The decision of whether to aim for NEET UG 2025 or NEET UG 2026 might have a big impact on their stress levels, preparation methods, and, eventually, their chances of getting into a medical college. NEET UG 2025 might be the best option for people who think they can handle the level of preparation in a short amount of time. However, for students wanting a more balanced approach to learning, with the opportunity to go further into their studies, aiming for NEET UG 2026 may prove more useful. Securing a spot in a medical institution while keeping a good balance with their academic career should be the ultimate goal.

JEE Mains 2025 Exam Date Updates: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to release the exam calendar for the 2025 session soon. The NTA exam calendar will include exam dates of JEE Main, NEET UG and CUET UG. The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main will likely be conducted in two sessions, January and April, while NEET, going by past trends, will take place in May and the Common University Entrance Examination (CUET) will likely be conducted in two phases — May and June.
However, the dates are yet to be released on the official website — nta.ac.in.
The NTA announced that the registration process for the online JEE Main 2025 application form will start soon. The Ministry of Education has removed the option to choose only five questions out of 10 in section B of the JEE Main 2025 exam from this year.
This change applies to both paper 1 and paper 2. The optional section was initially introduced as a temporary measure during the pandemic and was in practice until 2024.
The change in the NEET UG pattern is however not announced yet.
JEE Main 2025: Notification, Registration, Exam Date, Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus
The CUET UG in 2024 took place between May 15 and 29, the NEET UG was held on May 5, and the JEE Main exam was conducted in January and April.
The Supreme Court on Monday extended two weeks time grant to the Centre-appointed seven-member expert panel to file its report on exam reforms after reviewing the NTA's functioning in holding the NEET-UG.
The top court on August 2 had passed its formal order and expanded the remit of the seven-member expert panel, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the functioning of the NTA and recommend exam reforms to make the controversy-ridden NEET UG, transparent and free from malpractices.
The Supreme Court will hear the NEET PG case today. Students have raised concerns about the transparency of results and normalisation process followed by the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences (NBEMS). The petition was submitted on September 7 and was earlier heard on September 13.
A three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and including Justice Manoj Misra and Justice JB Pardiwala, heard the case on September 20 regarding the normalisation of marks, answer keys, and the results of the medical entrance exam.
This year, a total of 17,760 IIT seats were on offer, of which 17,695 have been filled, as per the data shared by the Joint Admission Board (JAB) in the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) report 2024. As per the data, this year there was an increase of nearly 375 seats from the previous year (17,385).
The JEE Main 2025 date is not released yet. The JEE Main 2025 dates including registration notification is expected to be released soon.
The official website to check NTA calendar is nta.ac.in.
It is impossible to understate how crucial Class 11 topic choice is to passing JEE. Based on their immediate academic objectives and long-term professional aspirations, students must make an informed choice.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to register all IITs, IIMs and other premier institutes with its Department of Social Welfare to provide scholarships to students. The first to be registered would be the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Dhanbad.
Branch: Choice count
Civil: 2,22,027
Computer Science and Engineering: 4,30,238
Mechanical Engineering: 3,18,477
Electrical Engineering: 3,12,631
Read More | These engineering branches dominate IIT BTech students’ choices
As per the data shared by the Joint Admission Board (JAB) in the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) report 2024, the most popular branch at IIT Bombay, in terms of choice count of candidates, turned out to be Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). As per the report, CSE at IIT Bombay was chosen by 25,481 candidates, which is an increase from 21,893 in 2023.
Choosing a degree is one of the important decisions for your career. Presently, two major fields that are on everybody’s minds and attract students are data science and computer science engineering (CSE). Both degrees have bright career options but cater to different kinds of interests and skill sets.
If you always have an eye for data, patterns and statistics then maybe your line of interest can be Data Science hence BSc in data science could be the thing. On the other hand, if your interests are more aligned with general computing, software development and computer programming and technology solutions as a whole then BTech in CSE covers an extensive domain. It gives you a taste of different IT careers.
