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The NEET UG 2025 exam, conducted on May 4, 2025, has left candidates with mixed reactions, with many finding the exam challenging. This year, over 22 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, which was conducted at more than 5,400 centers across the country. If you’re one of the students who appeared for the exam or someone eagerly awaiting the results, this detailed NEET UG 2025 paper analysis will provide valuable insights. It covers the exam’s overall difficulty, subject-wise breakdown, expected cutoff, and comparisons with previous years.
Key Highlights of NEET UG 2025 Paper Analysis
- Difficulty Level: The overall difficulty of the exam was moderate to difficult.
- Physics and Chemistry: These sections were deemed the most challenging by both students and experts.
- Botany and Zoology: These sections were easier and more scoring.
- Expected Cutoff: The cutoff for the General category is expected to be between 140-150 marks.
- Result Declaration: The NEET UG 2025 result is expected to be announced in June 2025.
Subject-Wise Difficulty Breakdown
Understanding how each subject performed in NEET UG 2025 can help you gauge how challenging the exam was in different areas. Here’s a breakdown of each subject:
1. Physics: The Real Challenge
Physics has traditionally been considered the most difficult section of NEET, and NEET UG 2025 did not disappoint. The exam featured long and complex questions, with a high number of numerical-based problems. Topics such as electrostatics, mechanics, and optics were heavily covered. Questions on rotation and semiconductors were particularly tricky, requiring candidates to spend a significant amount of time on calculations and theory. As a result, many candidates struggled to complete the section on time.
- Expert Opinion: According to Harpreet Singh, HOD of Physics at Unacademy, Physics was the toughest section this year. The exam focused more on conceptual understanding and application-based learning, similar to exams like AIIMS.
2. Chemistry: A Balanced yet Challenging Section
The Chemistry section of NEET UG 2025 was balanced in terms of the number of questions from each sub-topic: Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry. However, some reaction-based questions in Organic Chemistry were more difficult than in previous years. Inorganic Chemistry focused mainly on NCERT-based questions, which were easier for those who had thoroughly studied the NCERT textbook. Physical Chemistry, on the other hand, involved general calculations that required a good understanding of the concepts.
- Expert Opinion: Pravesh Bansal, HOD of Chemistry at Unacademy, noted that the section was moderate in difficulty but required strong analytical skills to solve the questions quickly.
3. Botany: Scoring but Surprising
Botany is generally known to be the most scoring section in NEET, and this year, it lived up to expectations. However, some of the questions were surprisingly difficult, particularly those from Ecology and Genetics. Candidates who had a strong grasp of these topics found them manageable, but others found the questions more challenging.
- Expert Opinion: Amit Yadav, HOD of Botany, mentioned that the difficulty in Botany this year came from conceptual questions, which required a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
4. Zoology: Moderate but Rewarding
The Zoology section was also moderate in difficulty but remains a scoring section for many candidates. Human Physiology and Biotechnology were given prominence in the paper, and the framing of the questions was slightly different this year, with more focus on frogs instead of the usual questions related to cockroaches.
- Expert Opinion: Surabhi Mishra, HOD of Zoology, stated that despite the moderate difficulty, Zoology remained a subject that candidates could easily score well in, provided they had prepared well for the NCERT-based questions.
Major Changes in NEET UG 2025
Several significant changes were introduced this year in the NEET UG 2025 exam, which impacted the overall difficulty level and how candidates approached the test.
- Fewer Paper Sets: This year, the exam had only four sets of the question paper, as opposed to the usual 24 sets. All four sets were challenging and required higher-order thinking and application-based knowledge.
- Reduced Number of Questions: The total number of questions was reduced to 180, down from 200 in previous years. This, combined with a shorter duration of 3 hours (down from 3 hours 20 minutes), made time management a significant challenge for candidates.
- Increased Focus on Conceptual Understanding: The question format leaned more heavily towards concept-based and analytical questions, as opposed to straightforward factual recall. This shift made the exam tougher for many students who relied more on rote learning.
NEET UG 2025 Cutoff Predictions
Based on the exam’s difficulty level and analysis from various experts, the expected NEET UG 2025 cutoff is slightly lower than last year due to the increased difficulty of the exam. Here’s a rough estimate of the cutoff:
- General Category: 140-150 marks
- OBC/SC/ST: 120-130 marks (approximate)
What is a Safe Score in NEET UG 2025?
If you’re wondering whether your score is enough to secure admission to a top medical college, here’s a rough estimate:
- 600+ marks: Likely to secure a seat in top government colleges.
- 620+ marks: May increase your chances of getting into prestigious government medical colleges.
- 700+ marks: Extremely competitive but could secure admission to the top 5 medical colleges.
It’s important to note that a score of 700-720 will be more difficult to achieve this year due to the exam’s increased difficulty.
When Will the NEET UG 2025 Result Be Declared?
- Answer Key: The provisional NEET UG 2025 answer key will be released around May 25, 2025. Candidates can challenge the answer key before the final results are declared.
- Result Date: The NEET UG 2025 result is expected to be released in June 2025, likely by June 14.
Conclusion
NEET UG 2025 was undoubtedly a challenging exam for many, with Physics and Chemistry emerging as the toughest sections. However, Botany and Zoology provided some relief, remaining relatively easier and more scoring. While the expected cutoff has slightly decreased, candidates with a score above 600 still stand a good chance of getting into top government medical colleges.
As the results are expected soon, candidates should stay prepared to review their performance based on the official answer key and estimate their chances accordingly.
