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In the 2025 NEET counselling process (round 1), the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) allocated 824 MBBS seats out of the 835 available seats across 38 government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu including AIIMS Madurai. Around 718 out of the 824 allotted students took the “Free exit” option, while 95 students chose for an upgrade option. This means that only 11 (1.33% students) retained their round 1 allocated seats.
This is surprising as it indicates students filing choices that they have no desire to take up if allotted. This is not just with Tamil Nadu but an overall scenario. Take a look. A total of 10887 students were allotted government MBBS seats in the NEET 2025 round 1 counselling. Out of these, 7140 students chose the “Free exit” option, while 2260 students chose the upgrade option.
The overall retention rate for government MBBS seats in round 1 NEET counselling stands at 13.65%. Tamil Nadu has the least seat retention rate at 1.33% in comparison with the other states. The details are below.
Location | Total Allotted Seats | Clear Vacancy (Free Exit) | Virtual Vacancy (Upgrade Option) | Total Seats Retained | Allotted Seat Retention Rate |
Tamil Nadu | 824 | 718 | 95 | 11 | 1.33% |
All India | 10,887 | 7,140 | 2,260 | 1487 | 13.65% |
Tamil Nadu had a notably low retention rate of only 1.33% of seats allotted in NEET Round 1, significantly below the All India average retention of 13.65%. This indicates a very high preference among candidates to either exit or upgrade their seats after Round 1.
The high number of free exits (718 out of 824) in Tamil Nadu suggests that most candidates prefer not to join their allotted seats immediately and plan to participate in further rounds for better and more preferred seats.
The 95 students opting for the upgrade option chosen by candidates who accept their seats but wish to try for a better seat in later NEET counselling rounds shows an active participation in seat upgradation to secure more competitive or desired medical colleges.
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This low retention is not a good sign on account of the following reasons:
It means, students are not planning their choice filling processes and entering all probable colleges that they are likely to get. This can be to avoid losing a precious government seat.
It also disallows Tamil Nadu students from obtaining these seats that students from other parts of the country are reluctant to take up. These MBBS seats are offered in round 2 and will not be available to students who are in favour but have opted for other seats on account of non availability.
Feature | Free Exit | Upgrade Option |
Eligibility | Only in Round 1 counselling | Available from Round 1 to Round 3 |
Meaning | Candidate declines allotted seat without penalty | Candidate accepts seat but opts to try for a better seat in next rounds |
Security Deposit Impact | No deduction or loss of security deposit | No deduction, seat is held till upgrade happens |
Seat Status | Seat becomes clear vacancy available for allotment | Seat is "virtual vacancy" held for upgrading |
Reporting | Candidate does not report/join the allotted college | Candidate reports and joins allotted college |
Participation in Next Rounds | Candidate remains eligible for subsequent rounds | Candidate remains eligible to upgrade seats |
Option Availability | Only after Round 1 seat allotment | Available until Round 3 |
Students must be given clear instructions and equipped with the knowhow of how choice filling works and how they should shortlist the colleges. This exercise if done properly with a good understanding of the system will help avoid such situations and vacant seats after the allotments will be much less.
On Question asked by student community
First, understand the NEET syllabus clearly for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Focus only on the NCERT syllabus, as most NEET questions are directly or indirectly based on NCERT, especially in Biology and Chemistry. Avoid unnecessary reference books at this stage.
Divide your 4 months into phases. In the first 2 months, focus on completing the entire syllabus. Study Biology daily, as it carries the highest weightage. Read NCERT Biology line by line, make short notes, and revise regularly. For Chemistry, give priority to NCERT for Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. Practice basic numericals and reactions consistently. In Physics, focus on understanding concepts and practicing standard questions rather than memorizing formulas.
In the third month, start intensive revision along with topic-wise and full-length mock tests. Analyze each test carefully to identify weak areas and work on them. Improve time management and accuracy during this phase.
In the last month, focus mainly on revision and mock tests. Revise NCERT multiple times, especially Biology diagrams, tables, and examples. Avoid learning new topics at the last moment. Maintain a proper sleep schedule and take short breaks to avoid burnout.
Stay consistent, avoid distractions, and believe in your preparation. Even a few focused hours daily with proper planning can make a big difference. All the best!
Scoring 600+ marks in NEET within 4 months is definitely challenging, especially if you are starting almost from scratch, but it is not impossible. It largely depends on your discipline, daily study hours, clarity of basics, and how smartly you plan your preparation.
First, you need to be very realistic and focused. In 4 months, your main goal should be to strengthen NCERT-based concepts rather than trying to study everything in extreme detail. NEET questions are largely NCERT-oriented, especially in Biology and Chemistry. If you can master NCERT thoroughly, your chances improve significantly.
Biology should be your top priority because it carries the maximum weightage and is comparatively scoring. Read NCERT line by line for both Class 11 and 12. Revise multiple times and practice MCQs daily. Even if Physics feels tough initially, focus on high-weightage and formula-based chapters like Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Semiconductors, Ray Optics, and Laws of Motion. Chemistry can be divided smartly: give more time to Organic and Inorganic NCERT, and practice numericals regularly for Physical Chemistry.
You should ideally study 10–12 focused hours daily with a fixed timetable. Daily revision and weekly full-length mock tests are extremely important. Initially, your mock scores may be low, but what matters is consistent improvement and learning from mistakes. Analyze each test carefully to understand weak areas.
Since you are already enrolled in another college, time management becomes even more important. Try to minimize distractions and use early mornings or late evenings effectively. Avoid too many reference books; stick to NCERT and one reliable question bank.
That said, aiming for 600+ in 4 months is ambitious and depends on your learning speed and consistency. Even if you fall slightly short, a strong score improvement can still open opportunities in government or private colleges depending on category and cutoff trends.
Stay disciplined, trust the process, and do not compare your journey with others. Many students have made significant jumps in short durations with focused effort. All the best.
Hello,
Here are the important naming reactions for the NEET preparation.
Naming Reaction for NEET Preparation
Hope it helps your preparation. Good luck.
Hello
If you are asking about Motilal Nehru Medical College (MLN Medical College), Prayagraj, then admission is strictly through the NEET exam. For MBBS in this medical college, students usually need a high NEET rank because the cutoff is quite competitive.
In recent years, the closing ranks have often been within the top 20,000–30,000. This means you need a strong score to secure a seat. The exact marks may change every year depending on difficulty and competition.
You can get more information by visiting Careers360.com.
Hi
If you are a class 12th (Arts Stream) student, then you are not directly eligible for the NEET exam because you must belong to the Medical Science stream and have main subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This exam contains questions from these three subjects. But you can fulfil your dream to become a doctor by completing these subjects in class 12th from an open school like NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling), and then you will be eligible for the NEET exam. You need to score 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This step is the correct way for you.
Thank you.
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