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NEET UG 2025: NTA discontinues optional section, here’s why

NEET UG 2025: Candidates taking the NEET UG in 2025 will not get any optional questions and extra time introduced during Covid and exam will now revert to the pre-COVID format.

NEET UG 2025: Aspirants checking NEET exam pattern

NEET UG 2025: NEET UG 2025 paper will now have 180 compulsory questions — 45 questions each in physics and chemistry and 90 in biology (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

NEET UG 2025: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has discontinued the optional questions in Section B of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2025. Candidates taking the NEET UG in 2025 will not get any optional questions and extra time introduced during Covid and exam will now revert to the pre-covid format.

The optional section was introduced as a temporary measure to accommodate the challenges posed during Covid pandemic and has been in practice till 2024. NEET UG 2025 paper will now have 180 compulsory questions — 45 questions each in physics and chemistry and 90 in biology. Candidates will have to attempt the paper in 180 minutes.

An NTA statement issued in this regard said: “All NEET (UG)-2025 aspirants are hereby informed that the question paper pattern and examination duration will revert to the pre-COVID format where there will not be any Section B anymore. Hence, there will be a total of 180 compulsory questions (45 questions each in Physics and Chemistry and 90 in Biology) which will be attempted by the candidates in 180 minutes thereby removing any optional questions and extra time introduced due to covid.

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NTA which will be starting the NEET UG applications soon has today also confirmed that APAAR ID is not mandatory for registration. Aspirants can continue to register for NEET UG using other available means details of which shall be available in the information bulletin soon.

NEET UG will this year be held in pen and paper mode in a single shift. The NEET UG 2025 exam date and application details are yet to be announced.

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