NEET 2024 Tie-Breaker Policy

NEET 2024 Tie-Breaker Policy has been revised in the updated information bulletin released on the official website. In this revision of the NEET tie-breaking rule, the lottery system that relied solely on computer technology and no human intervention has been eliminated. The previous tie-breaking policy for NEET-UG has now been introduced again by the authority.

Based on this old NEET Tie-Breaker Policy, students who have scored higher marks in NEET Biology, Chemistry, and Physics will be decided by drawing lots using a computer or IT without human participation. The NEET UG 2024 examwill be held on May 5 and its result will be out on June 14, 2024. Due to the more than 25 lakh applicants, there might be situations where two or more candidates score the same marks. In such cases, determining their ranks will be crucial. For this reason, the NTA has devised a tie-breaker policy that will allow all applicants to be fairly ranked and shortlisted for admissions. 

NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Policy Revised

The NEET 2024 tie-breaking policy has changed this year. From now onwards, computer technology and no human intervention have been eliminated. Let’s take a look at the revised NEET 2024 tie-breaking policy in order of preference:

• Tie-Breaking Criterion 1: Test-takers receiving better percentile scores or grades in biology for the NEET 2024
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 2: Test-takers  with higher NEET 2024 Chemistry percentile scores or grades
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 3: Test-takers  with higher percentile ratings or scores in Physics on the NEET 2024
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 4: Test-takers who scored lower on the NEET 2024 exam across all three courses in terms of incorrect responses.
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 5: Test-takers who answered fewer questions incorrectly in the biology section.
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 6: Test-takers with a lower percentage of inaccurate Chemistry responses.
• Tie-Breaking Criterion 7: Test-takers who scored worse on the NEET 2024 Physics multiple-choice exam.

Also Read: NEET 2024 Cutoff for Government Colleges

NEET Tie-Breaking Policy Explained 

The three different policies that were put in action as per the rules and regulations of NTA till last year are explained below:

Policy Statement 1

Candidates who have obtained a higher score in NEET Biology will be considered first, over the other candidate/s.

For Example, let’s consider the contents given in the table below:

As per the first policy and the contents mentioned above, Candidate B will be given preference over Candidate A and C. However, Candidate A will be given preference over Candidate C due to the marks obtained by the respective candidates.

This policy dictates that the candidate with the highest marks under the Biology section of the entrance exam will be ranked higher than the others. However, if all candidates have secured the same score in the section, Policy Statement 2 will be enforced.

Policy Statement 2

Candidates with a higher score in Chemistry will be ranked higher than others. Let’s take the example of Candidates A, B, and C as per the information provided below.

In the instance mentioned above, Candidate B will be given preference over Candidate A and C, as Candidate B has secured the highest score, with respect to both Policy Statement 1 and Policy Statement 2. Candidate C, on the other hand, will not be ranked higher despite scoring more than Candidate B in Chemistry because of the lesser marks in Biology as per the second policy. 

For this statement to be implemented, all candidates must have scored the same score for Biology. However, if there is a situation where the candidates have been able to score the same marks in both Biology and Chemistry, Policy Statement 3 will be implemented.

Also Read: NEET Marks vs Rank 2024

Policy Statement 3

Candidates with the least number of incorrect answers in all subjects including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, will be chosen over the other candidate/s. Let’s take the example of Candidates A, B, and C again:

According to the NEET tie-breaker rules, the ranking of candidates is determined by several factors. Initially, the scores obtained in Biology and Chemistry are considered to establish the ranking. In cases where there is still a tie, the number of incorrect answers is taken into account to further differentiate between candidates.

If, after considering the scores and incorrect answers, a tie still persists, the NEET 2024 tie-breaker rules come into play. These rules provide a fair and transparent mechanism to resolve the tie. They ensure that the ranking process remains unbiased and accurate, enabling the selection of deserving candidates based on their performance in the NEET examination.

Revised NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Policy Age Factor 

The revised NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Policy age criteria highlights the removal of the tie-breaking criteria based on candidates’ age. Previously, candidates who were older in age were given preference over others in case of a tie, in the NEET UG exam. If the tie is still persistent, the candidates were evaluated based on higher scores secured in Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects in this order. 

