NEET Eligibility Criteria 2018

NEET Eligibility is prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education or CBSE each year. The medical aspirants have to fulfill NEET Qualifying Marks as specified by the conducting body in order to sit for the exam. Candidates satisfying the standards can then apply for NEET 2018, scheduled in May 2018.

Changes in NEET Eligibility 2018

A number of changes related to NEET Eligibility have spurred debates across the medical aspirants. While the government is yet to bring out a notification on the new changes, the decision has evoked mixed reactions. Candidates can read below, the latest changes introduced in the medical examination:

1. Number of attempts: A candidate can appear for NEET only three times now. No such condition existed earlier.
2. Upper age limit: The upper age limit is now set to 25 years for general category students. For Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe/ Other Backward category candidates, the upper age limit is 30 years.
3. Nationality- Candidates should be an Indian Nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRI’s), Overseas Citizen of India (OCI’s), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO’s) & Foreign Nationals, to apply for NEET 2018.
4. Educational Qualification-

• It is mandatory for a candidate to have passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English individually, with an aggregate of 50% marks.
• For candidates from SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH category, they must obtain at least 40% marks in their class XII. 
• For persons with locomotor disability of lower limbs, the minimum of 45% marks for General-PH and 40% marks for SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH are required.
• Candidates appearing for Class XII examination in 2018, can also appear for the entrance test provisionally, subject to their fulfilling the conditions later.

5. Minimum Percentage in 10+2 for NEET 2018 

Candidates applying for NEET 2018 must pass the minimum specified NEET qualification marks. The basic academic qualification required to appear in NEET exam is an HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) degree in PCB group (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology). Candidates can refer to the below table to know about the minimum percentage in 10+2 or HSC for NEET 2018.

Category	Marks in 10+2 or HSC examination
General	50%
SC/ST/OBC	40%
PH/PWD	45%

6. Possession of Aadhaar Card- Aadhar Card is now mandatory while applying for the NEET Exam. Read More

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NEET Eligibility for General / OBC / SC / ST

NEET 2018 is an undergraduate exam for Science students who have passed or appearing in 10+2 exams with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as compulsory subjects. The eligibility for NEET Exam varies category-wise. Candidates from reserved/ unreserved categories will have to fulfill the conditions set by CBSE. Read them below:

1. NEET Eligibility 2018 for General Category Candidates

• Candidates must have passed class XII in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology including practical tests in each of these subjects and English.
• Candidate must have passed in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology at the qualifying examination.
• The candidates appearing for the qualifying exam can also apply. They must have to show the passing certificates complying with the percentage criteria at the time of first round of counselling.
• Marks obtained in math shall not be considered for admission to MBBS/BDS courses.

2. NEET Eligibility 2018 for Reserved Category Candidates

• Candidates must have passed class XII in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology including practical tests in each of these subjects and English.
• In respect of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes, the marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology have taken together in qualifying examination shall be 40% marks instead of 50% marks for General Candidates.

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NEET Eligibility for All India/ State Quota Seats

1. NEET Eligibility for 15% All India Quota Seats

A candidate must fulfil the following conditions in order to be eligible for seats under 15% All India Quota of NEET 2018. If a candidate fails to meet even one of these NEET Eligibility Criteria 2018, their NEET 2018 Application Form is liable for rejection.

• Applicant must be an Indian National. Any candidate of foreign nationalities is not eligible for NEET 2018
• Possession of a valid Aadhar Card
• A candidate must be 17 years old on or before 31st December by the year of admission into the medical program
• For General Category, the upper age limit is 25 years of age on or before 31st December of the year of admission
• For candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC Category, the upper limit is relaxed up to 30 years.

There are some special provisions and norms for candidates from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the state of Jammu and Kashmir. NEET 2018 Eligibility Criteria for such candidates is mentioned below:

• Candidates from these states are not eligible for 15% All India Quota Seats. However, in the case that a candidate claims NEET 2018 Eligibility, he must submit an online self-declaration.
• This declaration will be verified at the time of counselling, hence, students are advised to ensure its truthfulness.

What is All India Quota Seats in NEET?

