Representational picture (Photo: NTA)
The results of the re-conducted National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) are expected to be declared by 20 July, a senior official from the National Testing Agency (NTA) has confirmed.
While the official did not specify the exact date of the announcement, they said the agency is working on a war footing to publish the results at the earliest. The official also assured that the MBBS academic calendar would remain on schedule.
The re-NEET examination was held on 21 June after the 3 May test, taken by more than 20 lakh candidates, was cancelled over allegations of a paper leak.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, the senior NTA said:
We would not like to give out any date as of now, but the result will be out by 20 July. Normally, the results are announced within 45 days of the examination, but this time, as we have conducted the exam in 37 days, we will announce the results much earlier.
Around 10,000 answer key challenges under review
The NTA published the provisional answer key on 25 June and allowed candidates to raise objections until 28 June. According to the official, the agency received nearly 10,000 challenges from aspirants.
The official said the NTA is currently reviewing every objection submitted by candidates. Explaining the process, the official said:
‘We need to scan all the challenges one by one, examine the supporting evidence, and respond to each one of them.’
Candidates were required to pay ₹200 for every question challenged. The amount will be refunded if the objection is found to be valid.
MBBS academic session to remain on schedule
The official also said the re-examination would not affect the start of the new MBBS academic session, although the counselling schedule is yet to be announced. The counselling process generally takes more than a month to complete.
Once the NEET-UG results are declared, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) announces the counselling schedule for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ), AIIMS, JIPMER, central and deemed universities. State authorities separately release counselling schedules for the remaining 85 per cent state quota seats.
Last year, the MCC issued the NEET UG 2025 counselling schedule on 12–13 July, around a week after the results were announced. Registration for the first round began on 21 July, giving candidates about eight days to prepare.
In a typical admission cycle, first-year MBBS classes begin in August or September, depending on the completion of the counselling process. The official said this year’s academic session would also begin on time.
How the counselling process works
During counselling, candidates have to register online, pay the prescribed fee, and submit and lock their preferred choices of colleges and courses. Seats are allotted based on NEET rank, category, reservation rules, candidates’ preferences and seat availability.
Candidates who receive a seat must report to the allotted college for document verification and admission. The counselling process is conducted in several stages, including Round 1, Round 2, the Mop-up Round and the Stray Vacancy Round, to fill all available seats before the academic session starts.
Meanwhile, some states have already begun preparations for admissions. In Tamil Nadu, for instance, the Medical Selection Committee has started accepting applications even before the declaration of the NEET-UG results.
