The NEET exam (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is India’s only undergraduate medical entrance test, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) once a year in offline pen-and-paper mode. It covers Physics, Chemistry and Biology for 720 marks and is mandatory for MBBS, BDS and Ayush admissions across all government and private medical colleges in India.
Students and parents frequently ask what the NEET exam is and how it works. NEET-UG replaced the old All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) and all state-level PMTs in 2016, making it the single compulsory test for MBBS and BDS admissions across roughly 706 medical colleges and over 1,09,000 MBBS seats, according to the National Medical Commission (NMC).
NTA conducts the NEET exam every year, typically in May. The exam is offline, three hours and twenty minutes long, and carries 720 marks split across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and Zoology). Each correct answer earns 4 marks; each wrong answer costs 1 mark.
You need Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as core subjects, a minimum of 50% aggregate in PCB (40% for SC/ST/OBC candidates), and Indian nationality or OCI/PIO status. There is no upper age limit after the Supreme Court struck it down in 2022. The minimum age is 17 years on or before December 31 of the admission year.
NEET scores are also mandatory for admission to AIIMS and JIPMER institutions, which used to run their own separate tests. That is how far-reaching this single exam is.
PMT stood for Pre-Medical Test. States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi ran their own PMTs to fill seats in state medical colleges. The Supreme Court’s 2016 judgment mandating a single national test ended all of them. Today, PMT is purely a historical term, though coaching institutes still use it loosely to mean NEET preparation.
If you are a parent who appeared for a state PMT in the 1990s or 2000s, the process your child faces is very different. One exam, one score, one counselling process: MCC conducts the All India Quota counselling, while states handle their quota seats separately.
The Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) is the national entrance exam for admission to Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) programmes at government and private pharmacy colleges across India. NTA conducts GPAT, usually in February, in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.
Eligibility: a B.Pharm degree or final-year B.Pharm students. The exam has 125 questions, all MCQs, for 500 marks. Subjects covered include Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy. GPAT scores are valid for three years and are accepted by roughly 800-plus pharmacy institutions. According to NTA’s 2024 data, over 1.1 lakh candidates registered for GPAT.
GPAT is also a qualifying criterion for the AICTE Postgraduate Scholarship, which currently pays Rs 12,400 per month to eligible M.Pharm students, making it financially significant beyond just admissions.
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a licensing screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Any Indian citizen or OCI cardholder who completed their MBBS from a foreign university and wants to practise medicine in India must pass FMGE before they can register with the NMC.
FMGE has 300 MCQs split across two parts, each of 150 questions, and the passing threshold is 150 out of 300 (50%). The exam is held twice a year, in June and December. Historically, pass rates have been low. According to NBEMS data, the pass percentage in the December 2023 session was approximately 18%, which reflects how rigorous the screening is.
From 2024 onwards, FMGE is being progressively replaced by the National Exit Test (NExT), which will serve as the common final-year MBBS exam and licensing test for both Indian and foreign graduates. NExT implementation is still phased, so FMGE remains active for eligible candidates in the interim.
| Exam | Conducting Body | Eligibility | Mode | Frequency | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEET-UG | NTA | Class 12 PCB, min 50% (gen), age 17+ | Pen & Paper | Once a year | MBBS / BDS / Ayush UG admission |
| NEET-PG | NBEMS | MBBS with 1-year internship | CBT | Once a year | MD / MS / PG Diploma admission |
| GPAT | NTA | B.Pharm degree / final year | CBT | Once a year | M.Pharm admission + scholarship |
| FMGE | NBEMS | Indian citizen / OCI with foreign MBBS | CBT | Twice a year | NMC registration to practise in India |
NEET exam preparation typically spans two years, starting in Class 11. According to a 2023 report by the Allen Career Institute, over 70% of NEET toppers credit NCERT Biology as their primary source, not expensive reference books. Start there before anything else.
For GPAT, the B.Pharm syllabus is your base. Focus on Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry because they carry the most weight. Past papers from NTA’s official archive are free and accurate; use them.