BSc in Data Science and BTech in CSE have equally rewarding career growth prospects. Overall you should make your decision based on what you care the most about and which type of work you see yourself being passionate about in the future.
IITs across the country are offering fee concessions and relaxation in cut-off to students from reserved categories to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all, according to officials.
“In the JEE-based admissions, fee remissions and fee waivers are provided right from the application stage. At the application stage, students belonging to the SC, ST, PwD (persons with disability) need to pay only half the examination fee. Further, cut-offs are relaxed to support a greater number of admissions in the SC, ST, PwD and OBC categories,” said IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti.
When released, the JEE Main, NEET UG and CUET exam dates, eligibility, application dates and more will be made available at the official website of NTA - nta.ac.in.
"The recent NTA notification has removed the optional questions from Section B for all subjects in the JEE Main paper. Previously, students could attempt 5 out of 10 questions per subject in Section B, but now every subject will consist of only 25 mandatory questions collectively. This change is likely beneficial for students, as a higher total score previously resulted in increased cutoffs, costing a huge difference in ranks even for minor mistakes. With this adjustment, a 99 percentile score that used to be around 200 marks, may now be achievable at around 170 marks, thereby reducing the pressure on students."
- Pankaj Sijariya, Chemistry Faculty, Physics Wallah (PW)
IIT-Delhi’s Computer Science Engineering branch has been the most popular choice among the JEE aspirants. As per the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) report 2024, a total of 25,064 students showed their interest in pursuing Computer Science Engineering (CSE) from IIT Delhi. As compared to last year, this time, there was a 14.8 per cent rise in IIT Delhi’s popularity.
The next popular course after CSE is Electrical Engineering which also saw a 14 per cent increase from 19064 in 2023 to 21,855 choice count this year. The other top choices (third, fourth and fifth) were Mechanical Engineering (19,035), four-year course of Mathematics and Computing (18,760), and Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation) (16,226).
If you are sincere about becoming a doctor and think you can perform better with more time to prepare, then taking a drop year to be ready for NEET UG can be a wise choice. It’s crucial to thoroughly consider the benefits and drawbacks, and if you decide to drop, make sure you have a strong plan and support network in place.
In 2024, CUET UG was held between May 15 and 29, the NEET UG was held on May 5 and the JEE Main exam was conducted in two sessions — first in January between January 24 and February 1 and the next in April, from April 1 to 12.
Candidates taking the exam can check the exam dates, eligibility, application dates and more at nta.ac.in.
There is no confirmation of the change in the NEET UG exam pattern. The change in the NEET UG 2025 exam pattern will be announced well in advance to give time for preparation.
NEET UG 2024: May 5, June 23
NEET UG 2023: May 7
NEET UG 2022: July 17
NEET UG 2021: September 12
NEET UG 2020: September 13, October 14
Pankaj Sijariya, chemistry faculty, Physics Wallah (PW) opines that this change is likely beneficial for students, as a higher total score previously resulted in increased cutoffs, costing a huge difference in ranks even for minor mistakes. “With this adjustment, a 99 percentile score that used to be around 200 marks, may now be achievable at around 170 marks, thereby reducing the pressure on students,” he added.
In 2024, CUET UG was held between May 15 and 29, the NEET UG was held on May 5 and the JEE Main exam was conducted in two sessions — first in January between January 24 and February 1 and the next in April, from April 1 to 12.
In 2023, JEE Main session 1 exam was held between January 24 and January 31, the NEET UG 2023 was conducted on May 7. The CUET UG in 2023 was held in phases from May 21 to June 23.
With the year coming to an end, students will start concluding their preparation for competitive exams such as NEET UG and JEE Main, and begin the revision schedule. One of the most important components in revision is attempting sample papers and the previous years’ question papers.
However, not everyone likes to spend money on buying books or online registrations for sample papers and previous years’ question papers. These students should remember that there are a few resources available on the internet where free sample papers can be found for JEE Main, NEET UG.
Going by past year trends, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main will be conducted in two sessions – January and April, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) will be conducted on the first Sunday of May and the Common University Entrance Test UG (CUET UG) will be held in phases in May and June.
