NEET UG 2026 Ends Nationwide, 96.92% Attendance Recorded! Exam Highlights, Answer Key Updates

The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 on May 3 across the country in offline, pen-and-paper mode. The exam was held under strict security arrangements, including biometric verification and surveillance protocols, ensuring a smooth and fair conduct of the national-level medical entrance test.

The agency had earlier released the NEET UG 2026 admit cards on April 26 through its official portal, NEET official website. Candidates were required to carry their hall tickets along with a valid government-issued photo identity proof for verification at the examination centres.

As per the official schedule, entry to examination centres began at 11 AM, with gates closing strictly at 1.30 PM. No candidate was allowed entry beyond this time. The examination was conducted in a single shift from 2 PM to 5 PM, following all prescribed guidelines.

According to official data, approximately 22.79 lakh candidates had registered for the examination with over 22.05 lakh candidates appearing out of the total registered pool. The test was conducted across 565 cities, including more than 5432 centres.

In a message shared on its official social media platform, NTA highlighted the strong participation in the examination, noting a nationwide attendance of 96.92 (22,05,035 of 22,75,011 candidates present) per cent.

With the conclusion of the exam, the agency will release the official provisional answer keys soon for the examinees, through which they will be able to calculate their probable scores ahead of the final result declaration.

Under the NEET UG 2026 marking scheme, candidates were awarded four marks for each correct response, while one mark was deducted for every incorrect answer. The question paper comprised 180 compulsory multiple-choice questions, carrying a total of 720 marks.

NEET UG remains one of the largest entrance examinations in the country, serving as the gateway for admission to undergraduate medical courses in top institutions nationwide.