How Many Students Registered for NTA NEET 2026? Complete Data & Trends

As per the official data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), 22,79,743 candidates have registered for the NTA NEET 2026 exam. In comparison, the previous years’ NEET UG exam had 22,76,069 candidates, and 22,09,318 of them appeared for the exam. Thus, there is a slight increase in the total registered candidates for the NEET UG exam in 2026 as compared to that in 2025.  These registered candidates must appear in their respective exam centres specified in the NEET UG exam centres list 2026. 

Also check:

• NEET UG 2026 Alert: NTA Issues Rain Advisory, Strict Entry Rules for May 3 Exam
• NEET 2026 Exam Centre Advisory: National Testing Agency Warns Against Relying on Google Maps

Gender-Wise Number of Candidates in NTA NEET 2026 Exam

The following table shows the gender-wise number of candidates along with the total number of candidates who have registered for the NTA NEET 2026 exam. 

Previous Year-Wise Number of Candidates in NTA NEET Exam

The total number of registered candidates in the NEET UG exam and the number of candidates who appeared varied in each of the previous years. Below are the year-wise numbers of registered and appeared candidates in recent years in the NEET UG exam. 

Previous Category-wise Number of Candidates in NTA NEET Exam

The number of candidates in the NEET exam varies across each category of registered students. Below are the category-wise numbers of registered candidates in the NEET exam in the previous years.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques: Has the number of candidates increased for the NEET exam in 2026?

Ans: Yes, the total number of registered candidates in the NEET 2026 exam is slightly higher than that in the 2025 exam. While the total number of candidates in 2025 was 22,76,069, it was 22,79,743 in 2026. Thus, the number of candidates has increased by 3,764. There was a drop in the number of candidates in 2025 in the NEET UG exam. Other than that, the number of registered candidates has increased in each year compared to the previous year since 2021. 

Ques: What is the gender-wise breakdown of the NEET 2026 registered candidates?

Ans: There are 13,32,928 female candidates and 9,46,815 male candidates registered for the NEET UG 2026 exam. Thus, approximately 58% of the candidates are female, and 42% of the candidates are male. This is similar to the recent years’ gender ratios in registered candidates in the NEET UG exam, where female candidates outnumbered male candidates.   

Ques: What is the timing for the NEET UG 2026 registered candidates to reach the exam centre? 

Ans: Candidates are required to reach the exam centre between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, after which they will not be allowed entry under any circumstances. Thus, you must plan accordingly to reach the exam centre within the specified time. NTA has issued an exam centre advisory for NEET 2026 candidates to not rely solely on Google Maps to find exam centres. 

Ques: Do all registered candidates appear for the NEET exam?

Ans: As per the recent NEET exam trends, not all of the registered candidates appear for the NEET exam. For instance, 22,76,069 candidates registered for the NEET exam in 2025, and 22,09,318 of them appeared at the exam centre. Thus, a significant number of registered candidates fail to appear for the NEET exam for various reasons. 

Ques: What is the 80/20 rule in the NEET UG exam?

Ans: According to the 80/20 rule, you will get 80% of your NEET UG score by focusing on 20% of the most critical topics in the syllabus. Thus, you can consider preparing for the exam accordingly to get the highest possible score. In addition to that, you must also consider other effective tips in your NEET preparation strategy.