NEET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Education, Marks, and Age Limit

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Before submitting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025 application form for the entrance exam, candidates must satisfy the National Testing Agency (NTA’s) NEET eligibility requirements. It is a list of requirements that outlines the prerequisites for the qualifying test, the pass rate needed to attempt the NEET, nationality, the highest candidate age allowed, the maximum number of attendees eligibility criteria for 2025.

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As per the last year’s criteria, NTA has removed the upper age limit, and foreign nationals can also take the NEET exam. The minimum qualifying marks to be eligible for NEET varies depending on the categories of candidates. For example, general category applicants must have obtained 50% marks, reserved ones must secure 40%, and PwD ones are required to have scored 45% marks in their qualifications. Continue reading to find all guidelines related to NEET eligibility criteria.

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Latest Updates:
— NEET eligibility has been relaxed. Now, Biology will be allowed as an additional subject after 12.

NEET Eligibility 2025: Check Complete Details

The eligibility criteria of NEET include age limit, educational qualification, minimum qualifying marks, nationality, and other requirements. Continue reading to learn more about NEET eligibility age guidelines by category.

Age Limit for NEET 2025

Candidates must satisfy the NEET age limit specified in the official brochure. Please find more details below:

• A candidate must be 17 years old during admission or will be 17 on or before December 31 of the year of admission to the 1st year MBBS/BDS course. In other words, candidates born on December 31, 2006, or before the mentioned date, will be eligible to appear for NEET 2025 examinations.
• The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed the upper age limit for all candidates willing to appear in the NEET exams. Earlier, candidates in the general category could attempt the NEET exams until they reached the age of 25. For reserved category candidates, the upper age limit was 30.
• Candidates belonging to the Union Territory of Ladakh are allowed to participate in the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats. The candidates from Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to participate in the counselling process conducted by JKBPEE but are not allowed to participate in the 15% AIQ seats. Such candidates must submit a self-declaration form and present it during counselling if they want to participate in the AIQ seats. Upon doing this, the candidates can participate in the AIQ seats, but they will have to forgo the counselling process conducted in their home territory.

Note: Indian Citizens/OCI intending to pursue MBBS/BDS from a foreign medical/dental institute also need to qualify for NEET (UG).

Nationality for NEET 2025

Indian nationals, NRIs, OCIS, and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) are eligible to apply for NEET 2025 exams. In the article, we have provided the other eligibility requirements by which the Indian national candidates must abide.

Foreign nationals are eligible for admission in medical/dental colleges subject to rules and regulations framed by the respective state governments, institutions, and the government of India, as the case may be. They may confirm their eligibility from the concerned state Medical/ Dental college.

Those who have completed their qualification from abroad should ensure that their final examination is equivalent to Class 12 in India. They should qualify for Physics, Chemistry, Biology theory and practical exams. Along with this, English should be a mandatory subject to qualify for.

Number of Attempts for NEET 2025

NTA has removed the restriction on the number of attempts for NEET since 2018. Therefore, candidates can appear for the entrance exam as often as they want as long as they meet all the eligibility criteria for NEET.

Educational Qualification for NEET 2025

The criteria for the NEET exam qualification differ as per the courses that candidates wish to pursue. The qualifying marks for NEET 2025 exam in a subject-wise manner for MBBS/BDS courses are as follows:

• The candidate must have passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English individually in Class 12 and must have obtained a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology in the qualifying examination, secured merit list for NEET (UG) – 2025.
• For candidates belonging to SC, ST, or OBC, the aggregate marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology in the qualifying examination shall be 40% instead of 50%.
• For PWD candidates in the General category, the minimum aggregate marks in the qualifying examination in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (or Botany and Zoology)/Biotechnology shall be 45% instead of 50%.
• Candidates educated abroad seeking admission into medical colleges in India must have passed the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English up to the Class 12 level with 50% marks and their equivalency determined by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) as per regulations of the Medical Council of India and the concerned University.

NEET Eligibility: B.Sc Nursing Admission

Candidates who aspire for B.Sc nursing admission through NEET scores must check the latest NTA NEET eligibility criteria below:

• Age Limit: Candidates must be 17 years old as of December 31 during the admission year. There is no upper age limit for candidates willing to appear for the UG NEET exams.
• Minimum NEET eligibility marks required: Unreserved category candidates must have obtained 45% marks in the qualifying examination, while reserved category (SC/ST/OBC) candidates must have obtained at least 40% marks.
• Qualifying exam: Candidates must have Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English as compulsory subjects in Class 12th.
• Reservation for PwD candidates: Person with Disability (PwD) candidates will have 3% of the reservation.

NEET Minimum Qualifying Marks

To be eligible for NEET 2025, candidates must secure the NEET eligibility marks:

• Candidates who have passed the Class 12 exam can apply for the NEET 2025 exam.
• Candidates appearing for the Class 12 exam and awaiting their results.
• Candidates must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/ Biotechnology as their subjects in Class 12 and must have passed all the subjects before the first round of counselling. 
• The candidate’s qualifying marks differ according to their category. 
• Candidates must fill out the appropriate NEET qualifying examination codes in the NEET registration form.
• Candidates who have passed Class 12 from an “Open School” or as private candidates shall not be eligible to appear for the NEET 2025.
  
