NEET UG 2024: NTA revises tie-breaking rule, scraps computerised draw policy to decide rank

NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has revised the tie-breaking rule for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET UG 2024). The computerised draw of lots rule for breaking ties has been scrapped and the old rule of allotting ranks based on number of correct and incorrect answers will be used instead.

The NEET UG registration extended deadline is March 16. Candidates who are yet to apply will have to submit the application form on the official website, exams.nta.ac.in/NEET/. Around 25 lakh candidates have registered for NEET so far, of which approximately 13 lakh are female applicants, as per reports.

The NEET UG exam will be held on May 5 in pen and paper format at 544 exam cities in India and 14 exam cities abroad. Based on the scores secured by candidates, the NTA prepares a merit list for 15% All India quota seats.

NEET UG tie-breaking method

NEET is the single-largest entrance exam in India. As a result, the chances of candidates scoring the same marks are high. To resolve this issue, the NTA follows a tie-breaking method.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) announced a new tie-breaking rule last year, as per Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (GMER-23). As per which, marks obtained in biology, chemistry and physics will be considered, in this order, for deciding “the inter-se-merit of candidates for tie-breaking”. If the tie still remains, “draw of lots by using the computer or IT with no human intervention” will be used, it said.

However, the computerised draw policy has been removed this year. The NTA will now be using the old tie-breaking policy given below.

• Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in biology - botany and zoology - followed by,
• Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in chemistry, followed by,
• Candidate obtaining higher marks/percentile score in physics, followed by,
• Candidate with less proportion of the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects,
• Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in biology, followed by,
• Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in chemistry, followed by
• Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in physics in the test.