NEET cutoff 2027: qualifying marks and percentile by category

What is the difference between the qualifying cutoff and the admission cutoff?

The qualifying cutoff is the minimum percentile NTA sets to make you eligible for counselling. It is the only cutoff NTA publishes with the result. The admission cutoff — often called the closing rank — is the last rank that got a particular seat in a particular college, quota, category and round. It is not set in advance; it falls out of counselling.

The two are far apart. About 22.8 lakh candidates registered for NEET UG 2026 and about 11.2 lakh qualified (12.4 lakh in 2025), while India has a little over 1.1 lakh MBBS seats. Qualifying tells you that you may take part in counselling. Your rank decides what you get from it.

Why did the NEET cutoff drop in 2025?

NEET UG 2025 was a noticeably tougher paper. The topper scored 686 out of 720, and the General qualifying mark fell from 164 in 2024 to 144 in 2025. It was also the first year of the 180-question pattern with no optional section.

Because the cutoff is a percentile, a harder paper pulls the marks down for everyone at once — the same number of candidates still qualify. This is also why marks-vs-rank shifted so sharply: in 2025, a score that would have looked ordinary in 2024 bought a much better rank.

Why did the NEET cutoff jump to 213 in 2026?

Because the 21 June 2026 re-exam was easy and the rule did not change. NTA’s result release counted two candidates at 715, 19 above 700, 1,492 at 650 or more and 10,160 at 600 or more — far more high scores than in 2025, when the topper managed 686. With half the field needing to sit below the General cutoff, the 50th percentile landed at 213 marks instead of 144. The field was also smaller: about 20 lakh appeared, against 22.1 lakh in 2025, after the 3 May paper was cancelled and the exam re-held.

The lesson for 2027 is that the qualifying mark tells you about the paper, not about you. In 2026 a score of 213 was a bare pass; in 2025 it was comfortably above the line.

What will the NEET 2027 cutoff be?

Nobody can know the marks in advance. The percentiles are expected to stay at 50th, 45th and 40th. If the 2027 paper is as hard as 2025, the qualifying marks are likely to sit near 144; if it is as easy as the 2026 re-exam, near 213. The Centre has also said NEET UG is expected to move to computer-based mode from 2027, which could change the paper in ways nobody can price in yet; NTA has not notified the mode, pattern or dates as of October 2026. Plan around rank, not around the qualifying mark — the NEET rank predictor shows what a score usually means.

What rank do you need for a government MBBS seat?

There is no single answer, which is why we do not print one. The closing rank for a government MBBS seat depends on:

• Quota — the 15% All India Quota counselled by MCC, or your state's 85% quota, where you compete mainly with candidates from your own state.
• Category — each category has its own closing ranks.
• College and state — older colleges in large cities usually close first.
• Round — ranks move between Round 1 and the later rounds as candidates upgrade or leave seats.
• The year — a harder or easier paper changes how many students sit at each score.

What is consistent is that government MBBS seats close at ranks far better than the qualifying mark. With 11.2 lakh candidates qualifying in 2026 (12.4 lakh in 2025) and a little over 1.1 lakh MBBS seats across government, private and deemed colleges, only a fraction of qualified candidates get any MBBS seat at all.

Where can you see past closing ranks?

MCC publishes round-wise allotment results for the All India Quota and central institutions on mcc.nic.in, and state counselling authorities publish theirs. These lists show the last rank allotted each seat and are the right source for past government MBBS cutoffs. Our NEET college predictor is built to turn a rank range into the kinds of seats it has reached in past rounds.

What if you qualify but don't get a seat?

Qualifying without an MBBS seat still leaves options: BDS seats in the same counselling, state private and deemed colleges (at much higher fees), and courses filled through separate counselling such as AYUSH. Many students choose another attempt instead — NEET has no attempt limit. If you are weighing a drop year, read our guide for droppers and look honestly at your last five mock scores first.