  Note: Candidates who have passed Class 12 from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) or State Open schools or private candidates who have passed from recognised State Boards; or with Biology/Biotechnology as additional subjects will be allowed to attend the NEET exam 2025, but that is subject to the outcome of Special Leave Petitions/Appeals filed by the Medical Council of India.

NEET Reservation: Under 15% AIQ

Reservation of seats in government medical colleges under 15% All India Quota as per NEET eligibility is as given below:

• 15% of seats are reserved for SC candidates.
• 7.5% of seats are reserved for ST candidates.
• Indian Nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Foreign Nationals are eligible for 15% of All India Quota Seats.
• After two rounds of counselling, if any seats remain vacant under AIQ, those will be converted into State Quota seats.
• 27% of seats in Central Educational Institutions are reserved for OBC candidates. Reservation would apply to the castes mentioned in the central list of OBC. Thus, the candidates falling on this list may mention OBC in the Category column in the application form. Candidates from the creamy layer and those who do not come under the Central list of OBC are advised to mention their category as Unreserved (UR).
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will now participate in 15% AIQ Counselling and will not require the submission of a self-declaration form. 
• The merit list will have an equal number of seats under the AIQ. Candidates will thus be allocated their seats directly. Those on the waiting list will be guided by the directions of DGHS (Director General of Health Services).
• A candidate has to qualify for NEET exams 2025 to be eligible for the 15% AIQ seats.
• Candidates belonging to the state of Jammu and Kashmir are not eligible to participate in 15% of AIQ seats. Suppose they want to participate in these seats. In that case, they will have to provide a self-declaration form along with NEET application form 2025 stating that they want to participate in the counselling process for 15% of AIQ seats and would not participate in the counselling process to be conducted in their home states. Such candidates will be eligible for ESIC, AFMC colleges, and Deemed Universities seats.

NEET Eligibility Criteria: 85% State Quota

The NEET eligibility criteria under 85% of state quota seats are as follows:

• The 85% state quota seats refer to the seats in all state or union territories government colleges. The respective state authorities will conduct the NEET counselling for state quota seats. To apply for the state quota seats, candidates must fulfil the NEET eligibility criteria 2025 specified by each state/union territory.
• The admissions into private medical and dental colleges in the states will also be based on NEET eligibility.

Eligibility of NEET: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh

Candidates from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh must meet the below-mentioned NEET criteria before applying for the exam:

• Candidates from Jammu and Kashmir are not eligible for 15% AIQ seats as Jammu and Kashmir opted out of the All India Scheme. To claim eligibility, candidates must submit an online self-declaration along with the NEET registration form 2025.
• The self-declaration form will be generated automatically along with the confirmation page and must be kept for future reference. 
• The self-declaration form should state that the candidates want to participate in the counselling process for 15% of AIQ seats and that they do not want to participate in the home state counselling process.
• The officials will verify the self-declaration form at the time of counselling. Any discrepancies in the same may lead to the cancellation of the candidature. 
• Eligible candidates who successfully submit this form along with their NEET application forms will be eligible for admission to Deemed Universities, ESIC, and AFMC colleges.
• The candidates of the UT of Ladakh shall be eligible for admission to 15% of AIQ seats.

NEET Eligibility Criteria for Central Universities 

Candidates seeking admission to certain state-specific universities are advised to check the prerequisites for college admission. Below is the state-wise eligibility for NEET for admission in 2025:

• Delhi University (DU): As with all other universities, only 15% of seats in Delhi University-affiliated colleges take admissions through NEET counselling. The remaining 85% of seats are through DU NEET counselling. Candidates who have completed Class 11 and 12 at a Delhi-based institute are eligible to apply for this 85% of seats.
• Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI): The institute has 50 BDS seats, 47 of which will take admissions through the MCC NEET counselling. The remaining three seats are subject to institutional quotas, and candidates who have completed Class 11 and Class 12 at JMI can apply.
• Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): The AMU will take 50% of seat admission through NEET MCC counselling. The remaining seats go to the candidates who have studied at AMU for the past three years and are eligible for 50% of the available seats. 
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU): All applicants who meet the fundamental qualifying requirements for NEET MCC counselling are eligible to apply for seats at BHU. There are no prerequisites for applying to this institute.

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FAQs on NEET Eligibility Criteria 2025

Some of the frequently asked questions on NEET 2025 eligibility criteria are as under:

Candidates taking the NEET 2025 must complete the NEET syllabus, answer as many NEET practice questions as possible, and get them right. They should also take NEET practice tests and work on their weaknesses. Embibe provides all of the resources required for NEET preparation. If you have questions about eligibility for NEET 2025, you can connect with us on the Embibe app, and we will assist you best.

Stay tuned to Embibe for the latest news and updates on qualifications for NEET 2025.