NEW DELHI: Aspirants who appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test–Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 on Sunday afternoon expressed relief, describing the paper as moderate to easy. The examination was conducted amid unprecedented security arrangements across 5,432 centres nationwide.
The general consensus among candidates was that this year’s paper was significantly easier compared to the extremely difficult Physics section in last year’s exam.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET UG exam for admissions to undergraduate medical programmes, reported that a total of 22,79,743 candidates had registered this year, with 58 per cent being female candidates. The examination was held in pen-and-paper mode across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad between 2 pm and 5 pm.
Nearly two lakh personnel were deployed to ensure foolproof security at examination centres, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan overseeing arrangements at the NTA headquarters ahead of the exam. Security has been significantly tightened since the 2024 NEET paper leak incident.
Pranavi Singhal, who appeared for the exam at CM Shri School, B-1 Janakpuri, Possangipur, told TNIE: “The exam was easy to moderate. No subject was particularly tough. The paper was lengthy, but overall easier. Biology had a lot of statement-based questions.”
Shubham Yadav, attempting NEET for the third time, said he felt relieved after leaving his centre at Government Girls School, Bandarpur. “The Physics paper was easy, which was a relief for me. I struggled with the lengthy and difficult Physics paper last year, which affected my score. Chemistry and Biology were moderate,” he said. Many candidates shared a similar view on Physics.
However, Reza Ahmed, appearing for the second time from Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram Sector-2, had a different experience: “I found the Physics paper quite tough, but Chemistry and Biology were easy.”
The exam began on a sombre note following the reported suicide of a NEET aspirant from Uttarakhand in Kota on Saturday, allegedly due to exam-related stress.
Separately, controversies circulated on social media included an incident in Surat where a father protested after his daughter was asked to remove her Swaminarayan Kanthi (mala) before entering the examination hall, and another in Barmer, Rajasthan, where a burqa-clad candidate was asked to reveal her face for verification.
Persons with disabilities were granted an additional one hour to complete the examination.
The NEET UG paper comprised 180 questions, with 45 each from Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, to be completed in 180 minutes. Each correct answer carries four marks, while one mark is deducted for each incorrect response.