NEET Eligibility 2025 –Age, Attempts & Qualification

Latest Updates The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has started the online registration for Round 1 of NEET UG Medical Counselling 2025.  Registration will remain open until July 31, 2025, and lastly payment of the registration fee must also be paid by this date (July 31, 2025) too.  The result of seat allotment is expected to be published between August 3 to August 4, 2025, and reporting to the institute will take place between August 4 to August 8, 2025.

As per the eligibility criteria for NEET 2025, Indian students/candidates can apply for the examination as per the eligibility criteria if they have passed the 12th class board examination or are appearing for it and had Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English as core subjects. 

The minimum age to apply is 17 years (as of December 31, 2025), and there is no upper age limit to be eligible. Furthermore, candidates must meet the minimum qualifying marks required based on their respective categories (General, OBC, SC/ST, etc.).

In this article, we look at all of the requirements for the NEET eligibility criteria, including the NEET age limit, subject requirements, number of attempts, accepted nationalities, and much more.

For better NEET exam preparation, also read: NEET Preparation Strategies To Ace Your Exam

NEET Eligibility 2025

Before applying for NEET 2025, every interested candidate should meet the NEET eligibility criteria set by NTA. Following are the guidelines regarding age limits and what every candidate must know:

NEET Age Limit Criteria

The NEET exam has certain age criteria for eligibility. The students need to follow the age rules in order to register successfully and check the latest age criteria before applying.

Minimum Age: In order to apply for NEET examination every candidate needs to have completed a minimum age of 17 on or before 31st December 2025.

Maximum Age: Currently there is not any age limit for candidates who are registering for NEET 2025. 

This age-related portion of NEET qualifications criteria helps maintain transparency around candidate eligibility.

Age Relaxation for Reserved Categories

As per the NEET eligibility criteria 2025 every interested candidate regardless of category, needs to meet certain age criteria, and have to be 17 years of age by December 31, 2025 irrespective of category reservation.

• As of now there is no age relaxation for SC, ST, OBC‑NCL, EWS or PwD categories.
• All candidates, regardless of reservation conditions, must meet the same minimum age condition.

Be sure to regularly check NTA postings on any new age relaxation measures that may be introduced in future NEET exam policies.

NEET Eligibility: Educational Qualification

Aspirants need to complete strict academic requirements, as set by the National Testing Agency (NTA), in order to be eligible for the NEET 2025. In this section, a brief summary of subjects, minimum marks, and attempts permitted for candidates will be provided.

Subjects Required in 10+2

• Candidates who are applying for NEET must have done their Class 12 or equivalent from a recognized board.
• The required subjects for NEET are Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, Physics and English.
• It is not valid for NEET registration if it is only a vocational subject or vocational stream.

This is to make sure it meets the qualification criteria for science stream aspirants.

Minimum Marks Required

• General / EWS category need to have 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry & Biology (PCB)
• OBC-NCL / SC / ST need to have 40% aggregate in PCB.
• PwD candidates need to have 45% aggregate in PCB.
• Marks should be obtained in one sitting.

Satisfying these minimum thresholds is part of the requirements to qualify for NEET eligibility. 

NEET Attempt Limit

• There is no limit on attempting NEET 2025.
• Candidates can attempt the exam as often as qualifications are met.
• Each application must have valid marks in 10+2 and other paperwork to validate each application. 

The flexible rule will assist aspirants wanting to attempt NEET multiple times before getting accepted. 

Now that you satisfied these academic requirements (the correct subjects, required minimum marks and no limit on attempts), you can start your NEET 2025 application with confidence.

Category-wise Reservation in NEET

The All India quota and the provided state quota admissions in NEET 2025 both considers reserved seats in accordance with government-defined categories, and knowing the reservation percentages can affect your admission chances to colleges a lot.

This table will provide you with better understanding of Category Reservation Structure:

Category	Reservation Percent
General – Unreserved	15%
OBC‑NCL	27%
SC	15%
ST	7.5%
EWS	10%
PwD (All Categories)	5% (horizontal quota)

Horizontal reservation: The 5% reservation for PwD is horizontal, and it is applicable for all vertical categories.

