The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the NEET 2026 qualifying cutoff along with the results, and this year the minimum qualifying marks have increased across almost all categories. As per the NEET result, the General/EWS qualifying cutoff has risen to 213 marks, while the cutoff for OBC, SC and ST candidates has increased to 177 marks. The jump in NEET cutoff has surprised many aspirants, especially since the re exam was considered moderate to difficult by a large section of students.
Also check: Re NEET 2026 Cutoff Live Updates
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Candidates must know that the NEET qualifying cutoff is determined by percentile, candidate performance and overall competition rather than a fixed score. Here's a detailed look at why the NEET 2026 cutoff has increased and what it means for medical aspirants.
Candidates can check the NEET UG 2026 category-wise qualifying cutoff from the table mentioned below.
Category | NEET 2026 Cutoff | NEET 2025 Cutoff |
General/EWS | 715–213 | 686–144 |
OBC/SC/ST | 212–177 | 143–113 |
General-PwD | 212–195 | 143–127 |
SC/ST/OBC-PwD | 194–177 | 126–113 |
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Overall Candidate Performance: Although many students found the paper lengthy, the overall performance of candidates was stronger than last year. A larger number of candidates scored in the mid and high-score range, pushing the qualifying marks upward while maintaining the prescribed percentile.
Tough Competition: More than 11.21 lakh candidates qualified for NEET 2026, reflecting intense competition for limited medical seats. Even a small increase in average scores across lakhs of candidates can lead to a noticeable rise in qualifying marks.
Percentile-Based Cutoff System: One of the biggest reasons behind the increase is that NEET qualifying cutoff is percentile-based, not mark-based. If candidates perform better overall, the marks corresponding to these percentiles automatically increase. This is exactly what has happened in NEET 2026.
Must Check: Re NEET 2026 Marks vs Rank
The higher NEET 2026 qualifying cutoff will not directly affect MBBS admissions. The qualifying cutoff only determines a candidate's eligibility for counselling, while admission to MBBS colleges depends on factors such as All India Rank (AIR), category, seat availability, reservation policy and counselling cutoffs. Therefore, even though the qualifying marks in NEET have increased this year, candidates should focus on their rank and previous years' opening and closing ranks to assess their admission chances.
The NEET 2026 qualifying cutoff is the minimum score required to become eligible for the counselling process. The NEET 2026 admission cutoff is the rank or score at which candidates secure an MBBS, BDS or other medical seat. The qualifying cutoff is released by NTA with the Re NEET 2026 result and is based on percentile, whereas the admission cutoff varies depending on factors such as All India Rank (AIR), category, seat availability, reservation policy and counselling trends. Therefore, qualifying NEET 2026 does not guarantee admission to a medical college.
The NEET 2026 qualifying cutoff increased mainly due to the overall performance of candidates. This year, 11.21 lakh candidates qualified for the medical entrance exam, while 138 students scored above 690 marks. The highest score was 715 out of 720, with no candidate securing a perfect score. A larger number of candidates scoring in the higher mark range pushed the percentile higher, resulting in an increase in the NEET 2026 qualifying cutoff across all categories. As the cutoff is percentile-based rather than mark-based, better overall performance naturally leads to higher qualifying marks.
Also read: Re NEET 2026 AIR 1 | Re NEET 2026 AIR | Re NEET 2026 AIR 3
On Question asked by student community
Hello Savi
Please check the link below:
Hope it helps.
Hello, some B.Sc Nursing colleges may offer admission without NEET, but the admission process depends on the college and its eligibility rules. You can find colleges offering B.Sc Nursing admission without NEET here: https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/bsc-nursing-admission-without-neet
Hello, you can pursue BPT in Kerala without NEET UG. Admission is generally based on the LBS Centre rank list and the applicable admission process. You can check BPT colleges in Kerala and their details here: https://medicine.careers360.com/colleges/list-of-bpt-in-physiotherapy-colleges-in-kerala
Hello Student,
If you are looking for information about NEET PG 2025 DNB seat allotment and the fees payable at the allotted college or hospital, DNB seats are allotted through the respective counselling process based on your rank, category, choice of speciality, and seat availability.
For the 2025 session, the
Dear Student, with a NEET PG 2026 rank of 6,600 in the EWS category, your options should be assessed using the relevant counselling year's college-wise closing ranks, category-wise seats and counselling round. Please also confirm whether you are applying through the applicable All India counselling route or another quota. That
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