A majority of the students who appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET UG) on Sunday, May 4, described the paper as moderately difficult. While the physics section was considered tough, chemistry had a few tricky questions, and biology, though relatively easy, was time-consuming.

Given the overall difficulty compared to previous years, students and coaching centres expect the cut-off marks to drop, at least marginally, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

According to sources, nearly 1.5 lakh students had registered for NEET 2025 from Tamil Nadu, with around 20,000 appearing for the exam in Chennai district alone.

“The biology paper was time-consuming, so I couldn’t complete it on time. Physics and chemistry were moderately difficult,” said a student, who took the exam at Guru Nanak College.

Several students and experts noted that the physics section was as tough as, or even tougher than the 2019 NEET paper, which was widely regarded as one of the most difficult in recent years.

“Students will still need to score above 650 out of 720 to secure admission in a top medical college, even though cut-offs may drop slightly,” said career guidance expert Jayaprakash Gandhi. He added that students attempting the exam for the first time struggled more, while repeaters are likely to perform better.