NEET UG 2026 concludes; NTA holds exam in 566 cities for 22.79 lakh candidates, top colleges, cutoffs

National Testing Agency (NTA) has successfully concluded the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 today, May 3, across the country in offline pen-and-paper mode. The agency had released the NEET UG 2026 admit cards on April 26 through its official website, neet.nta.nic.in, and all candidates were required to carry the hall ticket along with a valid government-issued photo ID for identity verification at the examination centres.

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As per the NTA exam-day schedule, entry at NEET UG centres began from 11 am, while the gates were closed sharply at 1:30 pm. No candidate was permitted to enter the venue after the cut-off time under any circumstances. The medical entrance test was then conducted in a single afternoon shift from 2 pm to 5 pm under biometric frisking and strict surveillance protocols.

Under the NEET UG 2026 marking scheme, each correct answer carried four marks, while one mark was deducted for every incorrect response. The examination paper consisted of 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions for a total of 720 marks.

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NEET UG 2026: Total candidates, top colleges

As per NTA, a total of 22.79 lakh candidates had registered for NEET UG 2026. The medical entrance test was conducted across 566 examination cities, including 552 centres within India and 14 overseas locations. NTA further stated that nearly 99.2 per cent of aspirants were allotted their first-preference examination city this year.

For a large section of NEET aspirants, premier institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC), Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) among others continue to remain the most sought-after MBBS destinations.

Based on previous admission trends, candidates securing 650 marks and above in NEET 2026 are generally considered to have a stronger possibility of obtaining a government medical college seat, depending on category-wise cut-offs and counselling movement.

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Among the most competitive institutions, some AIIMS medical colleges have historically closed admissions at very high ranks as shown in table below;

The closing ranks mentioned above pertain to candidates from the General category, while the cut-off ranks for reserved categories differ separately depending on the seat matrix and counselling allotment trends.