All the medical and dental colleges across India reserve 15% seats as the All India Quota seats in NEET 2018. These seats will be based on NEET Counselling. Students who qualify in these seats will be eligible for admission. Please note that the All India Quota Seats are not applicable in the state of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. 

2. NEET Eligibility for 85% State Quota Seats

Candidates applying for the 85% State Quota seats must fulfil the below NEET Exam Eligibility:

• Candidates must have completed/appearing his/her 10th and 12th from the state
• Candidate must possess a valid domicile of the state
• Candidate should possess a residency proof of the state

What are State Quota Seats in NEET?

Other than the All India Quota Seats, candidates are also selected through State Counselling. 85% seats in medical and dental colleges are filled through the State Quota seats. The eligibility criteria for this is set as per the rules and regulations of the participating state. Students applying for the state quotas would have to provide the domicile/ proof of origin of that state at the time of filling the NEET Application Form. Also, students must understand that state of origin gets precedence over state of domicile while filling the NEET application form.

3. NEET Exam Eligibility for Seats in Participating Bodies

The NEET Exam Eligibility for admission to seats which are under the control of State Universities, Institutions and AFMC is same except for a few additions. Apart from Indian Nationals, candidates who fall in the category for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) can also apply for these seats. In terms of age limit, the minimum age limit is 17 years while maximum age limit is set by each institution separately. A candidate must go through the individual eligibility criteria for each such Institute before applying.

The candidates who are applying under the OCI category, are eligible subject to rules and regulations that have been framed by the respective State Governments and the Government of India.

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NEET Eligibility for PwD

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2018 for people with physical disability or for those who are physically handicapped are specified below:

For persons with locomotor disability of lower limbs,

• Candidates must have passed class XII in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology including practical tests in each of these subjects and English.
• A minimum aggregate of 45% marks for Gen-PH in the qualifying examination is required
• A minimum aggregate of 40% marks for SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH in the qualifying examination is required.

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NEET Eligibility for Overseas/ NRI Candidates

Students who have completed their secondary education from a foreign country are also eligible for appearing in NEET 2018. Such candidates fall under the category of Overseas/NRI/International Applicants. The NEET Eligibility Criteria for Overseas Candidates can be defined as follows:

The students, who have been educated abroad and are seeking admission into medical colleges in India,

• Candidates must have passed class XII in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology including practical tests in each of these subjects and English.
• Must have cleared Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Bio-technology and English up to the 12th standard level with 50% marks
• The equivalency will be determined as per regulations of the Medical Council of India and the concerned University

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NEET 2018 Qualifying Examination Codes

The table below explains the different eligibility codes as accepted by CBSE for NEET 2018. 

Code Number	Detailed Specifications
CODE 01	Ques. Who is it for? Ans. For candidates appearing in the qualifying examination, i.e., 12th Standard, in 2018with results being awaited. Ques. What is the condition specified by the code? Ans. These candidates can apply for NEET 2018 but they must have passed the qualifying exam with the required pass percentage at the time of first round of NEET 2018 Counselling.
CODE 02	Ques. Which exam is the code for? Ans. The Higher/Senior Secondary Examination or the Indian School Certificate Examination (which is equivalent to 10+2 Higher/Senior Secondary Examination after a period of 12 years study). Ques. What does the code specify? Ans. The last two years of education of the candidate must comprise of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology (including practical tests in these subjects) and Mathematics or any other elective subject. English should not be at a level less than the core course for English as prescribed by the NCERT.
CODE 03	Ques. Which exam is the code for? Ans. The Intermediate/Pre-degree Examination in Science of an Indian University/Board or other recognised examining body. Ques. What does the code say? Ans. The subjects should consist of Physics, Chemistry, Biology /Bio-technology (including practical test in these subjects) and also English as a compulsory subject.
CODE 04	Ques. Which exam is the code for? Ans. The Pre-professional/Pre-medical Examination after passing either the Higher Secondary Examination or the Pre-University or an equivalent examination Ques. What does the code say? Ans. The Pre-professional/Pre-medical examination must include practical tests in Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Bio-technology and also English as a compulsory subject.
CODE 05	Ques. Which exam is the code for? Ans. The three years’ degree course of a recognised University Ques. What does the code specify? Ans. The candidate should be in the first year of the course and his subjects must consist of Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology (including practical tests in these subjects). The candidate must also have passed the earlier qualifying examination with the same subjects and with English at a level, not less than a core course.
CODE 06	Ques. Which exam does the code apply to? Ans. B.Sc. Examination of an Indian University Ques. What does the code specify? Ans. The candidate must have passed the B.Sc. Examination with not less than two of the subjects - Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany, Zoology)/Bio-technology The candidate must also have passed the earlier qualifying examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English as his subjects.
CODE 07	Ques. Which exam does the code apply to? Ans. Any other examination which is in scope and standard equivalent to the Intermediate Science Examination of an Indian University/Board Ques. What does the code specify? Ans. The subjects should be Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology (including practical tests in each of these subjects) and English. The candidate must have passed any of the qualifying examinations as enumerated above or appearing in the qualifying examination in 2016. For General Category: The candidate must have passed in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Bio-technology and English individually. He must also have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology in the qualifying examination. For SC/ST/OBC Categories: The candidate must have obtained a minimum of 40% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology taken together in the qualifying examination.

