With the NEET 2026 registration date officially announced, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued revised guidelines for the NEET 2026 examination regarding exam city selection and language allocation to ensure greater transparency and candidate convenience. As per the updated rules, applicants must select three preferred exam cities while completing the application form. These cities must be chosen only from the state of the candidate’s permanent address or present address.
Candidates are advised to select their own city or a nearby location, as the final allotment of exam centres will be determined based on administrative feasibility and logistical considerations.
Restricting city selection to the permanent or present address simplifies the allotment process and enhances security. It ensures that candidates are allotted a NEET 2026 exam city close to their verified location. Additionally, this update helps prevent errors in exam city allocation and eliminates the misuse of fake addresses.
The following table outlines the official guidelines issued by NTA for exam city and language selection.
| Details | Exam City Allotment | Language Allotment |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Guidelines | Candidates must select three preferred cities from Appendix-V in order of priority (subject to address criteria). | NEET UG 2026 will be conducted in 13 languages. The selected medium cannot be changed later. |
| Address Criteria | City choices are restricted to the State of Permanent Address or the State of Current Address only. | The question paper will be available in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. |
| Allotment Rules | Final allotment is based on administrative, technical, and logistical considerations. NTA reserves the right to allot a different city. Requests for change will not be entertained. |
|
| Special Conditions | Cities may be merged if the number of candidates is below the required minimum. Centre details will be mentioned on the Admit Card. |
|
Candidates may choose any one of the 13 available languages as the medium of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination while filling out the application form. Once selected, the medium of the question paper cannot be changed under any circumstances. Candidates opting for English will receive the question paper in English only, while those choosing Hindi will receive a bilingual paper in English and Hindi.
Candidates selecting a regional language will receive the question paper in English along with the chosen regional language. In case of any discrepancy or ambiguity in translation, the English version of the question paper will be considered final.
Candidates can select their preferred exam city and question paper medium as per their eligibility and convenience. However, the choice of medium must be made carefully while filling out the online application form, as it cannot be modified after submission.
