NEET eligibility: the published 2026 decision table
Check the year, your age and your qualification route before treating a rule as yours.
This decision table quotes the 2026 MBBS/BDS eligibility chapter. It does not confirm 2027 eligibility rules. NTA bulletin, chapter 6, printed page 25 (PDF page 30).
Start with the age rule
For the 2026 examination, the bulletin requires age 17 by 31 December 2026: birth on or before 31 December 2009. It states no upper age limit. Source: section 1.
| Example birth date | Age check |
|---|---|
| 31 December 2009 | Meets this age condition. |
| 1 January 2010 | Does not meet this age condition. |
These are examples derived from the published cutoff. Passing the age check alone does not establish eligibility.
Then identify your qualification route
| Your situation | What the cited chapter says to check |
|---|---|
| School result awaited | Code 01 permits applying and appearing, but passing the qualifying examination is required by the first counselling round for admission. Code 01, printed page 26 (PDF page 31). |
| Passed the school qualification | Check the route covering Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English, including practical requirements and recognised-board conditions. Code 02, printed pages 26–27 (PDF pages 31–32). |
| Required subjects taken later as additional subjects | The chapter permits this route from duly recognised boards, with documentary evidence of passing the required subjects. Additional-subject provisions, PDF pages 31–32. |
| Intermediate, pre-medical, degree or equivalent qualification | Use the applicable code rather than assuming that any science qualification suffices. Codes 03–07, printed page 27 (PDF page 32). |
| Foreign or international school board | Check equivalence under Code 07. Board-equivalence note, printed page 28 (PDF page 33). |
| NRI, OCI or foreign-national admission route | Nationality documentation and the relevant government, institution and admission rules also apply. Section 2, printed pages 25–26 (PDF pages 30–31). |
Keep school marks separate from exam qualification
The cited chapter does not provide a school-percentage threshold table. This page therefore does not make a school-marks eligibility determination. If that is your unresolved condition, ask NTA about your exact qualification and check the applicable admission authority’s published requirements. Read the qualification provisions in full.
Check the published syllabus crosswalk to plan study, and the pattern and marking page to understand a practice score. Neither a mock score nor this table is an admission decision.
Your next step
Once you have identified the conditions that apply to you, use the NeetZen web mock for preparation. Choose a paper there and practise; no eligibility certificate is issued by the mock.
Source checked 12 September 2026: NTA Information Bulletin NEET (UG) 2026, chapter 6. This page applies no projected birth-date cutoff or qualification rule to 2027.
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