The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the NEET-UG 2025 on May 4, with over 23 lakh students participating across the country. The exam, which is a crucial step for aspiring medical students seeking admission into top courses like MBBS and BDS, has sparked intense discussion due to its increased difficulty this year.
Exam Tougher Than Previous Years
This year’s NEET paper surprised many candidates with its high level of difficulty, particularly in the Physics and Chemistry sections. Students walked into exam halls with the hope of pursuing their dream of becoming doctors but came out visibly distressed—some even in tears.
Experts confirmed the feedback. Sharma Sir, medical counselor from Kolkata, stated that NEET 2025 was significantly tougher than last year, especially in Physics. He noted that unlike NEET 2024, which saw many students score the maximum 720/720, this year’s paper was more in line with the expected standard of a national-level medical entrance exam.
Why a Perfect Score is Unlikely This Year
The unusually high number of perfect scores last year led to controversy and criticism. To address this, experts believe that NTA deliberately raised the difficulty level of this year’s exam, particularly in Physics and Chemistry, to maintain exam integrity and avoid a repeat of last year’s issues.
According to Surendra, no student is likely to score a perfect 720 in NEET 2025. Instead, he expects the cut-off to fall between 550 and 600, a noticeable drop from previous years. He added that gaining admission to prestigious institutions like AIIMS Delhi may be more competitive than ever, given the increased challenge of the paper.
Section-Wise Challenges
Physics: Lengthy, calculation-heavy, and time-consuming. Many students struggled to complete it on time. Physics section level is being compared with that of JEE ADVANCE.
Chemistry: Most questions came from Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, with Organic Chemistry barely featured. One question reportedly had two correct options, which may lead to disputes.
Biology: Biology paper was moderate & lengthy, students noted that even this usually scoring section felt slightly more complex this year.
What’s Next?
With the paper behind them, students and parents now await the official NEET UG 2025 results and clarification from NTA, especially on the disputed Chemistry question. As anticipation builds, the focus remains on how the agency will handle the concerns raised—and how the competitive landscape for India’s top medical colleges will shift based on this year’s tougher exam.
