The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2025, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 4, saw over 23 lakh students across India vying for a chance to enter top medical institutes for MBBS and BDS programs.
While many aspirants entered exam centers with dreams of becoming doctors, they were met with a paper that was significantly tougher than in previous years. According to students and experts alike, the physics and chemistry sections were particularly demanding, catching many off guard despite months of rigorous preparation. Reports emerged of students leaving exam halls in tears, visibly shaken by the difficulty.
A senior faculty member from a leading Delhi-based coaching institute commented on the paper, stating that it was designed to reflect the standard level of NEET, unlike last year’s relatively easier exam. He particularly emphasized the complexity and length of the physics section, calling it “time-consuming and heavily calculation-based.” Chemistry, too, presented challenges—mostly focused on physical and inorganic topics, while organic chemistry was notably underrepresented. One question in the chemistry section was reportedly flawed, with two answer options given for the same question.
The expert also addressed last year’s controversy when an unusually high number of candidates scored a perfect 720, prompting backlash and doubts over the paper’s fairness. To avoid a repeat of that situation, the NTA appears to have deliberately made this year’s exam more rigorous, especially in physics and chemistry.
Given the paper's difficulty, the expert predicted that no candidate would achieve a perfect score in NEET 2025. He estimated that the cut-off marks are likely to fall in the range of 600 to 610. This means competition for top medical institutes like AIIMS Delhi will be fiercer than ever, with even high scorers potentially falling short.
As students and parents anxiously await the results, all eyes are now on the NTA for the official cut-off announcement and further clarification regarding any flawed questions in the exam.