Full Form of NEET Explained: Everything You Need to Know
Know the full form of NEET, its purpose, eligibility, exam pattern, and key facts about India’s top medical entrance exam in this detailed guide.
Are you a medical student? If so, then you might be very well aware of the Full Form of NEET. But for general people who do not know NEET full form and what it meant for, the article is worth reading to them. In this article we let you know the full form of NEET, its importance in the medical field, eligibility, pattern, and everything single information you need to know.
What is the Full Form of NEET?
NEET full form in English is National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. It is a medical entrance exam for MBBS admission in India. Let's further breakdown the full form of NEET to understand you better:
- National: Means applicable across all states of India
- Eligibility: The eligibility criteria of the candidate for medical studies.
- Entrance Test: A competitive exam for admission to medical courses.
The NEET exam is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) in India once in a year. Before NTA, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is the conducting authority of NEET paper. The exam is conducted in offline mode (pen and paper mode). However, efforts have been made to conduct the exam in hybrid format in 2025. To ensure transparency in the medical exam the hybrid format is not approved.
NEET 2025 Important Links
| NEET 2025 Syllabus | NEET 2025 OMR Sheet |
| NTA News rules for NEET 2025 | Best Test Series for NEET |
| Documents Required for NEET Counselling | NEET 2025 Admit Card |
Full Form of Other Medical Terms
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
|---|---|
| MBBS | Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery |
| BDS | Bachelor of Dental Surgery |
| MD | Doctor of Medicine |
| MS | Master of Surgery |
| AIIMS | All India Institute of Medical Sciences |
| JIPMER | Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research |
| NMC | National Medical Commission |
| NCERT | National Council of Educational Research and Training |
| NTA | National Testing Agency |
| UG | Undergraduate |
| PG | Postgraduate |
| ANS | Autonomic Nervous System |
| CNS | Central Nervous System |
| PNS | Peripheral Nervous System |
| RBC | Red Blood Cells |
| WBC | White Blood Cells |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid |
| RNA | Ribonucleic Acid |
| ATP | Adenosine Triphosphate |
| ECG/EKG | Electrocardiogram |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| CT Scan | Computed Tomography Scan |
| ENT | Ear, Nose, and Throat |
| ICU | Intensive Care Unit |
| OPD | Outpatient Department |
| IPD | Inpatient Department |
| BP | Blood Pressure |
| BMI | Body Mass Index |
| CBC | Complete Blood Count |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate |
| BMR | Basal Metabolic Rate |
| AIDS | Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
| TB | Tuberculosis |
| COVID-19 | Coronavirus Disease 2019 |
| SARS | Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome |
| MMR | Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (vaccine) |
| HPV | Human Papillomavirus |
| HCG | Human Chorionic Gonadotropin |
| IVF | In Vitro Fertilization |
| ECG | Electrocardiogram |
| EEG | Electroencephalogram |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| ICMR | Indian Council of Medical Research |
| DNA Fingerprinting | Deoxyribonucleic Acid Fingerprinting |
| COPD | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| UTI | Urinary Tract Infection |
| STD/STI | Sexually Transmitted Disease / Infection |
| OCD | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder |
| ADHD | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| ECG | Electrocardiogram |
| BCG | Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (vaccine for TB) |
| HBsAg | Hepatitis B Surface Antigen |
| LFT | Liver Function Test |
| KUB | Kidney, Ureter, and Bladder (X-ray) |
What is the Purpose of NEET?
In India, before NEET exam was introduced various medical entrance examinations were conducted in different parts of the country. To make a single standardized medical entrance exam for transparent admission to all medical institutions across India, NEET was introduced. With the introduction of the NEET exam, the pressure on the students preparing for the different state level exams also reduced. NEET ensures a merit based selection through out the country.
Eligibility Criteria for NEET
To appear in the medical entrance exam, interested candidates must fulfill certain conditions. If any candidate fails to fulfill any of the eligibility conditions, he/she is not allowed to appear for the exam. Check out the NEET 2025 eligibility criteria NEET:
- Educational Qualifications: He/She must pass class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology as mandatory subjects.
- Age Criteria: He/she must attain 17 years (as of December 31 of the exam year). There is no upper age limit as of now.
- Nationality: Indian citizens, NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and foreign nationals are eligible to attempt the NEET exam. They need to present the documents demanded by the authorities depending upon their nationality.
NEET for Which Courses
NEET is the entry ticket for the following medical courses:
- MBBS – Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
- BDS – Bachelor of Dental Surgery
- BAMS, BHMS, BUMS – AYUSH courses
- BVSc & AH – Veterinary sciences and animal husbandry
- Nursing and other allied health sciences (in some institutions)
NEET Exam Pattern
Applicants preparing for the NEET exam must be familiar with the NEET exam pattern to score good marks.
| Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 50 (45 to be attempted) | 180 |
| Chemistry | 50 (45 to be attempted) | 180 |
| Biology (Botany + Zoology) | 100 (90 to be attempted) | 360 |
| Total | 200 (180 to be attempted) | 720 |
- Exam Duration: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Mode: Offline (Pen and Paper)
- Languages Available: 13 including Hindi, English, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, etc.
NEET Exam Events
- NEET Notification Release: NTA on its official website releases the exam notification with all important details.
- Filling of Application Form (Online): Interested candidates begins filling the online application in a given time frame by NTA.
- Uploading of required documents: Aspirants need to upload the demanded documents mentioned in the official notification released by NTA. The documents must be as per the specifications instructed by NTA.
- Application Fee Payment: This is the last step in submitting the application successfully. The application fee is to be paid online through online modes like UPI, credit/debit card, or net banking.
- Application Correction Window: A specific time period is given by NTA to make corrections in the submitted application form.
- NEET Admit Card Release: It is the entry ticket to the exam. The admit card download link is available on the official website of NTA.
- NEET exam Date: The NEET exam is conducted in offline mode in the NEET exam centres.
- Provisional Answer Key Release: The Provisional Answer Key is released to challenge any discrepancies.
- Final Answer Key: NTA after reviewing the objections will publish the final answer key a few days before the results.
- NEET result declaration: The announcement of the NEET result along with the cut off is released on the official website.
- Merit List Release: The list contains the names of the All India Rank (AIR) for 15% AIQ and state quota seats.
- NEET Counselling: This is the final event for the admission to the medical courses. MCC (for AIQ) and respective state authorities begin the counselling process.
Interesting Facts to Know about NEET
- NEET is the only national level medical entrance exam which replaces multiple state level exams like AIIMS, AIPMT, and JIPMER.
- It is one of the few entrance exams in India and worldwide which sees highest number of registrations.
- Only a few candidates till now has scored the perfect 720 in NEET.
- The NEET scores are valid for up to three years for students applying from abroad.
- NEET exam is also compulsory for students who wish to study MBBS abroad.
If the information provided in this article proves useful to you, then do check out our other articles on NEET UG and PG, at NEETCoachingSikar.
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