NEET exam date is generally held on the first sunday of May every year. Regarded as one of the most prestigious national level entrance examination for medical and dental colleges, NEET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) from the year 2019 onwards. Besides this, as per the latest announcement by the Union Health Minister, the exam will replace AIIMS and JIPMER entrance examination from 2020 onwards thereby becoming the only medical entrance examination in the country. Every year, lakhs of students appear for the NEET exam to head start their career in the medical/dental stream. Last year, more than 14 lakh students appeared for the NEET entrance examination which is 14.52% increase from NEET (UG) 2019 examination. The students preparing for this exam begin their preparation simultaneously with their +2 examinations.
Considering the current prevailing situation in the country, an official notification from the NTA read, “We understand that academic calendar and schedule is important, but equally important is well being of every citizen including students. NTA would expect students and parents to not worry about the Examination. Moreover, parents are requested to help young students utilize this time for preparing for the Examination and focus on critical concepts in order to close learning gaps, if any.” Clearly, this statement is meant to reduce the level of stress that students and their parents might be going through .
When can a student start applying for the NEET exam? What are the important dates for NEET 2021? When is the NEET admit card released? Find an answer to all these questions in this article. The article provides detailed information about NEET exam date, application timeline, key highlights of the exam, results and counselling dates and more.
Latest Updates
- Through NEET counselling, around 20,089 seats will be filled under 15% All India Quota (AIQ), all deemed/central universities, ESIC/AFMS institutes, AIIMS and JIPMER colleges.
- 83,075 MBBS, 26,949 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH, 603 BVSc & AH, 1,899 AIIMS and 249 JIPMER MBBS seats will be filled this year.
NEET Exam Date 2021 – Key Highlights
The NTA is an autonomous organisation of MHRD, Government of India that conducts NEET exam from 2019 onwards. It conducts two different NEET exams for undergraduate and postgraduate studies respectively. Who can appear for NEET UG exam? How is the exam conducted? What is the syllabus covered in the exam? Here is a detailed overview of the exam covering all its significant aspects like key dates, exam pattern, exam duration, syllabus, eligibility and more.
Key Highlights of NEET exam
| S.No. | Particulars | Details |
| 1. | NEET exam date 2021 | 12th September 2021 |
| 2. | Application timeline |
13th July to 10th August 2021 23rd July 2021 (Dubai as preferred exam city) |
| 3. | Mode of application submission | Online |
| 4. | Application fee | INR 1,500 (for General category)
INR 1,400 (for General-EWS and OBC-NCL category) INR 800 (for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender category) |
| 5. | Examination time | Between 2 pm and 5 pm |
| 6. | Exam duration | 3 hours |
| 7. | Mode of examination | Offline (objective type questions) |
| 8. | Number of questions | 180 |
| 9. | Subjects covered |
Physics – 45 questions Chemistry – 45 questions
Biology (including Botany and Zoology) – 90 questions |
| 10. | Maximum marks for each question | 4 marks |
| 11. | Negative Marking | One mark will be deducted for each wrong answer |
| 12. | Medium of examination | English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Odia, Kannada, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu |
NEET Exam Date – Application Timeline
Before heading on to know about the NEET exam date, it is equally important for the students to keep track of the application timeline. For the year 2021, since the organising body has changed from CBSE to NTA, the application timeline has also changed. Find below a detailed description of the application timeline for the year 2021.
Application Timeline for NEET Exam 2021
| S.No. | Particulars | Details* |
| 1. | Start date of online application | 13th July 2021 |
| 2. | Last date for online submission of application | 10th August 2021 (by 9:50 PM) |
| 3. | Timeline to submit the application fee | 10th August 2021 (by 11:50 PM) |
| 4. | Start date for online correction of application | 11th August 2021 |
| 5. | Last date for online correction of application | 14th August 2021 (by 2:00 PM) |
NEET Exam Date – Key Dates for Examination
The NEET exam date is generally held on the first Sunday of May. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, this date has been postponed and the new NEET exam date was 12th September 2021. The students who have applied for the exam also need to keep in mind the dates of downloading the NEET admit card, without which they will not be able to give the examination. Adding to this, the students also get the provision of challenging the answer key post examination. The NTA releases the answer key and the recorded responses of the students online after the examination is over. Know every significant detail related to NEET exam date for the year 2020 in the table below.
Details of NEET Exam Date for 2021
| S.No. | Particulars | Details |
| 1. | NEET exam date for 2021 | 12th September 2021 (latest update) |
| 2. | Download of the NEET admit card | 9th September 2021 |
| 3. | Display of the answer key and recorded responses | 15th September 2021 |
| 4. | Examination timing | 2 pm to 5 pm |
NEET Exam Date – Important Dates for Results & Counselling
Once you are aware of the NEET exam date, you must also have the information about the dates for results and counselling. The students qualifying the NEET exam will have to appear for online counselling which is held after the declaration of results. The counselling is held in three different rounds including round 1, round 2 and mop-up round, after which the successful students get admission to top medical/dental colleges in India. The table below highlights the key dates related to NEET result and counselling for the year 2021.
Important Dates of NEET Result and Counselling
| S.No. | Particulars | Details |
| 1. | Result declaration | 1st November 2021 |
| 2. | Round 1 counselling schedule* | To be Announced |
| 3. | Round 2 counselling schedule* | To be Announced |
| 4. | Mop-up round counselling schedule* | To be Announced |
*The dates are based on the NEET 2021 counselling schedule. The counselling schedule for NEET 2021 is expected to be announced soon. 
Visit the official website to get the latest updates about the NEET 2021 examination.
NEET Exam Date – QnA
Still have questions related to NEET exam date? Find an answer to such questions in this section. Here is a compilation of some frequently asked questions for you.
Q. ✔️ How is the NEET examination conducted?
A. The examination is conducted offline (paper and pen test). The students are required to reach their designated examination center on the specified NEET exam date and time. They will get the question paper and an OMR answer sheet to mark the answers within the stipulated time duration.
Q. ✔️ By what time a student is expected to reach the examination centre?
A. The timing for the examination is 2 pm to 5 pm. Thus, the students need to reach the examination centre half an hour before the exam timing i.e. by 1.30 pm. No student will be allowed to enter the examination hall after 1.30 pm.
Q. ✔️ In how many languages the examination is conducted?
A. The NEET examination is conducted in 11 languages namely English, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Odia.
Q. ✔️ When will the students receive the test booklet in the examination hall?
A. The invigilator will distribute the test booklet to students at 1.45 pm.
Q. ✔️ What is the duration of examination for physically challenged students?
A. Generally, the exam duration is of 3 hours. However, the students with physical disability get 3.5 hours to complete the examination.
Q. ✔️ Is there any sectional time limit applicable for the NEET exam?
A. No, there is no sectional time limitation applicable.
Q. ✔️ Considering the current pandemic situation, when is the NEET 2021 examination expected to be held?
A. In view of the current COVID-19 outbreak, the NEET 2021 examination was postponed. The examination was held on 12th September 2021.
Q. ✔️ How is COVID-19 affecting the NEET 2021 examination?
A. The students who aspire to appear for NEET 2021 examination are surely living in uncertainties due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With the prevalent lockdown condition, the NEET 2021 examination is getting delayed. As per the latest announcement made by the HRD minister, the examination will now be conducted on 12th September 2021.
Q. ✔️ Is there any possibility that the examination is conducted online considering the current situation?
A. The NTA is the dedicated agency that conducts the NEET examination from 2019 onwards. The final decision is at their discretion. If any such changes will be made in the exam pattern, prior notification will be given to the prospective students.
