Kota: Candidates for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2025 have little over a month to prepare, with the exam scheduled for May 4. This year the country's largest medical admission exam will have certain modifications, including a new paper pattern, which experts believe may affect both the number of toppers and overall scores.
New Paper Pattern, No More Options
According to the official notice, the biggest change this year is the abolition of the option-based pattern in the exam, which is in contrast to the previous system when NEET UG had two parts for each subject—A and B.
Under the last system, candidates were asked to solve 35 questions from Part A and 15 questions from Part B, with an option to choose 10 questions from Part B. This provision was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this is now eliminated.
“This will be the biggest reason that there will be no B part in the paper this time. Earlier, candidates had the option to pick 10 questions out of 15, which was an advantage. Now, they will have to solve all questions, which increases the likelihood of errors and deductions due to negative marking,” education expert Dev Sharma explained.
Additionally, the number of questions has also been reduced to 180, down from 200, with 45 questions each from Physics and Chemistry and 90 questions from Botany and Zoology, combined in one paper called Biology.
Reduced Time for the Exam
Another major modification in NEET UG this year is the curtailment of about 20 minutes from exam time. Earlier, candidates were given 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete the exam for the past five years.
However, this time they will only have 3 hours, or 180 minutes, to solve the paper. It means they will get one minute per question.
“This will add to the pressure for students to complete the exam within the revised timeframe,” Sharma said.
Impact on Toppers and Cut-Offs
Following these changes, experts predict that the overall cut-off marks could be lower and there will be a fewer number of perfect scorers this year.
“Although some exceptionally talented students will manage to answer all questions correctly, many candidates may struggle due to the increased difficulty and reduced time,” Sharma said.
History of Perfect Scores in NEET UG
According to records, the number of candidates achieving a perfect score in NEET UG has seen a significant variation. For instance, in 2024, 67 candidates had initially scored 720 out of 720, but after a correction to the physics answer key, the number dropped to 17. These included four from Rajasthan, three from Maharashtra, and two each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, among others.
In total, only 24 candidates have ever achieved a perfect score in NEET UG so far, including 17 in 2024 and the remaining 7 from 2020 to 2023.
In 2020, Shoaib Aftab from Odisha and Akanksha Singh from Delhi set the record for the first perfect score in NEET UG history. Aftab was awarded the top rank due to his age, as both he and Singh scored the same marks.
Perfect Scorers from NEET UG 2024
Prachita, Saurabh, Devesh Joshi, Iram Kazi from Rajasthan; Shubham Sen Gupta, Plansha, Mane Neha Kuldeep (Maharashtra); Mridul Manya Anand, Divyansh (Delhi); Ayush Nagoria, Aryan Yadav (Uttar Pradesh); Mazin Mansoor (Bihar); Gunmay Garg (Punjab); Aaradhyadeep Dutta (West Bengal); Rajneesh P (Tamil Nadu); Sreenand Sharmil (Kerala); Tejas Singh (Chandigarh)
Top Scorers in Previous Years
In the years before 2024, the candidates who had achieved perfect scores were:
2020: Shoaib Aftab (Odisha), Akanksha Singh (Delhi)
2021: Mrinal Kuteeri (Telangana), Tanmay Gupta (Jammu and Kashmir), Karthika G Nair (Maharashtra)
2023: Prabanjan J (Tamil Nadu), Bora Varun Chakraborty (Andhra Pradesh)
In 2022, no candidate was able to score a perfect 720 in NEET UG.
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