Once released, candidates taking the exam in 2025 can check the exam dates, eligibility, application dates, and more at nta.ac.in.
My path to pursuing a BTech in Civil Engineering at IIT Bombay has been a story of resilience, passion, and transformation. Growing up in Badlapur, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, mathematics was always my favourite subject. My journey began in Class 9 when my uncle introduced me to the world of IITs and the JEE exams, igniting my ambition to excel in engineering.
My journey to Mumbai began with a vacation to the city after my JEE Advanced exam. As the results came in and the possibility of joining IIT Bombay became real, what started as a week-long trip turned into a six-month stay, away from my family for the first time. During the JoSAA counselling, I heeded the advice of seniors who urged me to choose any branch at IIT Bombay over pursuing my preferences elsewhere, which led me to civil engineering.
Adjusting to life at IIT Bombay was initially challenging. The new environment felt overwhelming, especially since I was used to growing up with my sister and cousins. Making friends proved difficult at first, but as I engaged in activities, I gradually built a supportive circle. While the mess food was a far cry from my home-cooked meals, I adapted and found comfort in the friendships I developed.
Students should take into account their goals, academic standing, and the amount of time they have to prepare before deciding whether to take the JEE Main or JEE Advanced exam. JEE Advanced should be the ultimate aim if the dream is to get into an IIT, however students should also keep in mind that passing JEE Main is just the first step. Achieving success in JEE Main ought to be the first objective if the candidates is hoping to attend NITs or other reputable universities. Whichever option a candidate selects, the secret to success on both tests is consistency and dedication.
JEE Main 2025 date is not announced yet. For the latest updates on JEE Main 2025, keep following this blog.
It is not confirmed if the NEET UG exam pattern will change. The change in the NEET UG 2025 exam pattern will be announced well in advance to give time for preparation.
In an NTA notification issued on October 17, the exam conducting body said that the registration process for the online JEE Main 2025 application form “will be starting in due course of time”.
NEET UG 2024: May 5, June 23
NEET UG 2023: May 7
NEET UG 2022: July 17
NEET UG 2021: September 12
NEET UG 2020: September 13, October 14
Going by past year trends, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main will be conducted in two sessions – January and April, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) will be conducted on the first Sunday of May and the Common University Entrance Test UG (CUET UG) will be held in phases in May and June.
NTA had an estimated fee income of Rs 1065.38 (in crore) in 2023-24 and a total expenditure of Rs 1020.35 (in crore). Since its inception in 2018, NTA has conducted over 240 examinations involving over 5.4 crore candidates. The Agency launched the CUET UG and PG exams in 2022. As per the data, after CUET, the fee income and total expenditure of NTA seemed to have registered a dramatic increase — the fee income increased from Rs 490.35 (in crore) in 2021-22 to Rs 873.20 in 2022-23 and Rs 1065.38 in 2023-24.
In 2024, CUET UG was held between May 15 and 29. This year, over 15 lakh candidates appeared for the CUET UG 2024 exam.
The IITs across the country are offering fee concessions and relaxation in already lower cut-off to students from reserved categories to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all, according to officials.
NTA has discontinued the optional questions in Section B of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025. Candidates taking the JEE Main exam in 2025 will not have the option of choosing only five questions out of 10 in section B. According to NTA, the change will be applicable to JEE Main 2025 paper 1 – BE or BTech and JEE Main 2025 paper 2A – BArch and paper 2B – BPlanning.
The NTA has not announced any dates for JEE Main. It is not clear if JEE Main will be held twice. However, the exam conducting body has revised the exam pattern for the 2025 session.
NTA official website -- nta.ac.in will make the exam calendar for 2025 exams available.
NTA Exam Calendar 2025 Live Updates: JEE Main, NEET UG and CUET exam dates, application details and more (representative image/ file)
NTA Exam Calendar 2025 Updates: In addition to the NTA calendar for JEE Main, NEET and CUET, several state-level and university-level medical and engineering exams including AP EAMCET, TS EAMCET, KEAM, and VITEEE calendars are awaited.