A candidate must satisfy any one of the seven qualification codes elaborated in the table above.

Note: If a candidate does not fall within the qualifications prescribed as per Code number 01-07, he/she would have to provide complete details to determine his/her eligibility.

• The Pre-medical course may be conducted either at a Medical College or at a Science College
• Marks obtained in Mathematics are not to be considered for admission to MBBS/BDS Courses

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NEET Eligibility – FAQ’ s

Ques. What are the eligibility criteria for appearing in NEET UG, 2018?

Ans. The minimum eligibility criteria for appearing in NEET UG 2018 is given below:

• He/she has completed age of 17 years at the time of admission or will complete the age on or before 31st December of the year of his/her admission to the 1styear MBBS/BDS Course.
• The upper age limit for NEET-UG is 25 years as on the date of examination with relaxation of 5 years for the candidates belonging to SC/ST/ OBC category.

For Candidates of Unreserved Category (UR)	born on or between 08.05.1992 and 01.01.2001
For Candidates of SC/ST/OBC Category	born on or between 08.05.1987 and 01.01.2001

• Indian Nationals, Non Resident Indians (NRIs), Oversees Citizen of India (OCIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) & Foreign Nationals are eligible to appear in NEET 2018.
• The number of attempts which a candidate can avail at NEET-UG examination shall be limited to 3 (three) uniformly to all the candidates. The candidates who have already appeared in AIPMT/NEET on three occasions are not allowed to take this examination.

Ques. What are the eligibility criteria for appearing in NEET-UG, 2018 for 15% All India Quota?

Ans. In addition to the eligibility criteria given above, following is also required for 15% All India Quota: Students from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and J & K are NOT ELIGIBLE for 15% all India quota seats as these States had opted out of All India Scheme since its inception. If they claim eligibility, they must submit online Self Declaration which will be generated and printed automatically alongwith confirmation page for the record and to present during counselling.

Ques. Who can appear in NEET UG 2018?

Ans. The following candidates can appear in NEET:

• Indian Nationals
• Non Resident Indians (NRIs)
• Oversees Citizen of India (OCIs)
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)
• Foreign Nationals are eligible to appear in NEET 2018

Ques. If a candidate is opting Oriya as medium of question paper, would he be eligible for 15% All India Quota?

Ans. Candidates qualifying NEET would be eligible for All India Quota and other quotas under the State Governments/Institutes, irrespective of the medium in which the examination is taken by a candidate, subject to other eligibility criteria.

Ques. Through NEET Exam 2018 against which seats admissions will be made?

Ans. Admissions will be made through the following seats:

(i) All India Quota Seats.

(ii) State Government Quota Seats

(iii) State/Private/Management/NRI Quota Seats in all Private Medical / Dental Colleges or any Private/ Deemed University

(iv) Central Pool Quota Seats

Ques. Is there any seat in MBBS/BDS on which admission will be made without appearing in NEET-UG?

Ans. No. Admissions in 100% MBBS/BDS seats will be done through the NEET-UG only.