With over 15 lakh candidates each year and as the only admission path for undergraduate medicine, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, is highly competitive. But as the last round of NEET showed, there can be two candidates with the exact same NTA score. For such cases, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, has a standard tie-break policy. The dates and exam guidelines for NEET 2021 are expected this week, its Director-General Vineet Joshi had earlier confirmed to NDTV. However, the tie-break policy is likely to remain the same and applies also to the engineering entrance exam. Mr Joshi also said that NEET 2021 will be held once and in pen-and-paper mode, like last year.
In NEET 2020, two candidates scored 720 out of 720 marks in the medical entrance exam but held different positions on the rank list. Delhi's Akansha Singh scored full marks, but she lost the top rank to Odisha's Soyeb Aftab because she is younger.
Also Read: Medical Entrance Test, NEET, To Be Held On August 1
What Is NEET Tie-Breaking Formula?
The tie-breaking policy of NEET considers factors such as subject-wise marks in Biology and Chemistry, the number of incorrect answers and age -- in that order of importance. In the case of Ms Singh and Mr Aftab, scores in all individual subjects were equal, but in case of ties between candidates who do not score full marks, NTA's more graduated policy will apply.
These are the factors and the order in which they are applied to break ties:
Biology marks: If the same marks have been scored by two or more candidates, the one who scores higher marks in Biology (Botany and Zoology) will get preference in the ranking.
Chemistry marks: If the tie exists after comparing Biology scores, candidates who score higher marks in Chemistry will get preference.
Less incorrect marks: If the tie still persists, aspirants with less number of wrong answers in all the subjects of the NEET test will also get an advantage.
Age factor: If all the above criteria fail and the tie still remains, the candidate older in age will be preferred.