There are also seat allocations for other categories: e.g., Kashmiri Migrants, etc.

Key Points About Reservation

• State vs. All India Quota (AIQ): The 15% AIQ can be considered for all eligible candidates and normally, the state quotas, (mostly considered for 85% of total), will depend upon your state domicile and specific language issue. 
• For significant reference regarding PwD: Before a candidate can consider to claim a 5% horizontal quota, their disability must be validated/identified in accordance with NTA practice.
• For EWS candidates: Who are in the general category and obviously claim a EWS, valid income certificates should be provided for eligibility.
• Know the validity of category: All certificates from category should be issued from authorized authorities for the period of admission process.
• When considering the aspect of category-wise reservation in NEET: You can assess your chances with the corresponding All India and state-wise seats.

Documents Required to Prove NEET Eligibility

In applying for NEET 2025, candidates must upload documents and present them thereafter to prove NEET eligibility. To prove NEET eligibility is to establish your age, educational background, category and nationality. 

Any incomplete or incorrect submission may result in rejection or disqualification of the entire application.

1. Class 10 Documents or Birth Certificate 

• Proves date of birth.
• Is required to be equal to the age requirements (minimum 17 years old on or before December 31, 2025).

2. Class 12 Marksheet or Passing Certificate

• Proves that candidate took Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English.
• Required if the candidate is to meet the minimum qualifying descriptor marks to move forward in an examination for NEET eligibility. 

3. Valid Photo ID Proof, 

• Aadhaar Card, PAN card, Passport, Voter ID, or valid government ID. 
• Must be current and equal to what is listed in the NEET application form.

4. Certificate of Category (If applicable),

• Caste/Income SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS candidates must present a valid caste/income certificate issued by a competent authority.
• Is required to be on the right format and deems valid for the current admission cycle.

5. Certificates of Disability , 

• Candidates applying under the inclusion of a 5% quota must have a certificate from a duly authorized Medical Authority in compliance with what the NTA described. 

6. Certificates on the Candidacy's Domicile (For State Quota candidates), 

• Candidates under the 85% state quota seats must submit a bona fide certificate that proves residential eligibility in other state

7. Passport/OCI Card (For Foreign/NRI Candidates)

• Evidence of nationality and equivalent qualifying exam for Foreign nationals, NRI, OCI and PIO

Key Points

• Every document must be clear, scanned copies in PDF or JPEG format when uploading as part of the application process.
• Keep original documents on hand for counselling and admission.
• Inconsistencies in details on the application form versus the documents may disqualify you.

NEET Qualification Code 2026

Candidates have to be sure to mark their application in the correct place to show their qualifications. The qualification codes dictate the candidates' eligibility in accordance with the NTA.

Code-01: Those appearing for Class-12 board exams in 2026 will be classified under this category and awaiting results. Candidates must pass Class 12 to be eligible for counselling.

Code-02: This encompasses candidates in which they have passed their Class-12 examinations from any recognized boards (CBSE, ICSE, state or open) before 2026, and studied in the final years, Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English. 

Code-03: For candidates who have cleared pre-degree or intermediate science examinations (which are usually equal to Class-12) from an Indian University or recognized board with PCB and English, including practicals.

Code-04: For candidates who have qualified after Class-12 on a Pre-professional or Pre-medical examination; students who studied in a science subject including practicals and English. 

Code-05: This classification will include students presently studying in the first year of a three-year Bachelor (B.Sc.) (or equivalent) degree with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology with practicals for each additional or existing subject. 

Candidates must have passed their Class-12 with PCB and English. 

Code-06: This category pertains to applicants with a B.Sc degree with at least two subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany or Zoology); and Biotechnology. In addition, applicants must have passed Class-12 with PCB and English."

Conclusion

For any person aspiring to secure a seat in any medical school, the first and foremost thing has to be to understand the eligibility for NEET. 

With a few important updates in NEET exam the eligibility for 2025-26 has become much more  student-friendly as compared to previous NEET eligibility criteria.. 

Every candidate need to know the guidelines for age, educational qualification and all the documents that are required for NEET before applying because it will help them to fill the application form smoothly

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