NEET UG 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for medical aspirants. From a new exam format to the highest-ever seat count, here's everything you need to know.
Exam Date: May 3, 2026
NTA has confirmed the NEET UG 2026 exam date as May 3, 2026 (Sunday), from 2:00 PM to 5:20 PM. The exam will be conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode across centres in India and abroad.
Registration Deadline: March 8, 2026
The application window opened on February 8, 2026 and closes on March 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM. A form correction window will be available from March 10–12. NTA has confirmed that no further extension will be provided — if you haven't applied yet, do it now at neet.nta.nic.in.
Two-Phase Hybrid Format
The biggest change in NEET UG 2026 is the introduction of a two-phase, hybrid exam format. The government approved this to improve fairness and reduce the chances of paper leaks and irregularities that affected NEET UG 2024.
While full details of the hybrid format are still being finalised, the goal is to make the exam more secure and transparent. We'll update this post as NTA releases more specifics.
Record Seat Increase: 1,29,872 Total Seats
NEET UG 2026 will have a total of 1,29,872 MBBS seats — the highest ever in the history of the exam. This is an increase of 11,682 seats over the previous year, the largest-ever absolute increase.
| Year | Approx. MBBS Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ~83,000 | — |
| 2021 | ~89,000 | +6,000 |
| 2022 | ~97,000 | +8,000 |
| 2023 | ~1,09,000 | +12,000 |
| 2024 | ~1,14,000 | +5,000 |
| 2025 | ~1,18,000 | +4,000 |
| 2026 | 1,29,872 | +11,682 |
More seats means slightly better odds, especially at the middle and lower rank ranges. Use our Rank Predictor to estimate your AIR, then check College Predictor to see which colleges you can target.
What This Means for You
- More competition but more seats: While applicant numbers continue to rise, the seat increase partially offsets this. Cutoff ranks may shift slightly.
- New colleges: The seat increase comes from both new medical colleges and expanded intake at existing ones.
- State counselling impact: More state-quota seats will be available. Check our State Counselling Guides for state-wise details.
- Exam security: The new hybrid format aims to prevent the controversies that marred NEET UG 2024, giving candidates more confidence in the fairness of results.
Key Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | February 8, 2026 |
| Registration closes | March 8, 2026 |
| Form correction window | March 10–12, 2026 |
| Admit card release | ~April 29, 2026 |
| Exam date | May 3, 2026 |
| Expected results | June 2026 |
Bookmark this page — we'll update it as NTA releases more information. And once results are out, head to our NEET UG Rank Predictor to instantly estimate your rank.