Patna: The NEET-UG 2026 examination proved to be one of the most challenging papers in recent years, with candidates and subject experts describing the Physics and Chemistry sections as lengthy, calculation-intensive and slightly tougher than previous edition of the medical entrance test, conducted in May this year. While Biology remained relatively balanced and manageable.According to Balram Kumar Singh, Biology teacher at DAV Public School, BSEB Colony, the overall difficulty level of the paper was higher than what students have encountered in recent years. He said the Physics section was particularly demanding and consumed a considerable amount of time due to extensive calculations.“Physics was extremely lengthy and calculation-based. Students had to spend a lot of time solving questions, which affected their overall time management during the examination. The difficulty level was even higher than what students generally expect in NEET,” Singh said.He added: “Biology was well-structured and student-friendly. Most candidates I interacted with performed well in the subject. The questions were straightforward and based largely on concepts students are familiar with.”The Chemistry section also posed a major challenge for aspirants. Many students reported that several questions were difficult and required a deeper conceptual understanding. According to feedback received from candidates, some questions appeared to be at a level comparable to engineering entrance examinations.Sharing his assessment of the Chemistry section, Manjeet Kumar, Chemistry teacher at Loyola High School, said the section ranged from moderate to difficult and more difficult than the NEET examination conducted earlier this year.He said, Organic Chemistry had a significant presence, and several questions were conceptual in nature. The numerical problems were lengthy and calculation-intensive, making the section time-consuming, Kumar added. He also noted that Inorganic Chemistry carried substantial weightage and that most questions were based on NCERT textbooks. “At least 6-7 questions appeared to be slightly above the standard NCERT level, while the rest were directly based on NCERT concepts,” he explained.Physics teacher Anand Kumar Jha also highlighted the increased difficulty level of the Physics section. “Physics was both tougher and lengthier than the previous session because the questions required application of concepts rather than direct use of formulas,” Jha said.He explained that unlike conventional NEET papers, which often contain formula-based questions derived directly from NCERT, this year’s Physics section demanded deeper conceptual understanding and analytical thinking.“Many questions were application-based and required students to connect multiple concepts. Instead of simply recalling formulas, candidates had to analyze problems and apply their knowledge in unfamiliar situations. The calculations were also lengthy, which increased the difficulty level,” he said.Based on feedback from students, Jha estimated that the Physics section was around 10 to 15 percent more difficult than the previous session.
