The National Testing Agency (NTA) is currently seeing a massive rush as students across India sign up for the NEET UG 2026 examination. This test is the only way for students to get into medical colleges to study to become doctors or dentists. The online registration portal opened on February 8, and since then, thousands of students have been visiting the website every single day. If you are a student dreaming of a medical career, you must complete your application by the March 8 deadline. All the official forms and instructions are available at neet.nta.nic.in.

Important Dates and How to Apply

The NTA has provided a very clear schedule so that every student has enough time to finish their work. It is very important to follow these dates because the NTA rarely gives extra time once the window closes.

Last Date to Register: You must submit your online form by 9:00 PM on March 8, 2026.
Paying the Fee: While the form closes at 9 PM, you have until 11:50 PM on March 8 to finish your online payment.
Exam Day: The big day is May 3, 2026. The exam will happen in one shift from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Fixing Mistakes: If you make a small error, you can use the "Correction Window" between March 10 and March 12 to fix it.
Admit Cards: You will be able to download your hall ticket from the official NTA website in the last week of April.

Who Can Give the Exam and the Fees

To take this examination, students must meet specific rules about their age and what they studied in school. These rules ensure that all candidates have the right background for medical studies.

Category of Student	Application Fee in India	Age Requirement
General Category	₹1,700	17 years by Dec 31, 2026
OBC-NCL / EWS	₹1,600	17 years by Dec 31, 2026
SC / ST / PwD	₹1,000	17 years by Dec 31, 2026
Outside India	₹9,500	17 years by Dec 31, 2026

Age Limit: You must be born on or before December 31, 2009. There is currently no upper age limit, so older students can also apply.
School Subjects: You must have passed Class 12 (or be appearing for it in 2026) with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology. You also need to have English.
Minimum Marks: General category students need 50% marks in their science subjects. Students from other groups usually need 40%.
Language Choice: You can choose to answer the paper in English, Hindi, or 11 other regional languages like Gujarati, Kannada, or Tamil.

Document Requirements and Exam Pattern

Before you start your application, make sure you have all your digital files ready. The NTA requires specific documents to prove who you are and to keep the test fair for everyone.

Recent Photos: You need a passport-size photo and a larger postcard-size photo taken after January 1, 2026.
Digital Signature: You must upload a clear picture of your signature done in black ink on white paper.
Fingerprints: You need to scan and upload prints of all your fingers and both your thumbs.
The Test Layout: The exam has 200 multiple-choice questions. You have to answer 180 of them in 3 hours.
How Marks Work: You get +4 marks for every right answer. But be careful, because 1 mark is taken away for every wrong answer.

Conclusion

The NEET UG 2026 is a major event for millions of students. Since so many people are trying to use the website, it might get very slow or crash on the last day. For this reason, the NTA advises all candidates to finish their registration at least a week before the deadline. Always double-check your Aadhaar details and mobile number because these are used for your identity. Once you finish your application, download the confirmation page and keep it safe for the counseling process that will happen in July.

Utkal Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar

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