Application process for the long-awaited NEET 2022 examination has begun today, April 06, 2022. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the online form and information brochure on the official website neet.nta.nic.in. A public notice announcing the NEET UG 2022 schedule has also been issued by the agency. Accordingly, the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) 2022 exam is all set to be conducted on July 17, 2022. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the entrance test on or before May 06, 2022, 11:50 pm.
Interestingly, NTA has only provided a month’s time for candidates to register for the NEET 2022 examination. However, aspirants are advised to go through the detailed information brochure, before filling-up the online form.
The NEET 2022 information brochure contains crucial information about eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, etc. Looking at the brochure, candidates can clearly identify certain important changes in this year’s exam.
NEET 2022 Exam Pattern – Duration Extended by 20 Minutes
Every year, the NEET examination is organised for a duration of 3 hours i.e., from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. However, this year, NTA has decided on providing an additional 20 minutes, owing to internal question choices in each section.
To help NEET aspirants during the COVID-19 pandemic, NTA had introduced a new paper pattern in 2021. Accordingly, each section would incorporate internal choices. So, essentially, the question paper comprised of 200 questions. However, candidates were expected to only attempt 180 MCQs.
Reportedly, some candidates had reported a paucity of time to attempt the new question paper. With this factor in mind, NTA has decided to retain the paper pattern for NEET 2022, with the addition of 20 minutes. So, the national-level entrance exam will be held from 2:00 pm to 5:20 pm.
NEET 2022 Internal Choice – Each Section with Options
This year, the NEET 2022 question paper has been divided into four sections – Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. Each section has been divided into Part A and Part B.
In each subject, Part A will cover 35 MCQs which are compulsory to attempt. However, Part B will cover 15 MCQs out of which, a candidate has to attempt any 10 questions. The first 10 attempted questions will be considered for final evaluation.
The NEET 2022 marking scheme however, shall remain the same. So, for each correct answer, 4 marks will be allotted. 1 mark shall be deducted for every wrong answer. Unanswered questions shall be allotted 0 marks.
NEET 2022 Eligibility – Age Criteria Relaxed
As reiterated earlier by the National Medical Commission, candidates must have completed at least 17 years of age in the year of their first year of medical education. In simpler terms, candidates must have been born on or before December 31, 2005. To their delight, the NEET 2022 upper age limit has been scrapped. Following is the statement mentioned in the information brochure –
As per Letter No. U-11022/2/2022-UGMEB, dated 09 March 2022 received from National Medical Commission (NMC), Under Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) regarding the upper age limit, that there should be no upper age limit as decided in the fourth NMC meeting held on 21 October 2021.
To read the detailed NEET 2022 information brochure, candidates can use the direct link given below –
Direct link for NEET 2022 Information Brochure