National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test or NEET is the premier medical exam conducted by the National Testing Agency. Aspiring candidates seeking admissions in highly esteemed medical or dental colleges appear for the NEET exam every year in huge numbers. Owing to the high competition, it is crucial for the candidates to keep abreast of all the essential information regarding the exam.
NTA released an information brochure on their official website in December 2019 regarding the NEET 2020 exam. As per this brochure, the exam pattern for NEET 2020 will remain the same as it was in the previous years. The 3-hour long entrance exam will include a total of 180 multiple-choice questions. While the Physics and Chemistry sections will comprise 45 questions each, the Biology section will include 90 questions.
It is important for the candidates to know about the NEET exam pattern 2020 in detail, for a top-notch preparation. This article would lay emphasis on all the crucial details regarding the NEET exam pattern 2020.
NEET Exam – Important Update
HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal recently announced that the NEET exam 2020 would be conducted on the 13th September 2020. The exam was previously scheduled to be held on 3rd May 2020, but amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, the exam dates had to be revised.
NEET Exam – Important Dates
| Events | Dates |
| Online application started from | 2nd December 2019 |
| Online application form submission deadline | 6th January 2020 |
| Last date for fee submission | 7th January 2020 |
| Timeline for making appropriate changes in NEET Application form | 15th January 2020 – 3rd May 2020 |
| NEET Exam Date | 13th September 2020 |
| Declaration of Result | Yet to be announced* |
*Delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More: – NEET Exam Date – Latest updates, Highlights of NEET Exam
NEET Exam Pattern – Format
The information on the format of NEET exam is summarized below:
- NEET 2020 would consist of 180 questions in total.
- There will be 90 questions from Biology, and 45 questions each from Physics and Chemistry.
- The biology section would be further divided in two parts – 45 questions each from Zoology and Botany.
- The exam would be conducted in a pen and paper mode, and candidates would have to mark the correct responses in an OMR sheet.
- NEET 2020 would be based on multiple-choice questions.
- The duration of the NEET 2020 would be 3 hours.
- Candidates would be awarded 4 marks for every correct response whereas 1 mark would be deducted for every incorrect answer; no marks will be deducted for unattempted questions.
| Total Number of Questions | 180 Questions |
| Total Marks | 720 Marks |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ’s) |
| Number of questions divided in each section | Physics – 45, Chemistry – 45, Biology – 90 (Zoology -45, Botany – 45) |
| Marking Scheme | 4 marks will be awarded for every correct response, 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect response |
| Mode of Exam | Pen and Paper mode (offline) |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Languages/Medium available for NEET 2020 | English, Hindu, Urdu, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Assamese, Oriya, Bengali |
NEET Exam Pattern – Marking Scheme
The marking scheme for the NEET 2020 is given below in pointers:
- Every correct response would be awarded with 4 marks.
- Every incorrect response would result in a deduction of 1 mark.
- Candidates must not mark more than 1 response for a specific question, multiple answers will be considered as a wrong attempt and would cost you a mark.
- No marks will be deducted for unattempted questions.
- Once you have marked a response, don’t change it.
How to calculate the NEET Score?
Once the answer key will be released, candidates may themselves evaluate their total number of marks obtained in the NEET 2020. You can calculate the total number of marks in the manner given below-
NEET Score = (Total number of correct answers X 4)- (Total Number of incorrect answers X 1).
For eg- If you have answered 120 questions correctly and 40 incorrectly (20 questions not attempted). Then, your final score would be: (120 X 4) – (40 X 1) = 440.
NEET Syllabus
The syllabus for NEET 2020 is mentioned below. The syllabus is separately mentioned for both 11th and 12th Class topics.
