NEET is an all-India level entrance exam conducted to fill medical seats across the nation. This standardised test is conducted by an independent government body called NTA (National Testing Agency). This year, NEET will happen on 17 July (Sunday). After the exam, NTA will soon release the question papers for all codes with answer keys on their official website. This will be followed by the result and cut-off scores announcement. Candidates who clear the projected cut-off scores will be eligible to apply online for the counselling process.
NEET-UG is a one-tier test for undergraduate medical seats. Every year, lakhs of AYUSH, dental and medical seats are filled in this process. This single window exam is mandatory for any aspirant to pursue a medical degree in India. Even NRI, OCI and foreign nationals have to take this exam in order to pursue medicine in India. Let’s discuss the exam format more in this article.
Question Paper and Answer Key
This offline assessment comprises objective questions from basic science concepts. The questions are asked from the Botany, Zoology, Physics and Chemistry syllabi from the NCERTs. Candidates will have to answer 180 MCQs from these subjects, which are classified under two sections – Section A and Section B. Section A comprises mandatory questions, whereas Section B has choices. Each correct answer carries four marks which leads to a grand total of 720. Likewise, every incorrect attempt will fetch a negative mark, and unattempted questions carry no marks.
After the exam, NTA will also release the current question paper with answers keys for all the codes on their website. One can also go through the NEET 2022 question paper analysis to get an idea of the pattern and difficulty level of the questions asked. Thus, candidates can make use of these resources to predict their expected scores and cut-offs before the official scorecards are released.
What Happens after the Exam?
A few days after the exam, the NTA will release the exam results on their official website. One has to visit the official page and enter the login credentials to view their respective results. The results will encompass all details like the subject-wise scores, percentile and cut-off. Cut-offs are the minimum marks needed to pass the exam. These cut-offs vary every year based on several factors, like the number of candidates appearing, the difficulty level of the question paper and the number of medical seats available. The NTA will also release a separate merit list based on the scores. All these details play a significant role in the further counselling process.
Furthermore, these NEET scores are valid for one complete academic year. Candidates seeking abroad admissions can use this score for 3 years.
Counselling Process
Individuals who cleared the cut-off marks can participate in the follow-up counselling process by applying online. Eligible candidates can register for both State Quota and All India Quota seats. But the seat will be allocated in only one. From 2019, there has also been a 10% seat reservation for economically weaker candidates. Thus, one can make use of the reservations based on their eligibility and avail of the seat in the preferred college. Apart from reservations, the NEET 2022 results have a vital role in deciding the next few years of one’s education. Based on the results and rank list, the counselling process happens in four stages.
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Mop-up
- Stray Vacancy Round
Usually, only leftover vacant seats are filled through the last two rounds. Also, during counselling, various documents, eligibility criteria, self-declaration, etc., are verified by the respective college authorities to ensure the genuineness of candidature. Any changes in the counselling process will be updated on the official website of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).