NEET UG 2025: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET UG) 2025 today, under strict monitoring. The examination will take place from 2pm to 5pm in pen and paper mode. Over 22.7 lakh medical aspirants have registered for this year’s exam. All students must report and enter their respective exam centres before 1.30pm.
The highly competitive test, which serves as a gateway to undergraduate medical courses at top government colleges, will be conducted at 5,453 centres across more than 500 cities nationwide. A three-tier surveillance mechanism-at the district, state, and national levels-has been put in place to ensure the exam is held fairly.
Most exam centres this year have been set up in government and government-aided schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions.
To ensure smooth operations, mock drills were conducted at all test centres a day prior. These drills assessed readiness in terms of mobile signal jammer functionality, adequate deployment of frisking personnel, and proper functioning of biometric verification systems.
The Ministry of Education has warned that any student found engaging in malpractice-before, during, or after the examination-will face legal action under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Offenders will be penalised as per the provisions of the law.
These measures follow serious allegations of irregularities, including a reported paper leak during last year’s NEET exam, which sparked nationwide concern over the integrity of the process.
In a major crackdown ahead of the 2025 test, the NTA has flagged 116 social media channels-including 106 on Telegram and 10 on Instagram-for allegedly spreading misinformation. The agency also launched a dedicated portal to gather leads on claims of paper leaks circulating online. More than 1,500 such claims have already been received and are under review.
NEET UG 2025: Exam Day Guidelines, Dress Code, And Prohibited Items
The NTA has released detailed guidelines for candidates to follow on exam day. These include:
What To Carry
- Admit card with a passport-size photo affixed (same as submitted in the application).
- One additional identical passport-size photo for the attendance sheet.
- Valid original photo ID such as Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, Voter ID, Driving License, Ration Card, or Class 12 admit card with a photo.
- PwBD certificate (if applicable), issued by a recognised authority.
- Entry will not be allowed without the admit card and valid photo ID.
Dress Code
To maintain fairness, the following dress code must be adhered to:
- Light-coloured clothes with half sleeves only.
- Shoes are not permitted; only slippers or sandals with low heels are allowed.
- Candidates wearing religious or cultural attire should report by 12:30 PM for extra screening.
- Avoid wearing accessories like brooches, badges, jewelry, watches, or metallic items.
- Items Banned Inside the Exam Hall
- Printed or written materials, pencil boxes, geometry kits, calculators.
- Electronic devices: mobile phones, Bluetooth gadgets, smartwatches, fitness bands.
- Wallets, handbags, belts, caps, or any metal-based items.
- Food or drinks, whether sealed or unsealed.
- Any item that could facilitate cheating.
Possession of prohibited items may lead to disqualification under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Other Key Instructions
- Entry gates will close at 1.30pm; latecomers will not be allowed.
- Candidates must sit only on their assigned seats; deviations may lead to disqualification.
- Leaving the exam hall without submitting the OMR sheet is not permitted.
- Ensure that the test booklet is complete and intact before starting.
- Attendance will be taken twice-at the beginning and before submission of the answer sheet.