However, after the National Medical Commission dismissed this NEET UG Tie-Breaking Age Criteria In 2023, the NTA released a new statement in NEET 2024 Information Bulletin stating that the decision to remove the age criteria from the tie-breaking policy for NEET-UG stays unchanged. The age factor no longer exists and will not be considered in NEET 2024 tie breaking policy.

Also Check: What is a Good Score in NEET UG 2024?

NEET Tie-Breaking Policy 2024 Controversies 

The NTA NEET Tie-Breaking Criteria has faced many controversies in the recent past. With the official circular released by the NTA regarding the revised NEET 2024 Tie-Breaking Criteria, the NEET Tie-Breaking Policy has been the centre of attention ever since. According to the NEET 2024 Information Bulletin published on February 9, 2024, the NTA has officially revised the NEET Tie-Breaking Policy 2024 by removing the “correct and incorrect answer NEET Tie-Breaker Policy” from it. However, the NTA has replaced the rejected policy with a new tie-breaking criteria for NEET 2024, which state that a computerized draw will be employed to break the tie between the candidates in the NEET UG 2024 Exam. 

Surprisingly, the controversies related to the NEET Tie-Breaking Criteria do not end here. Further on March 9, 2024, the NTA released a revised statement on the NEET UG Tie-Breaker Policy 2024, along with the revised information bulletin for candidates’ reference. This time, the new NEET tie-breaking policy highlighted the removal of the previously introduced computerized draw for NEET UG 2024 Tie-Breaking Policy. Additionally, the revised NEET Tie-Breaking Policy 2024 also implied that the subject preference order in case of a tie will be: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. According to the previous years’ trends, the subject preference order in case of a tie was: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. 

NEET UG Tie-Breaking Policy 2023 Controversies

While NEET Tie-Breaking Policy 2024 controversies have surely made headlines with the unexpected changes introduced by the NTA, the past year's NEET UG Tie-Breaking Policy is also not free of the controversies. In 2023, the NEET Tie-Breaking Criteria had a special highlight due to the revised age criteria that was announced by the NTA. Until 2023, in case of a tie, candidates who are older were given preference over the other candidates to break the tie, followed by the consideration in NEET marks in the order of preference in subjects in the following order: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. 

However, the National Medical Commission (NMC) in 2023 released an official statement on June 13 announcing the new Gazette of India NEET Tie-Breaker Policy 2023, stating the removal of the age criteria in the tie-breaking policy for NEET-UG exam. Moreover, the tie-breaking criteria for NEET UG 2023 also highlighted the change in order of preference in subjects to be Physics, Chemistry and Biology, which was followed as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics throughout the past years. This had not only stirred confusion among students but also created a lot of controversies due to the sudden change in criteria policy, without prior warning. Therefore, all NEET UG 2024 aspirants are advised to carefully read the NEET Tie-Breaker Policy 2024, to steer clear of any confusion, and to avoid any last-minute panic. 

Also Read: List of Documents Required for NEET 2024 Counselling for MBBS Admission

Old NEET UG Tie-Breaking Policy

The tie-breaking policy comes in handy when two or more aspirants have secured the same rank. It helps in breaking the deadlock. Until last year, the NEET tie-breaking policy comprised only three factors that can be termed as follows: 

• Candidate securing higher percentile score/ marks in Biology (Botany & Zoology) in the Test, followed by,
• Aspirants securing higher marks/percentile scores in Chemistry on the Test
• If the above criteria are not fulfilled, then applicants with the number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all subjects will be given priority over the others.

Changes Introduced in NEET 2024

Candidates must take note of the other changes that have been introduced this year along with the NEET 2024 tie-breaking formula. These are as follows:

• NTA has increased the NEET 2024 exam duration by 20 minutes. Earlier, the exam was conducted for 3 hours but from now onwards, candidates will have 3 hours and 20 minutes to finish the paper.
• The total number of NEET 2024 Exam Centres has also increased. This year, the test will be conducted in centres in India and 14 test centres abroad.
• The registration process was conducted in two phases this time.
• The NEET 2024 application fee was also increased by INR 100.

The NEET 2024 exam will be conducted offline (pen-and-paper mode) on May 7. Apart from the changes mentioned above, there have not been any major changes in the exam pattern and marking system.

We hope the article has been helpful to aspirants seeking clarity about the tie-breaking policy for NEET 2024. Team CollegeDekho wishes all candidates good luck for the upcoming exams. 

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