NEET UG 2026 Update: NTA Changes Pattern and Timing, Exam Time Increased to 195 Minutes

There's great news for the lakhs of students getting ready to appear for NEET-UG 2026, the country's most prestigious and challenging medical entrance exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA), often under pressure and in the spotlight over paper leaks and administrative issues, has this time announced some important and candidate-friendly changes that work in students' favour.

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For the NEET (UG) exam scheduled for June 21, 2026, the NTA hasn't just extended the examination window. It has also eased the pattern of the question paper booklet to make solving the paper easier for students.

Now It's 195 Minutes, Not 3 Hours

As mentioned by NTA, this step was considered due to the concerns raised by the candidates over the last few years. The students complained about spending most of their valuable time on the procedures within the exam center like signing the attendance form, biometric authentication process, etc., carried out by the invigilator. Because of that, they were unable to cover all the questions during the exam.

In order to tackle this issue, the NTA has extended the examination time up to 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes). As per the new timetable, the test will be held between 2:00 PM and 5:15 PM.

Following is a brief overview of the new timings:

Why Were These Extra 15 Minutes Needed?

As per the clarification provided by the NTA, the objective behind this increased duration is to ensure that the candidates do not feel any mental strain while attempting the paper.

All the formalities required to be done during the exam, including filling out the roll call sheet, verification, etc., will now be easily accomplished in the span of 195 minutes, ensuring that the candidates’ time is not wasted in any manner while answering the paper.

More Space for Rough Work Too

Apart from giving additional time, there is one more practical step taken by the NTA. In the NEET examination, there would be many difficult questions in Physics and Chemistry which will require many calculations.

On the request of students who have been facing this issue since a very long time, this time there would be increased availability of space on the sheet provided in the booklet for doing rough work.

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