NEET Attempt Limit And Age Limit

NEET Attempt limit 2023 and Age limit

One of the most commonly asked NEET FAQs is around the eligibility criteria, precisely, the number of attempts and the age limit. Applicants require clarity on the NEET attempt limit and the age limit laid by the NTA for NEET exams.

Also see: Answer Key of NEET 2022

Confusion about the number of attempts and age criteria is still prevalent. Earlier, there were restrictions on the number of attempts for NEET exams and also on the age limit. The court’s decision is prevalent on the restriction set out earlier until the court decides otherwise. Learn more about the NEET attempt limit and the age limit; read on.

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NEET Age limit

• Candidate has completed 17 years of age at the time of admission or will complete that age on or before 31 December of the year of his/her admission to the first year of the Undergraduate Medical Course

• The latest information bulletin provides details on the upper age limit. It states –

“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.”

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NEET 2023 Attempt Limit – Chronology Of Events Since 2017

During NEET 2017, a major dispute emerged as a result of CBSE introducing an upper age limit in addition to the maximum number of attempts for NEET exams without any prior intimation. It was then specified on the NEET upper age limit that only the reserved candidates below the age of 30 and the unreserved candidates below the age of 25 shall be permitted to appear for NEET with the maximum attempt limit being 3 in number. The Supreme Court, in 2017, revoked this rule to be re-introduced again with a clause in NEET 2018. The NEET attempt limit was earlier restricted to three times and was removed. Henceforth, NEET exams could be attempted as many times as authorized.

One more weighty dispute that aroused during NEET 2019 was regarding the ruling out of the open school students/NIOS. These candidates were permitted to take up NEET exams until NEET 2017 when the MCI (Medical Council Of India) decided otherwise and barred them from taking up exams from NEET 2018 onwards.

Later on, the rule was revoked when it came to the NEET Eligibility Criteria 2019 following which the open school students were permitted to take up NEET exams. Apart from this, there was another major issue which was pertaining to Biology as an additional subject. Candidates who learnt Biology as an additional subject in classes 11 & 12 were not considered eligible. Such candidates were allowed to participate in NEET 2019 exams after the clause for the same was revoked.

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NEET Number Of Attempts 2023 – NEET 2023 Attempt limit

As per the regulatory board for NEET exams, the NTA (National Testing Agency), there is no restriction on the number of attempts for the NEET exams. This is in conformity with the statement on the NEET official website  – “There is no cap for the number of attempts”. Subsequently, the CBSE commended the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s letter number U.12023/16/2010-ME-II as of 6th December 2017 for the same.

Consequently, the limit on the number of attempts will no more prevail. This is to say that the CBSE-implied, three attempt rule is not applicable anymore.

NEET Number Of Attempts And Age Limit – Upper & Lower Age Limit

As per the official notice on NEET eligibility criteria, the regulation is as stated below:

• Lower Age Limit – Candidate must have completed the age of 17 years at the time of admission or will complete 17 years of age on or before 31st December of the same year of candidate’s admission to the first year UG (Undergraduate) Medical course
• Upper age limit – Earlier, the candidate with 25 years of age on the examination date with a relaxation period of 5 years for candidates pertaining to category – SC/ST/OBC-NCL and PwD candidates was implemented. As of now, there is no upper age limit. Any candidate, 17  years of age can appear for NEET any number of times

Extra information – Former Events regarding Age limit

As specified by the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education – 1997 vide amendment as on date – 22/01/2018, the upper age limit of 25 years was opposed before the Honourable High Court Of Delhi and stated that the upper age cap was sustained vide judgement as on date 11/05/2018 in W.P. Number 1813/2018 and other related concerns.

The stated judgement recorded – 11/05/2018 was opposed before the Honourable Supreme Court Of India in SLP (C) Number 14320/2018 and other related concerns when the vide interval order as on date 29/11/2018, aspirants who were 25 years of age and above were permitted provisionally to take up the NEET 2019 exams (UG) related to the consequence of the stated concerns.

Thereafter, the Supreme Court vide order, as on 29/04/2019 allowed candidates to provisionally take part in the counselling process directed to the judgement of matters. The foregoing matters were awaiting judgement before the Honourable Supreme Court Of India, and officials would obey any directive that might be passed for NEET exams.

• Consequently, the applicants who were above the age of 25 years were permitted provisionally to appear, wherein the candidature is subject to the consequence of petitions pending before the Honourable Supreme Court.
• The eligibility criteria pertaining to the lower age limit underwent revision under:

• Candidates that are Overseas Citizens of India or Indian citizens with an intention to take up Undergraduate Medical Courses from a foreign/overseas medical or dental college/university are also subject to qualification of the NEET – Undergraduate exam.

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