NEET UG 2026 Qualifying Cutoff Marks

Explore category-wise minimum percentile criteria and compare 2025 scores with the expected thresholds for the 2026 academic session.

Category-Wise Qualifying Thresholds

The **qualifying percentile** is fixed each year. However, the matching **qualifying score** changes based on paper difficulty and total number of candidates. The official 2026 scores will be declared along with the result.

Category	Qualifying Percentile	2025 Cutoff Marks	2026 Cutoff Marks
General / UR	50th Percentile	162	TBD
General-PwD	45th Percentile	TBD for 2026	TBD
OBC	40th Percentile	TBD for 2026	TBD
SC	40th Percentile	TBD for 2026	TBD
ST	40th Percentile	TBD for 2026	TBD
OBC/SC/ST-PwD	40th Percentile	TBD for 2026	TBD

Note: 2025 reference scores are official values. 2026 qualifying score ranges will be published by NTA at the time of result release.

Important: Qualifying Cutoff vs. Admission Cutoff

Many candidates mistake the qualifying cutoff for an admission threshold. There is a vast difference between the two:

Qualifying Cutoff~145–165 Marks (General)

Clearing this simply means you have passed the exam and are eligible to register/participate in counselling rounds. It does NOT guarantee a seat.

Admission Cutoff600+ Marks (Govt. MBBS)

The actual minimum score required to secure a seat in a government medical college during AIQ or State counselling rounds.

Key Takeaway: Simply clearing the qualifying marks cutoff (e.g. scoring 170 marks) only permits you to sit for counselling. To get a government MBBS seat, your score generally must exceed 600+ marks depending on state and category reservations.

How Cutoff Is Decided

The minimum marks required to qualify depend on several dynamic variables:

•Candidate Volume: High number of candidates (22.79 lakh) pushes competition up.
•Paper Difficulty: Easier questions raise the average score and cutoff mark.
•Seat Availability: Total count of ~1.18 lakh MBBS seats nationwide.