Updated on Mar 13, 2025
Asmita
NEET SS 2024 exam pattern was released by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the exam conducting body, along with the information brochure, released on February 4, 2025. NEET SS pattern comprises crucial details about the exam such as mode, medium, language, the total number of questions, timing, and marking scheme.
The exam is group based and questions are asked from only the broad speciality primary feeder and each candidate can opt for any super speciality as per feeder subject. The NEET SS 2024 exam will be conducted on March 29 and 30, 2025.
As per the latest notification published on natboard.edu.in, two topics in the test will have separate question papers. The authority has notified that the DM/DrNB Critical Care Medicine and Medical Oncology programmes will have separate question papers. The authority has notified that the DM/DrNB Critical Care Medicine and Medical Oncology programme will have separate question papers.
All DM/MCh/DrNB courses offered for admission through NEET SS are segregated into 13 groups. There will be 13 different papers for each group. Medical students or professionals planning to appear for the exam must know the pattern for NEET SS 2024 so that they have an idea about the type of questions and their difficulty level. The NEET SS exam pattern 2024 will help aspirants to plan and strategize well in advance for the exam.
The NEET SS exam is conducted in a computer-based or online mode and comprises 150 questions. The total duration is 2.5 hours and there is no section-wise time limit. All the questions are asked from the Curriculum of the Post Graduate Exit level of the primary feeder broad speciality subject. Read the article to know more details about the NEET SS 2024 pattern.
NEET SS 2024 Exam Pattern: Overview
NEET SS exam pattern has been highlighted in the table below:
| Details | Features |
|---|---|
| Mode of the examination | Online |
| Medium of the examination | English |
| Type of questions | MCQ |
| Total number of questions | 150 |
| Total sections in the question paper | One |
| Exam duration | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Total marks | 400 |
| Marking scheme | +4 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer |
| Number of exam days | 2 |
| Number of exam slots | 2 |
NEET SS 2024 Exam Pattern: Highlights
NEET SS exam pattern was revised by NBE last year. As per the details in the information brochure, the exam was group-based. Unlike previous years where questions were asked from both broad speciality and super speciality, last year onwards, questions were asked only from the broad specialty primary feeder. As per the revised pattern, candidates can opt for any of the super specialities as per the feeder subject.
Candidates can refer to the points given below-comprising highlights of the NEET SS 2024 pattern:
Total number of questions: NEET SS is likely to be 150 multiple-choice questions.
Total time allotted: Candidates will be given a total of 2.5 hours or 150 minutes to attempt the question paper of NEET SS.
Total marks: The NEET SS paper will carry 400 marks as every question had one mark allotted to it
NEET SS Marking Scheme
The following table brings the marking scheme of the NEET SS 2024 exam.
| Response | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct | +Four |
| Incorrect | -One |
| Unattempted | Zero |
NEET SS 2024 Groups and Syllabus
As mentioned before, NEET SS is a group-based exam. There are a total of 13 course groups, each encompassing a number of subjects or specialisations. The table below brings the list of course groups and the subjects covered under those or the NEET SS 2024 syllabus.
