Okay, let's break down the information regarding the NEET UG 2025 exam conducted yesterday, May 4, 2025.

1. Exam Confirmation:

Yes, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) 2025 was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday, May 4, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM IST.1 Over 22.7 lakh candidates had registered for the exam.

2. Difficulty Level Analysis:

Based on initial student reactions and expert analysis, here's a summary of the NEET 2025 paper's difficulty:

• Overall: The consensus is that the NEET 2025 paper was moderate to difficult and noticeably more challenging than in recent previous years.2 Many students found it lengthy and struggled with time management within the 3-hour duration.3 Some analyses suggest a return to pre-COVID complexity levels.
• Physics: This section was widely reported as the toughest of the three subjects.4 Questions were described as highly conceptual, requiring strong analytical skills and involving extensive calculations, making them time-consuming.5 There seemed to be an emphasis on the Class 11 syllabus, particularly Mechanics.6
• Chemistry: The Chemistry section was generally rated as medium to difficult and lengthy.7 A significant point mentioned by many was the inclusion of questions with multiple correct options, a format not seen recently, which caused confusion and required extra time.8 While many questions were NCERT-based, application-based problems increased the overall difficulty. The focus was reportedly more on Organic and Physical Chemistry from the Class 12 syllabus.
• Biology (Botany & Zoology): This section was generally perceived as moderate in difficulty compared to Physics and Chemistry, with most questions directly from the NCERT syllabus.9 However, like the other sections, it was described as lengthy and time-consuming due to the detail required in reading and answering questions. The paper reportedly balanced factual, conceptual, and analytical questions, with a slightly higher weightage given to the Class 12 syllabus content.10

3. Expected Cut-off:

It's important to remember that the official cut-off scores will only be released by the NTA along with the results (expected around June 14, 2025). However, based on the increased difficulty level this year, particularly in Physics, experts are suggesting:

• The qualifying cut-off marks might remain similar to last year or could potentially decrease slightly. It might be harder for students to achieve very high scores compared to previous years.
• Tentative Expected Qualifying Cut-off Ranges (Percentile & Marks):
  • General (UR): 50th Percentile (Approx. 720-162 marks)
  • OBC/SC/ST: 40th Percentile (Approx. 161-127 marks)
  • General-PwD: 45th Percentile (Approx. 161-144 marks)
  • OBC/SC/ST-PwD: 40th Percentile (Approx. 143-127 marks)
• These ranges are estimates based on initial analysis and percentile requirements. The actual marks corresponding to these percentiles will depend on the overall performance distribution.
• Admission cut-offs for specific colleges (especially top government institutions like AIIMS, JIPMER, MAMC) will be much higher than the qualifying cut-off and are determined during the counselling process based on rank, seat availability, and category.11

4. Absentees:

• NEET UG 2025 saw a lower attendance rate compared to the last few years. Around 20.8 lakh students appeared for the exam out of the 22.7 lakh registered, resulting in an attendance percentage of approximately 91.4%.12 This is the lowest since 2021 (2024 had 97.9% attendance).
• Reason Attributed by NTA: The NTA has stated that this decline in attendance is largely due to more stringent checks and verification processes implemented from the registration stage onwards. These measures, including enhanced security like biometric verification and AI monitoring at centres, were aimed at filtering out non-serious or "bogus" candidates.13
• Other Possible Factors: While NTA cites stricter controls, general reasons for exam absenteeism can include:
  • Last-minute health issues or emergencies.
  • Difficulties in reaching the exam centre.
  • Changes in academic or career plans after registering.
  • Inadequate preparation leading to a decision not to appear.
  • Prior rejection of the application form due to errors (e.g., incorrect details, document upload issues, fee payment failure, multiple applications).14

In summary, NEET 2025 appears to have been a more challenging paper than recent years, potentially impacting cut-offs.15 The lower attendance is officially attributed to stricter NTA measures to ensure genuine candidatures. Keep an eye out for the official answer key and results from NTA for definitive information.