NEET Difficulty Level 2026, Subject-Wise Analysis & Year wise Trends

All the MBBS aspirants preparing for the NEET exam often have the fear of the difficulty level of the NEET exam. As every year, a lot of aspirants apply for the limited seats in the test, which makes the exam more competitive. The NEET exam tests candidates on three major 3 subjects that are Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as per the syllabus of NCERT class 11th and 12. Understanding the subject-wise difficulty trends can help aspirants to make a smart plan for the NEET exam and reduce exam-related stress.

NEET Difficulty Level 2026 (Expected)

In the NEET exam, the questions are mainly asked from 3 subjects- Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Every year one section of the exam paper is the most difficult, which also increases the NEET cut offs. Knowing which topics are usually more challenging helps the students figure out the weak areas and plan for the exam preparation by prioritizing them more.

NEET Biology Difficulty Level

In the NEET exam, the biology section is the most scoring as most questions are asked from this section and they are directly asked form NCERT. Chapters like Human Physiology, Genetics, and Ecology are often asked, while topics like Biotechnology and Molecular Biology can be a bit challenging.

NEET Chemistry Difficulty Level

The chemistry section of the NEET exam is considered moderate to difficult. It includes MCQs, Assertion reasoning, statement-based questions and matches the column questions from Physical, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. Some numerical and balancing equation problems are challenging and take time to solve. A strong understanding of the concepts from NCERT is required to clear this section.

NEET Physics Difficulty Level

The Physics section is the most challenging as it consists of lengthy numericals and conceptual questions that require strong understanding of concepts and problem-solving skills. Many questions involve solving in multiple steps and careful calculations, which makes time management in this section challenging. To score well in this sectio,n students must focus on concept clarity and solving topic-related questions from different sources.

NEET Difficulty Level Compared to Previous Years

The difficulty level of NEET has been increasing over the years and because of this the fear among the MBBS aspirants is also on the rise. The NEET 2025 exam was the most difficult as compared to previous years. In which Physics section was the most difficult having long numericals with tough calculations? Chemistry was slightly less difficult and had questions that were time-consuming and were multiconceptual. While the Biology section was scoring as the questions were direct. At the same time, higher cut-offs have raised fear in the upcoming NEET aspirants.

Factors That Decide NEET Exam Difficulty

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is conducted by NTA every year, which decides the factors that make the examination more difficult in nature. Several factors, such as depth of questions asked from the NCERT books, questions involving multiple concepts, changes made in the question pattern, strict negative marking, limited number of seats, high accuracy with limited time duration increases the overall difficulty level of the exam.

NEET Year wise Difficulty Level vs Cut-Off Trends

Many NEET aspirants have noticed that every year, small changes in the question pattern or difficulty level have a direct impact on the overall performance and cut-off marks. Even a slightly tougher paper can lower the cut-offs, while easier ones can raise the cutoffs making it difficult to secure a seat. Understanding the trend of difficulty level can help aspirants prepare accordingly for the NEET exam.

How NEET Difficulty Level Affects Rank and Score

The difficulty of the NEET exam has a direct effect on both the score and ranks. When the paper is tough with tricky questions or long numerical-based problems, most students score lower so even a slightly lower score can give a good rank. On the other hand if the paper is easier, more students score high which increases the competition and raises the cut-off marks. This means that even a good score may not guarantee a top rank. Knowing how difficult the exam is helps aspirants plan their exam preparation and set a realistic expectation for both score and rank.