FMGE preparation is a different challenge. Candidates returning from countries like Russia, Ukraine, China or the Philippines often face a gap between their foreign curriculum and the Indian clinical context. Subject-wise revision using NBE-approved study material, combined with mock tests, is the most cited strategy among candidates who clear it in the first attempt.
If you are still in Class 12 and have not decided on a career path, it helps to see the full picture. Our guide on best career paths after 12th grade in 2026 maps out medical alongside engineering, law and emerging tech careers so you can compare realistically. For engineering-focused peers, the IIT, IISER and IIM courses after 12th page covers that track in depth.
Medicine is a long road: MBBS is 5.5 years including internship, PG adds 3 more years, and specialisation can extend further. If you want a high-earning career that takes less time to enter, the high salary jobs in India after 12th article gives a grounded comparison, including tech and finance roles that do not require a decade of training.
NTA releases the NEET admit card roughly two to three weeks before the exam date on neet.nta.nic.in. You cannot enter the exam hall without it. The admit card carries your roll number, exam centre, reporting time and photograph. Any mismatch in your registered name or date of birth must be corrected through NTA’s correction window, which opens briefly after registration closes.
GPAT and FMGE admit cards follow a similar pattern, released through their respective NTA and NBEMS portals. Download and print two copies. Exam centres in tier-2 cities sometimes have connectivity issues on the day, so having a physical copy saves you.
Career planning does not stop at picking an exam. Our career planning guide for Class 12 and college students walks through how to set goals, evaluate options and build a backup plan, which every medical aspirant genuinely needs given NEET’s competition level. According to NTA’s official data, over 24 lakh candidates appeared in the NEET exam in 2024, making it one of the largest competitive exams in the world.
Medical and pharmacy careers are rewarding, but they are not the only routes to a respected, well-paying profession. Tech careers in cybersecurity and AI are growing fast in India. If you are curious, our pages on cybersecurity careers after 12th and cyber security course eligibility explain what is available, what it pays, and how quickly you can get there compared to a medical degree.
Whatever path you choose, building digital skills alongside your core career is a smart move. 3.0 University offers online certification courses in Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacking, AI, Blockchain and Web3 designed for students, working professionals and career switchers who want practical, industry-ready skills without a four-year commitment. Explore all courses at 3.0 University and see what fits your timeline.
The NEET exam (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is India’s national medical entrance exam for MBBS, BDS and Ayush undergraduate admissions. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts it once a year in offline pen-and-paper mode. It replaced AIPMT and all state PMTs in 2016. Over 24 lakh students appeared in 2024, making it one of the largest competitive exams in the world.
PMT, or Pre-Medical Test, was a state-level entrance exam used before 2016 for admission to state government medical colleges. States like UP, MP and Delhi ran separate PMTs. The Supreme Court mandated a single national exam, and NEET replaced all PMTs. PMT no longer exists as an active exam. If a coaching institute says PMT prep, they mean NEET preparation.
GPAT (Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test) is a national entrance exam for M.Pharm admissions, conducted by NTA in CBT mode, usually in February. It is open to B.Pharm graduates and final-year students. A valid GPAT score also qualifies candidates for the AICTE postgraduate scholarship of Rs 12,400 per month. Scores are valid for three years across eligible pharmacy institutions.
FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination) is a screening test conducted by NBEMS. Indian citizens and OCI cardholders who earned their MBBS from a foreign university must pass FMGE to get NMC registration and practise medicine in India. The pass mark is 50% (150 out of 300). Pass rates are historically low, around 18-20% per session, according to NBEMS data.
NEET-UG requires Class 12 with PCB, minimum 50% marks (40% for reserved categories), and age 17 or above. GPAT requires a B.Pharm degree or final-year status. FMGE requires Indian nationality or OCI status plus a primary medical qualification from a recognised foreign university. Each exam has its own registration portal and specific document requirements that vary slightly each year.
Last updated: September 2026. Reviewed by the 3University editorial team.
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