NEET UG 2025 to be conducted in pen & paper mode: National Testing Agency

Srinagar, Jan 16: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test or NEET (UG)-2025 will be conducted in Pen and Paper mode (OMR-based) in a single day and single shift. This decision aligns with the guidelines set by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

This decision comes after the education and health ministries had said last month that they were yet to decide whether the NEET-UG medical entrance exam for 2025 will be held in pen-and-paper mode or a Computer-Based Test (CBT). “The administrative ministry of NEET is the Health Ministry, and we are in talks with them to decide whether NEET should be conducted in pen-and-paper mode or online mode. We have already conducted two rounds of talks with the Health Ministry led by JP Nadda. Whatever option is deemed best for conducting the exam, the NTA is prepared to implement it," Pradhan had said. Now it has been confirmed that the exam will be continued in pen and paper format as usual.

NTA also announced that there will be a uniform NEET (UG) for admission to undergraduate courses in each of the disciplines including BAMS, BUMS, and BSMS courses of the Indian System of Medicine in all Medical Institutions governed under this Act. NEET (UG) will also apply for admission to the BHMS course under the National Commission for Homeopathy, the NTA said.

Furthermore, MNS (Military Nursing Service) aspirants seeking admission to B.Sc. Nursing Courses being conducted at Armed Forces Medical Service Hospitals for the year 2025 will also have to qualify for NEET (UG). The NEET (UG) score will be used for shortlisting for selection to the four-year B.Sc. Nursing course.

The online registration dates for the exam are yet to be announced. The exam covers Physics, Chemistry, and Biology curricula from Class 11 and 12 textbooks, administered in 13 languages. The NMC has revised the syllabus of NEET UG 2025. The detailed syllabus can now be accessed on the official website of NMC at nmc.org as well as on the official portal of NTA at nta.ac.in.

The exam is conducted for a duration of 3 hours 20 minutes. It consists of 200 questions, out of which students have to attempt 180 questions. For each correct answer, a student is awarded four marks while for each incorrect there is a negative marking of one mark.