NEET Syllabus – Physics
| S.No. | Topics of Class 11 | Topics of Class 12 |
| 1. | Physical World & Measurement | Current Electricity |
| 2. | Kinematics | Electrostatics |
| 3. | Work, Energy & Power | Magnetic Effects of Current & Magnetism |
| 4. | Laws of Motion | Electromagnetic Waves |
| 6. | Motion of System of Particles & Rigid Body | Electromagnetic Induction & Alternating Currents |
| 7. | Gravitation | Dual Nature of Matter & Radiation |
| 8. | Thermodynamics | Optics |
| 9. | Oscillations and Waves | Electronic Devices |
| 10. | Properties of Bulk Matter | Atoms & Nuclei |
| 11. | Behaviour of Perfect Gas & Kinetic Theory | – |
NEET Syllabus – Chemistry
| S.No. | Topics of Class 11 | Topics of Class 12 |
| 1. | Structure of Atom | Solutions |
| 2. | Basic Concepts of Chemistry | Solid State |
| 3. | Classification of Elements & Periodicity in Properties | Electrochemistry |
| 4. | States of Matter – Gases & Liquids | Chemical Kinetics |
| 5. | Chemical Bonding & Molecular Structure | General Principles & Processes of Isolation of Elements |
| 6. | Equilibrium | Surface Chemistry |
| 7. | Thermodynamics | p-Block Elements |
| 8. | Hydrogen | d and f Block Elements |
| 9. | Redox Reactions | Haloalkanes & Haloarenes |
| 10. | s-Block Element | Coordination Compounds |
| 11. | Some p-Block Elements | Alcohols, Phenols & Ethers |
| 12. | Hydrocarbons | Organic Compounds Containing Nitrogen |
| 13. | Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles & Techniques | Aldehydes, Ketones & Carboxylic Acids |
| 14. | Environmental Chemistry | Polymers |
| 15. | – | Biomolecules |
| 16. | – | Chemistry in Everyday Life |
NEET Syllabus – Biology
| S.No. | Topics of Class 11 | Topics of Class 12 |
| 1. | Structural Organisation in Animals & Plants | Reproduction |
| 2. | Diversity in Living World | Biology & Human Welfare |
| 3. | Plant Physiology | Genetics & Evolution |
| 5. | Cell Structure and Function | Ecology & Environment |
| 6. | Human Physiology | Biotechnology & Its Applications |
Important Topics for NEET 2020
There are certain topics in each subject (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) which prominently feature in the NEET exam. Thus, you must cover all these important topics and lay special emphasis on them for best possible results.
| Physics | Biology | Chemistry |
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Note – Though these are the most important topics or sections for the NEET, candidates must precisely cover all the topics mentioned in the NEET Syllabus, Click here for the detailed information about the NEET Syllabus 2020.
Languages/Medium for NEET 2020
You may choose to attempt the NEET 2020 from as many as 11 languages. You may opt for the languages such as English, Hindi and Urdu in all the exam centres of NEET. However, candidates who have opted for a vernacular language as a medium of exam will be allotted exam centres accordingly.
The list of NEET exam conducting cities for various vernacular languages is given below –
| NEET Exam Medium/Language | NEET Examination Cities |
| English, Hindi and Urdu | All States and Cities |
| Telugu | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Exclusively) |
| Bengali | West bengal and Tripura (Exclusively) |
| Kannada | Karnataka (Exclusively) |
| Gujarati | Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli (Exclusively) |
| Tamil | Tamil Nadu (Exclusively) |
| Marathi | Maharashtra (Exclusively) |
| Oriya | Odisha (Exclusively) |
| Assamese | Assam (Exclusively) |
NEET Exam Pattern – FAQ’s
Q. ✔️ Has NTA changed the NEET Exam Pattern 2020?
No, NTA hasn’t executed any changes in the NEET Exam Pattern 2020, and the exam format remains the same as previous year (2019).
Q. ✔️ Is NEET conducted twice a year?
No, NEET is only conducted once in a year. This year, the exam would be conducted on the 13th September 2020. The NEET exam was previously scheduled to be held on the 3rd May 2020 but dates have been revised due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q. ✔️ Will NTA conduct NEET 2020 in online mode as well?
No. NEET 2020 will only be conducted in the Pen and Paper mode(offline). Thus, candidates must appear at the allotted centre on the day of the NEET 2020.
Q. ✔️ How many questions will be asked in NEET 2020 from each subject?
There will be 180 questions in NEET 2020. The Physics and Chemistry section would contain 45 questions each whereas the Biology section would feature 90 questions, which will further be divided equally into Botany and Zoology.
Q. ✔️ What is the marking scheme mentioned in the NEET exam pattern 2020?
The marking scheme mentioned in the NEET exam pattern 2020 is given below-
Every correct response would be awarded with 4 marks.
Every incorrect response would result in a deduction of 1 mark.
Candidates must not mark more than 1 response for a specific question,multiple answers will be considered as a wrong attempt and would cost you a mark.
No marks will be deducted for unattempted questions.
Q. ✔️ What is the duration of the NEET 2020?
The duration of the NEET 2020 is 3 hours.
Q. ✔️ Where can I do rough work in NEET 2020?
You will be provided a rough booklet specifically meant for rough work in NEET 2020. You cannot solve answers on admit cards or answer sheets.
