
More in NEET
- Other-state students and TN MBBSTamil Nadu's state quota needs a TN Nativity Certificate. Other-state students can compete for the 15% All India Quota, and some count as Open Category.
- NRI and OCI students and NEETNRIs, OCI/PIO cardholders and foreign nationals can apply for NEET-UG. How OCI/PIO candidates are treated in Tamil Nadu and where the NRI quota sits.
- NEET tie-breaking rulesNEET-UG ties are broken by Biology marks first, then Chemistry, Physics and fewer wrong answers. Age and application number are no longer used. The full order.
- NEET qualifying percentileNEET-UG qualifies the 50th percentile for General and EWS, the 40th for SC, ST and OBC, the 45th for General-PwBD. See what that meant in marks in 2024 to 2026.
- NEET exam languagesNEET-UG is held in 13 languages. English, Hindi and Urdu are at every centre, regional languages only in their own states. The rule that locks your choice.
- NEET attempts allowedRecent NEET-UG bulletins have reportedly set no cap on attempts. What a repeat year involves, how the 2026 re-exam fits, and where to confirm the rule.
- NEET age limitNEET-UG needs you to be 17 on or before 31 December of the admission year. How the date works, what is reported on an upper age limit and what to verify.
- State Board students and NEETNEET-UG follows the NMC syllabus aligned with NCERT, not a school board, so State Board students sit the same paper. What to check and how to close any gap.