From 9th February 2024, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is accepting applications for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Aspiring students can now fill out the application form on the official website of the NTA. NEET is a common entrance exam for all medical aspirants seeking admission to various medical courses in Indian medical colleges. The exam is scheduled to be held on 5th May 2024 offline, offering a fair chance to all the students to compete for a seat in prestigious medical colleges in India.

Let’s go into detail about the detailed guidelines issued by the National Testing Agency for NEET UG 2024.

NEET 2024: Overview

Application Process

Candidates can now apply for NEET UG 2024 on the official website of the NTA. The deadline for the submission of the application is 9th March 2024. To fill out the online application form, students shall go through the following steps:

Step 1: To register, candidates must fill out the required details including the personal details, medium of question paper, qualification, etc. After completing this, a system-generated application number will be used for further completion of the application form.

Step 2: Submit all the required documents with the application form.

Step 3: Submit the fees that can be submitted online through UPI, mobile banking, or debit/credit card.

Documents Required

With the application form, candidates are required to submit the following documents

1. A passport-sized photograph
2. Scanned signature of the applicant
3. Impressions of the right and left fingers and thumbs
4. Other essential documents such as PwBD certificate/UDID (Swavlamban) card if required

How to Upload Documents?

Candidates are required to upload scanned images of their recent passport-sized photographs, signatures, thumb impressions of right & left thumbs, and other scanned documents such as PwBD certificate if applicable. When students upload these documents, they should remember a few important things to make their application process easier. These are:

1. A recent photograph either colored or black and white with 80% face visible against a white background.
2. All the documents should be in JPG format.
3. The size of photographs should be between 10kb and 200 kb.
4. The size of the scanned signature should be between 4kb and 30kb.
5. The scanned images of the left and right fingers, as well as the thumb imprints, should have a file size of 10 kb to 200 kb.
6. The size of the scanned copy of the PwBD certificate/UDID (Swavlamban) card should be between 50 kb to 300 kb.

Examination Pattern

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024 is a highly anticipated exam that will be conducted on 5th May 2024 in an offline mode. This exam is designed to assess candidates' knowledge of subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology. The NEET test is divided into four subjects, each of which includes two sections: Section A and Section B. Section A comprises 35 questions, while Section B has 15 questions. The exam is known for its difficulty level, and candidates have to prepare well to perform well in the exam. It is a crucial exam for students who wish to pursue a career in the medical field.

Key Points to Remember

Please find below some important guidelines related to the marking scheme for the upcoming exam:

• Each correct answer will earn the candidate 4 marks.
• For each incorrect answer, 1 mark will be deducted.
• There will be no marks awarded for unattempted questions.
• If a question has multiple correct options, candidates who have selected any of the correct options will receive four marks.
• If all options for a question are correct, attempting the question will earn you four marks.
• If a question is found to be incorrect or dropped, all candidates who appeared for the exam will receive four marks, irrespective of whether they attempted the question.
• For Section B, candidates must answer any 10 out of 15 questions given.
• There will be no negative marking for section B.

Medium of Paper

As per the new mandate brought by the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the NEET paper shall be available in 13 different languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Candidates can choose their medium of paper while submitting the online application.

If the candidate chooses to take the test in English, the test booklet provided to them will only be in English. On the other hand, if the candidate chooses to take the test in Hindi or any other regional language, they will be provided with a bilingual test booklet in both English and Hindi.

Eligibility Criteria

Proactive students aspiring to appear in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) must fulfill the eligibility requirements:

Age Requirements

As per the guidelines laid out by the National Medical Council (NMC), candidates must have completed 17 years of age at the time of admission. Furthermore, there is no upper age limit for admission.

Criteria for NRI/OCI/ Foreign Nationals

It is important to note that Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) who wish to apply for admission to Medical/Dental colleges are subject to rules and regulations set by the concerned State Governments, Institutions, and the Government of India. In order to support their claim as an NRI/OCI candidate, they must submit a certificate from the Indian Diplomatic Mission in their country of residence along with their NEET-UG application form.

Additionally, foreign applicants who wish to appear for NEET (UG) 2024 are required to upload documentary proof of their nationality, such as relevant pages from a valid passport or a certificate from the competent authority in their country of nationality. This proof must be submitted along with the online application form.

Foreign nationals need to verify their eligibility for admission from the respective Medical/Dental College or State authorities.

Participation of UT of J.K. and Ladakh in All India Quota

Students from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are eligible for a 15% All India Quota, while candidates from other Union Territories can participate in the same way as students from other states.

Educational Qualifications

As per the regulations of the National Medical Commission and the concerned University, students who aspire to pursue medical education in India must meet certain eligibility criteria. To be eligible for admission, students must have successfully cleared the Class 12 examination in Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English, securing a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate. However, for students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes (NCL), the minimum aggregate marks required are 40%.

In addition, students who have received their education abroad and wish to seek admission to Indian Medical Colleges must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English in their Class 12 examination, and their equivalency must be determined by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) in accordance with the regulations of the National Medical Commission and the concerned University.

For BAMS/BSMS/BUMS /BHMS Courses

As per the Indian Medical Central Council Amendment Regulation 2018, students who are interested in pursuing courses like BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, and BHMS must clear NEET UG 2024.

To be eligible for admission to these courses, candidates must have completed Class 12 or equivalent from a recognized board or university and should be at least 17 years old at the time of admission.

It is important to note that for admission to the BUMS course, candidates must have passed Class 10 in Urdu or Arabic or cleared the test of Urdu of 10th standard. And, for admission to the BSMS course, candidates must have studied Sanskrit as one of the subjects in the 10th Standard or equivalent.

NEET 2024: Guidelines to be Followed

• The examination center will open two hours prior to the scheduled start of the test
• The examination duration is 200 minutes, from 02:00 PM to 05:20 PM (Indian Standard Time)
• The latest permissible entry time to the examination hall is 1:30 PM
• Candidates must present their admit card upon entry to the examination hall
• Each candidate will be assigned a specific seat designated by a roll number, and adherence to this allocation is mandatory
• Deviation from the assigned seating arrangement will result in the cancellation of candidature
• Candidates arriving after 1:30 PM will be denied entry to the examination hall
• Candidates are strictly prohibited from bringing any unauthorized items that may facilitate unfair examination practices
• Exiting the examination hall before the conclusion of the test is not allowed
• Smoking within the examination center and its vicinity is strictly prohibited
• Water bottles, snacks, and similar items are not allowed within the examination hall

On the day of the examination, candidates must bring the following items:

• - A printed copy of the admit card
• - A passport-sized photograph of the candidate
• - A valid photo identity card
• - Any other relevant documents, such as a PwBD certificate if applicable

Conclusion

In conclusion, NEET is a highly competitive and sought-after exam for medical aspirants in India. The National Testing Agency has released detailed guidelines for NEET 2024, including the application process, examination pattern, marking scheme, and eligibility criteria. Aspiring students should carefully go through these guidelines and prepare well for the exam to secure a seat in prestigious medical colleges across India. With the implementation of the New Education Policy, NEET will now be conducted in 13 different languages, allowing students to take the exam in their preferred language. We wish all aspiring medical students the best of luck for their NEET 2024 exam.