| NEET SS Question Paper Group | Primary Eligible Feeder Course | NEET SS Syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Group | MD/DNB General Medicine | 1. Cardiology 2. Clinical Haematology 3. Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology 4. Critical Care Medicine 5. Endocrinology 6. Medical Gastroenterology 7. Hepatology 8. Infectious Diseases 9. Medical Genetics 10. Medical Oncology 11. Nephrology 12. Neurology |
| Surgical Group | MS/DNB General Surgery | 1. Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery 2. Paediatric Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery 3. Paediatric Surgery 4. Surgical Gastroenterology 5. Hepato Pancreato Biliary Surgery 6. Neurosurgery 7. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 8. Urology 9. Vascular Surgery 10. Surgical Oncology 11. Endocrine Surgery 12. Thoracic Surgery |
| Paediatric Group | MD/DNB Paediatrics | 1. Neonatology 2. Paediatric Hepatology 3. Paediatric Nephrology 4. Paediatric Oncology 5. Paediatric Neurology 6. Paediatric Cardiology 7. Paediatric Gastroenterology 8. Paediatric Critical Care |
| Obstetrics & Gynaecology Group | MD/MS/DNB Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 1. Gynaecological Oncology 2. Reproductive Medicine & Surgery |
| Orthopaedics Group | MS/DNB Orthopaedics | 1. Hand Surgery 2. Paediatric Orthopaedics |
| Anaesthesia Group | MD/DNB Anesthesiology | 1. Cardiac Anaesthesia 2. Neuroanesthesia 3. Organ Transplant Anaesthesia & Critical Care 4. Paediatric & Neonatal Anaesthesia |
| Radiodiagnosis Group | MD/DNB Radiology | 1. Neuro Radiology 2. Interventional Radiology |
| Respiratory Medicine Group | MD/DNB Respiratory Medicine | 1. Pulmonary Medicine |
| Pathology Group | Pathology Group | 1. Onco-Pathology |
| Psychiatry Group | MD/DNB Psychiatry | 1. Geriatric Mental Health 2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
| Pharmacology Group | MD/DNB Pharmacology | 1. Clinical Pharmacology |
| ENT Group | MS/DNB ENT | 1. Head & Neck Surgery |
All the questions in this examination will be PG exit level. There is no fixed syllabus for NEET SS 2024. The questions can be asked from all the topics that have been covered during both, the undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. However, the subjects that need to be prepared will be limited to the feeder course and super speciality course selected by the candidate.
NEET SS 2024 Exam Pattern FAQs
Will there be any descriptive questions in the NEET SS exam?
As per the exam pattern of NEET SS, there are 150 objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQs) asked in the exam. There will not be any descriptive question in the NEET SS exam. Each question will carry four answer options, out of which one answer option will be correct. Candidates will have to select and submit the correct answer option. Submission of wrong answer option will lead to negative marking of one mark. Hence, test-takers must carefully assess all answer options or choices and select the correct answer option.
Has there been a change in the NEET SS 2024 pattern?
According to a notification released by NBEMS, there will be a time-bound sectional demarcation of questions for NEET SS. However, a detailed description has not been provided on the NEET SS 2024 information bulletin which has been released on February 4, 2025. The extensive exam structure and pattern for NEET SS 2024 will be provided here as and when it is announced by the exam authorities.
What is the exam pattern for the NEET SS 2024?
According to the existing pattern, NEET SS will comprise one paper of 150 multiple-choice questions, from broad speciality and super speciality course. The question paper will be of 400 marks Total 150 Questions for 400 marks will be asked in the NEET SS question paper. Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). Marking Scheme: Aspirants will get +4 marks on each correct response and -1 on each negative response. NBE will release the information brochure which will have a detailed exam pattern for NEET SS exam.
What is the total number of questions in NEET SS 2024?
According to the latest exam pattern of NEET SS, there are 150 multiple-choice questions, from broad speciality and super speciality course. The question paper was of 400 marks. The question paper will consist of questions from the General/Basic component of the primary feeder broad specialty subject and from all sub-specialty/systems/component of that primary feeder broad specialty subject. All the 150 questions would be from the Curriculum of the Post Graduate Exit level of the primary feeder broad specialty subject. Candidates will get two-and-a-half hours to attempt the questions.
What is the syllabus for the NEET SS 2024 Exam?
The NBE has not published a fixed syllabus for the NEET SS Exam. The majority of questions are based on course material from MBBS and PG courses such as MD or DNB. The question paper consists of two parts: part A and part B. Furthermore, the questions vary depending on the chosen specialty, so the applicants' papers may differ. For instance, students who have chosen pulmonary medicine as their super-speciality course will be asked questions on general, pediatric, and respiratory medicine. Likewise, if you chose anesthesiology, the syllabus will include questions on cardiac anesthesia, organ transplant anesthesia, critical care, pediatric, and neonatal anesthesia.
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