NEET Marking Scheme 2026 And Negative Marking: What is NTA’s Latest Update.

NEET Marking Scheme 2026: Solving more questions is not always a guarantee of success in NEET. The negative marking system plays a major role in determining your final score and rank. In fact, the NEET negative marking scheme significantly impacts your marks, rank, and final admission. Let’s see what’s new in this year’s NEET 2026 negative marking system.

What is NTA’s latest update on the NEET 2026 marking scheme? NEET 2026, India’s largest national-level medical entrance exam, determines admission to government and private medical colleges across courses like MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, and others.

In this detailed post, we’ll take a deep dive into the NEET 2026 marking scheme, understand how negative marking works, and learn strategies to score higher while avoiding unnecessary mark deductions.

Overview of NEET 2026 Exam

Before we discuss the marking scheme, let’s quickly recall the NEET 2026 exam structure.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Mode	Offline (Pen and Paper Mode)
Duration	3 hours 20 minutes (200 minutes)
Total Questions	200 (180 to be answered)
Total Marks	720
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany + Zoology)
Question Type	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Marking Scheme	+4 for correct, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted

Also, Read: नीट 2025 में कम नंबर पर भी मिलेगा MBBS College? | MBBS College At Low

NEET 2026 Marking Scheme (Subject-Wise Breakdown)

The NEET 2026 paper pattern follows the same structure as the previous years, introduced by NTA in 2021. Each subject has two sections — A and B.

Subject-wise Question Distribution

Subject	Section	No. of Questions	Questions to Attempt	Marks
Physics	Section A	35	35	140
Physics	Section B	15	10	40
Chemistry	Section A	35	35	140
Chemistry	Section B	15	10	40
Biology (Botany + Zoology)	Section A	35 + 35	70	280
Biology (Botany + Zoology)	Section B	15 + 15	20	80
Total	–	200	180	720

Marking Rules

• +4 marks for every correct answer
• -1 mark for every wrong answer
• 0 mark for unattempted questions
• If you mark multiple options for one question, it is treated as incorrect, and a -1 mark will be deducted.

NEET 2026 Negative Marking System Explained

The negative marking in NEET plays a decisive role in your final score. For every wrong attempt, 1 mark is deducted from your total. Let’s understand how it affects your score:

Formula to Calculate NEET Marks:

NEET Score = (4 × Correct Answers) – (1 × Incorrect Answers)

Example:
If you attempt 180 questions and

• 140 is correct
• 40 are incorrect

Then your score will be:
= (4 × 140) – (1 × 40)
= 560 – 40
= 520 marks

That means a single wrong answer costs you 5 marks total — 4 marks lost from correct potential and 1 deducted as a penalty.

Why Negative Marking Matters in NEET

• The difference between AIR 5000 and AIR 15000 is often less than 10 marks.
• Even a few negative marks can lower your rank by thousands.
• Students who attempt fewer but accurate questions often score higher than those who attempt everything without accuracy.

Example:

Candidate	Correct	Wrong	NEET Score
A	165	15	(4×165)-(1×15)=645
B	175	25	(4×175)-(1×25)=675
C	150	30	(4×150)-(1×30)=570

You can see — even a 15-question mistake reduces the score by 75 marks!

So, guessing blindly can hurt your score more than you realize.

Tips to Minimize Negative Marking in NEET 2026

1. Attempt Only When You Are Sure

Don’t mark answers you are unsure of. In NEET, one wrong answer can undo the value of four correct answers. Attempt only if you are 70% confident.

2. Avoid Random Guessing

Eliminate obviously wrong options first. If you can narrow it down to two options, then take a calculated risk — otherwise, skip it.

3. Manage Time Smartly

Sometimes negative marking happens because students rush during the last 10 minutes. Always keep 10–15 minutes for OMR filling.

4. Fill OMR Carefully

OMR mistakes can be fatal:

• Don’t fill wrong question numbers.
• Don’t darken multiple circles.
• Keep your OMR clean — even an extra mark can make NTA reject that response.

5. Revise Before Final Submission

If time allows, cross-check your OMR with your question paper markings. Many toppers use a “2-pass method”: first mark on paper, then fill OMR in a second round for accuracy.

NEET Total Marks and Mark Distribution 2026

The NEET exam is of 720 total marks distributed across three subjects. Here’s the breakdown:

Subject	No. of Questions	Marks per Question	Total Marks
Physics	45	4	180
Chemistry	45	4	180
Biology (Botany + Zoology)	90	4	360
Total	180	4	720

To secure a Government MBBS seat, you must generally score:

• OBC Category: 570–600 marks
• General Category: 610–650 marks
• SC/ST Category: 500–550 marks

NEET 2026 Expected Cut Off (Category-Wise)

Category	NEET 2025 Cutoff Marks	NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff
General	720–130	720–135
OBC	129–105	134–110
SC	128–95	120–100
ST	125–93	115–95
General-PwD	125–90	125–95

(Expected data based on NEET 2024 analysis and difficulty level trends.)

Smart Strategy to Maximize NEET Marks

1. Target Accuracy First, Attempts Later — Don’t chase 180 attempts. Aim for 160–165 high-confidence attempts.
2. Revise NCERT Thoroughly — Most errors happen due to confusion between NCERT lines.
3. Avoid Overconfidence — Even top scorers lose marks in easy questions due to carelessness.
4. Use Mock Tests Wisely — Track your negative marks in every mock and identify your weak areas.
5. Stay Calm During Exam — Panic increases silly mistakes; always double-check answers calmly.

FAQs on NEET 2026 Marking Scheme