NEET UG
Updated: Oct 9, 2026
NEET UG Cutoff 2026: Category-wise Qualifying Marks, Percentile & Previous Trends
The NEET UG Cutoff 2026 has been officially announced by the National Testing Agency alongside the result declaration. The cutoff represents the minimum score a candidate must obtain to qualify for the entrance examination and be eligible for undergraduate medical counselling across India.
Qualifying Cutoff vs Admission Cutoff
It is crucial to distinguish between the two types of cutoffs in NEET UG:
- Qualifying Cutoff (NTA): The minimum percentile/marks required to pass the exam and become eligible to apply for counselling. Passing the qualifying cutoff does not guarantee a seat.
- Admission Cutoff (Closing Rank): The last rank at which a student secures an MBBS/BDS seat in a specific medical college through MCC (15% AIQ) or State Quota (85%) counselling. Admission cutoffs for government medical colleges are substantially higher than the qualifying cutoff.
Official NEET UG 2026 Qualifying Cutoff Scores
| Category | Qualifying Percentile Benchmark | NEET 2026 Marks Range (Out of 720) |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) / EWS | 50th Percentile | 715 – 213 Marks |
| OBC-NCL | 40th Percentile | 212 – 177 Marks |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 40th Percentile | 212 – 177 Marks |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 40th Percentile | 212 – 177 Marks |
| General / EWS-PwBD | 45th Percentile | 212 – 194 Marks |
| OBC / SC / ST-PwBD | 40th Percentile | 193 – 177 Marks |
Factors Governing NEET Cutoff Variations
The annual cutoff shifts based on several key parameters evaluated each year:
- Total Number of Examinees: Over 24 lakh applicants took the test in 2026, driving percentile competition upwards.
- Difficulty Level of the Paper: Changes in the complexity of Physics numericals or organic Chemistry questions directly influence aggregate scores.
- Seat Intake: Creation of new government medical colleges and expansion of MBBS seats increases total capacity.
- Overall Candidate Performance: The concentration of top scorers achieving 650+ marks shifts admission closing ranks significantly.
Comparative Cutoff Trends (2026 vs 2025 vs 2024)
| Category | 2026 Cutoff Range | 2025 Cutoff Range | 2024 Cutoff Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / EWS (50th) | 715 – 213 | 720 – 164 | 720 – 137 |
| OBC / SC / ST (40th) | 212 – 177 | 163 – 129 | 136 – 107 |
| General-PwBD (45th) | 212 – 194 | 163 – 146 | 136 – 121 |