What is the Difference Between – NEET UG, NEET PG, and NEET SS?

What are the different types of NEET? Usually, a class 11 and 12 student preparing for NEET assumes it to be the only medical exam. However, there are three types of NEET examinations: NEET UG, NEET PG, and NEET SS. So, class 11 and 12 graders are preparing for the NEET UG exam that they will appear for after clearing board examinations. Here is all about various NEET 2022 exams. The difference between the three types of NEET exams and more. 

What is NEET-UG?

NEET UG stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate. It is the medical entrance examination for undergraduates. So, students who qualify get admission into undergraduate medical courses such as MBBS, BDS, and others.  

NEET UG Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility criteria for NEET UG are as follows:

• The minimum eligibility criteria require candidates to have passed class 12 in PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) with a minimum of 50% marks. 
• If a candidate belongs to the reserved category, he/she requires only 40% in the qualifying exam. 
• NMC has removed the upper age limit of 25 years. The lower age limit is 17 years.  
• Candidates planning to take admission in B.Sc Nursing must fulfil NEET eligibility criteria of a minimum of 45% marks in PCB in class 12. Candidates must include English as their compulsory subject. 
• Other than Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and Foreign Nationals are eligible too. 

The students will have to produce original documents satisfying the minimum eligibility criteria while appearing for NEET Counselling. ​

Application Process for NEET UG

The application process for NEET-UG is completely online. The following points explain the key steps in the online application process.

• The applicants need to fill out the online application form to apply for the NEET UG exams. 
• NEET application form has to be filled out in two phases. The NEET application form’s first phase requires candidates to provide their personal, contact, and academic details. They have to upload the scanned images. In the second phase of NEET registration, students will have to enter their education, place of birth, parent’s income, category, citizenship, PWBD, as well as Class 10 pass certificate.

What is NEET PG?

NEET PG stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate. It is the medical entrance examination for masters in fields like Medicine, Pathology, and others. So, students who have completed their bachelor’s degree or MBBS can appear for NEET PG to get admission into postgraduate courses, including MD, MS, MDS, PG diplomas, and others in the prominent colleges of India. 

Eligibility Criteria for NEET PG 

Students must fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria to apply for the NEET exam. The eligibility criteria for NEET PG are as follows:

• Candidates who have been studying in India must possess the pass certificate of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, or provisional MBBS as per the Indian Medical Council Act. 
• They need to have an MBBS registration certificate issued by the Indian or state medical council. 
• Candidates who have completed one year of internship or the ones who will be completing the internship are eligible for the exam application.
• If an Indian candidate with Indian citizenship has graduated from any foreign medical college, he/she will have to qualify for the Medical Council of India Screening Test.
• Foreign nationals must have registration from the country they have obtained their bachelor’s degree in the medical field. It is not mandatory for them to possess Medical Council of India (MCI) registration. They will be provided with a temporary registration at the time of application payment. 

Application Process for NEET PG

The candidates will have to fill out an application form for NEET PG. Here is how to apply for NEET PG.

• Candidates must follow a complete six-step process to fill the NEET PG application form successfully. 
• They will first register, fill in the details in the form, upload scanned images/documents, choose the exam city, make the application fee payment, and print the confirmation page. 
• Candidates will have to pay NEET PG application fees online via a credit/debit card or internet banking.

What is NEET SS?

NEET SS stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Super Speciality. This exam is for those who have completed their master’s course. Students who qualify in this exam get admitted to MCh programs. 

Eligibility Criteria for NEET SS

The basic eligibility criteria for NEET SS as per the National Board of Examinations norms are as follows:

• Candidates must possess a postgraduate degree from a recognized institution in MS/MD/DNB or equivalent.
• Candidates appearing for the postgraduate exam in the same year are also eligible for NEET SS in that year. 
• The applicant must be registered with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical Council. 
• Foreign candidates do not require registration with the Medical Council of India. However, they should get registered with the respective authorities of their own country. MCI issues a temporary registration to the foreign candidates at the time of admission. 

Application Process for NEET SS

The application process for NEET SS is entirely online, including the online submission. Candidates need not send a hard copy of the application form through post or courier. The application form requires

• Candidates must fill in personal details, academic details and upload scanned copies of signatures, photographs, and thumb impressions.
• Candidates will have to pay the application fee online after filling out the application form.
• The payment can be made via debit/credit card and net banking. Furthermore, there are no bifurcations in context to the amount of application fee for the category of the candidate. Thus, it will be the same for all the candidates, irrespective of the category they belong to.

