On 4th May, over 22 lakh candidates appeared in the NEET-UG 2025, the national entrance exam for admission to major medical programs such as MBBS and BDS at institutions including AIIMS, JIPMER, and other medical colleges across India.

Quick overview of the question paper pattern:

The updated NEET pattern for this year involves a 720-mark exam with 180 minutes to answer 180 questions — 45 questions from Physics and Chemistry each, and 90 questions from Biology. Each correct answer earns 4 marks, while incorrect ones incur a penalty of -1. There is no section division like there was earlier, and all questions are compulsory. Additionally, Biology is not divided into Botany and Zoology separately as before.

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Overall difficulty: Difficult

Here is a subject-wise analysis of the question paper, compiled by experts from the Aakash Institute.

Analysis of Physics questions

• The Physics section was highly challenging.
• Greater emphasis was placed on the Class 11 syllabus.
• Questions were lengthy and required extensive calculations.
• No statement-based, assertion-reason, or match-the-column questions were included.
• The majority of questions were asked from Mechanics and they were challenging.

Analysis of Chemistry questions

• The difficulty level was medium to difficult.
• Major focus was on Organic and Physical chemistry.
• There was more emphasis on the class 12 syllabus.
• A greater number of questions required conceptual and analytical understanding.
• Plenty of statement-based and matrix-match questions were there. One assertion-reason-based question was also included.
• Some of the questions were based on multiple concepts.
• In comparison to last year, this year the Chemistry questions were more time-consuming.

  

Analysis of Biology questions

• The overall difficulty level of the Biology section ranged from moderate to difficult.
• While most questions followed a predictable pattern, a few were unexpectedly challenging.
• All but one question were based on the NCERT textbooks and the exception included a statement not found in the prescribed text. Several questions directly replicated the wording used in the NCERT material.
• Some items were drawn from introductory passages of the units, the exercise sections, and the brief profiles of scientists featured at the beginning of chapters.
• A greater number of questions were based on the content from Class 12 than from Class 11.
• The section included a balanced mix of factual, conceptual, and analytical questions.
• Multi-statement and match-the-column formats appeared most frequently, followed by assertion-and-reason type questions. Diagrams from the NCERT textbook were also used in a few questions. A significant portion of the questions focused on the units covering Genetics and Biotechnology.

With the latest changes in the exam pattern, NEET-UG 2025 proved more challenging than previous years. The paper demanded not only thorough preparation and a well-rounded understanding of all subjects, but also effective time management — something NEET-UG 2025 has clearly highlighted as a key factor for success in future exams as well.

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