The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is the most important entrance exam for admission to medical courses in different colleges in India. This national-level exam is conducted yearly, providing opportunities for medical aspirants to qualify and secure seats in the renowned medical institutions of their choice. Candidates should be aware of whether there is any limitation on the number of attempts for NEET 2024. This article provides necessary and relevant information about the NEET 2024 age limits and many attempts to make candidates more informed and updated.
NEET Attempts 2024
The minimum age requirement of candidates applying for the NEET 2024 exam is based on their age as of December 31, 2024, which should be 17 years. There is no maximum age requirement to take the NEET 2024 exam. Also, there is no restriction on how many times a candidate can appear for the NEET exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which oversees the NEET exam, has released a notification on the official website that states that a candidate can appear for the NEET exam as many times provided all the eligibility requirements for the NEET exam are fulfilled.
NEET 2024 Important Dates
Candidates willing to appear for the NEET 2024 exam must be aware of the important dates for the NEET 2024 exam so they can make preparations accordingly and keep track of the important events regarding the NEET 2024 exam. The important dates for NEET 2024 are mentioned in the below table.
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NEET 2024 Important Dates |
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NEET 2024 Application Form Release Date |
March 2024 |
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Last date to fill out the NEET Application Form |
April 2024 |
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NEET 2024 admit card release |
April 2024 |
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NEET 2024 Exam Date |
May 2024 |
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Declaration of NEET 2024 result |
June 2024 |
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NEET 2024 Counseling |
July 2024 |
NEET Attempts Previous Year Trends
There have been changes over the years regarding the permissible limits for some attempts in the NEET exam and restrictions on age limits. The following table demonstrates a chronological pattern for the number of NEET attempts as recommended by the authorities year to year.
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NEET Attempts Previous Years Trends |
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Year |
Number of Attempts |
Details |
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2017 |
3 |
The maximum number of attempts was set as 3 by CBSE. The maximum age limit for unreserved categories was set as 30 years, and for the reserved categories, the maximum age limit was fixed at 25 years |
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2018 |
No limit |
The number of NEET attempts was removed, but it was ultimately agreed that the upper age restriction would be there while considering the number of attempts for the NEET exam |
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2019 |
No limit |
A dispute surfaced regarding NIOS/open school students not being eligible to take the NEET exam as decided by the Medical Council of India (MCI). Later, the restriction was lifted, allowing open-school students to take the NEET exam |
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2020 |
No limit |
The NEET exam was conducted without any restrictions to the number of attempts |
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2021 |
No limit |
The NEET exam was conducted without any age limit eligibility criteria |
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2022-2023 |
No limit |
The NTA announced through the official notification that there will be no upper age restriction for candidates applying for the NEET exam |
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2024 |
No limit |
There is no limit to the maximum age and the number of attempts for NEET 2024. |
No Multiple Attempts in NEET 2024
There were some discussions on the possibility of the NEET exam being conducted twice a year, according to a statement made public by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2021. However, there were no formal notifications regarding this, and the NEET has been conducted only once a year for the last two years. The NEET 2024 is expected to follow the same trend.
NEET 2024 Age Limit
The lower and upper NEET 2024 age limit is discussed below:
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Lower Age Limit: The minimum age of a candidate must be 17 years at the time of applying. A candidate who will turn 17 years on or before December 31 of the same year is eligible to apply.
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Upper Age Limit: No maximum age limit is specified for candidates to take the NEET exam. Any candidate who is 17 years old or above may take the NEET exam multiple times.
NEET Attempts and Debate on Age Limit
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The upper age limit and NEET number of attempts restriction were introduced in 2017, according to which candidates were allowed to appear for NEET only 3 times.
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For the NEET 2017 examination, candidates who had already appeared for the NEET exam 3 times in the previous years were not permitted to appear.
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The age limit was introduced according to which general category candidates below 25 years of age and reserved candidates below 30 were allowed to appear for NEET.
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The decisions on the age limit and NEET attempt restriction were challenged in the Supreme Court, leading to the abolition of restrictions on the maximum age limit and the number of attempts in NEET.
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For NEET 2024, there is no upper age limit for candidates and no restrictions on the number of attempts.
Benefits to Applicants of Conducting NEET 2024 Twice
If NTA decides to hold NEET 2024 twice, the candidates can achieve significant advantages as listed below.
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One of the most significant advantages of holding the NEET twice a year is that the NEET rank will be determined by the higher of two scores.
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There will be 10-15 days between the two NEET exams, giving candidates plenty of time to study for the subsequent test.
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The candidates will experience less pressure because they can make a second attempt for the test.
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Candidates for the NEET exam can select the ideal time for taking the exam. This could be advantageous for students taking the board exams to aim for a time that best suits their requirements.
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One of the most important points is that candidates can improve upon the weak areas or correct their faults on the second attempt.
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Students will get the necessary experience during their first attempt at the NEET exam and utilize this experience to take the second NEET exam successfully.
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The advantage of conducting NEET twice a year is that it will help candidates improve their scores more quickly without waiting a whole year.
Number of NEET Attempts 2024 FAQs
Q1. Who will conduct the NEET 2024?
Ans. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the NEET 2024.
Q2. What is the upper age limit for NEET 2024?
Ans. There is no upper age limit for NEET 2024, which means candidates of any age can appear for NEET 2024
Q3.How many times can one appear for the NEET exam?
Ans. There is no limit to the number of attempts for the NEET exam.
Q4. What will be the mode of NEET exam 2024?
Ans. The NEET 2024 exam will be administered offline in pen-paper mode. NEET OMR sheets will be provided to candidates to mark the correct answer options, which are later electronically evaluated.
Q5. What was the limit on the number of attempts in NEET as per rules set in 2017?
Ans. As per the rules set in 2017, the number of attempts a candidate can avail of for NEET is restricted to 3 (three) attempts.