Difference Between – NEET-UG, NEET-PG, and NEET SS?

The following table compares NEET-UG, NEET-PG, and NEET SS exams.

How to Ace NEET 2022? 

The following NEET 2022 preparation tips will help you face the challenging exam with ease and emerge with flying colours. 

• It is important to keep the NEET 2022 syllabus handy. So, students who are preparing for NEET UG 2022 must check out the NEET 2022 Syllabus for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.  
• The NEET counselling process is crucial, and students must be extra-alert while locking the choices in the counselling form because if the student does not lock the choices in the counselling, then the platform does his/her part. Learn all about NEET UG 2022 Counselling. 
• Get well-versed in the important topics for NEET exams. Students must begin with Biology and also cover one other subject simultaneously.
• Understanding Biology via diagrams is one of the best methods to clear all the concepts. 
• For physics, it is essential to solve as many questions as possible and enhance problem-solving speed. 
• Chemistry requires practice. Students must learn diagrams and get well-versed in chemical equations. 
• Students can also enrol in the NEET 2022 crash course if they have little time for preparation. 
• Stand out by practising NEET Mock Tests 2022 and NEET Previous Year Question Paper. These help students assess their preparation and work on inconsistencies. 

Bottomline

The scope of NEET UG vs PG vs SS is altogether different. Thus, students should get well versed in the different types of NEET exams and plan their preparation accordingly. While NEET UG is for undergraduates, NEET PG is for graduates, and NEET SS is for postgraduates. NTA provides several opportunities for students to reach their dreams and aspirations. Students must utilise the opportunities available to them and emerge with the best results via strategic preparations. 

FAQs on NEET UG, NEET PG, and NEET SS

1. What courses can I get admission in via NEET SS?

NEET SS is the only eligibility-cum-ranking entrance examination for admission to various DM or MCh or DNB, or Postdoctoral fellowship courses. While DM refers to Doctorate of Medicine, MCh is the Master of Chirurgiae or Master of Surgery. It is the most advanced qualification degree in Surgery as per the Indian Medical Council. While an MCh degree is for surgical specialities, DM is for non-surgical ones. Students can get admission into the top Indian universities by securing high scores in the NEET SS exam.

2. Is NEET SS hard?

NEET SS is harder than NEET UG and NEET PG as it is a competition with those having immense knowledge after completion of their master’s degree. Moreover, thousands of candidates appear for this exam for admission to various DM or M.Ch or Post Doctoral Fellowship courses. Every candidate leaves no stone unturned during their NEET SS preparation. Therefore, it is crucial to follow a strategic preparation to outperform other candidates in the NEET SS exam.

3. What is the age limit for NEET-UG, NEET-PG, and NEET SS?

There is no upper age limit for candidates appearing for NEET UG, NEET PG, or NEET SS. The National Testing Agency has done away with upper age limits, considering the fact that many candidates tend to drop a few years for preparation or for pursuing other courses. However, there is a lower age limit. Candidates should be a minimum of 17 years of age as of 31st December of the year of admission.

4. What are the passing marks for the NEET exam?

NTA prescribes the NEET cutoff percentile for the general category as 50th (360 and above), while for the SC/ST/OBC, it is 40th. The exact NEET qualifying cutoff scores are released every year along with the result by NTA at the official website. In the previous year, NEET cutoff passing marks were 138/ 720 for the general category, while for SC/ST/OBC, it was 137-108. Therefore, students will be able to check the exact passing marks only after the release of the result.

5. Is NEET compulsory for MBBS?

From 2019 onwards, the enforcement of the National Medical Council Act has declared the NEET exam as a mandatory entrance examination for admissions to all the medical institutions in India. So, students who aspire to pursue MBBS must clear the NEET exam with at least minimum passing marks. Higher scores in the NEET exam guarantee better medical colleges. Students who do not manage to pass the exam won’t be able to get admission to MBBS.

6. What are the state and all India quotas in NEET?

All India Quota means that the colleges in a state registered under MCI keep 15% of their total seats for candidates coming through AIQ. Candidates from all over India are free to apply for this quota except for J & K candidates, as state domicile is not required for the same. So, 15% of the total seats in all government colleges are to be filled by students coming via AIQ, while the remaining 85% of seats are for state quota seats. A candidate can apply for both state and all India quotas.