The NEET UG 2026 exam took place on May 3, 2026, and it brought a notable shift in the Physics section, featuring a significant increase in conceptual questions. This change tests candidates’ depth of understanding like never before.
More than 22 lakh candidates registered for this year’s exam, which was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Candidates rated the question paper as moderate, but many felt the increased focus on concepts made it particularly challenging.
The provisional answer key for NEET UG 2026 will be released on the official NTA portal at neet.nta.nic.in. Candidates will need their registration number and date of birth to download the PDF version of the answer key.
Once the answer key is available, candidates can raise objections against any discrepancies they find. The fee for raising objections is set at Rs 200 per question. This allows students to challenge specific answers they believe are incorrect.
The scoring system remains unchanged: each correct answer earns 4 marks, while incorrect answers incur a penalty of -1 mark. If a question is deemed incorrect, all candidates will receive an automatic award of +4 marks, regardless of whether they attempted it.
Candidates are advised to steer clear of unofficial answer keys circulating on social media, as these can lead to confusion and misinformation. The NTA will review all objections before releasing the final answer key.
This year’s NEET UG exam followed the traditional NTA pattern but included shifts in weightage that could impact overall scores. Interestingly, while Physics saw an uptick in conceptual questions, Biology remained largely NCERT-centric.
The journey from exam hall to medical college is fraught with uncertainty. How will these changes affect applicants? With results still pending, many are left wondering what lies ahead.
