NEET Cutoff 2026: Expected Marks, Category Wise, State Wise, AIQ & 2026 Prediction

NEET Cutoff 2026: The expected cutoff for the 2026 academic session is 720–162 marks to achieve the 50th percentile for General category candidates. The National Test Agency (NTA) will release the official cutoff on neet.nta.nic.in after conducting the NEET 2026 entrance exam on 03 May 2026. The cutoff determines eligibility for admission in MBBS, BDS, and other medical courses in India and is crucial for the next stage, including counselling and seat allocation.

NEET Cutoff 2026 Latest Updates

• NTA will release the NEET Cutoff 2026 in June 2026 at the official web portal neet.nta.nic.in.
• The expected qualifying cutoff for the General category is anticipated to range between 720 and 162 marks.
• The NEET 2026 exam is scheduled for 03 May 2026.
• The National Testing Agency has released the NEET UG Admit Card 2026 on 26 April 2026.
• MCC will begin AIQ counselling shortly after results; state counselling dates will be announced by respective authorities.

NEET Cutoff 2026

NEET cutoff plays a very crucial role in allocating medical colleges to qualifying students. It is released by NTA on its official website. Based on previous year trends, the NEET Cutoff 2026 for the General category is expected to range between 720 and 162, while for SC/ST/OBC it will be approximately 163–129.

The cutoff depends on various factors: the number of candidates applying and appearing for the examination, the difficulty level of the exam, the category of candidates, and the seats available in medical colleges. A merit list is prepared by NTA based on AIR (All India Rank), and this list determines the cutoff for the examination.

There are two types of cutoffs that a candidate must consider:

• Qualifying Cutoff — The minimum score required to pass the examination and become eligible for counselling.
• Admission Cutoff — The minimum score required to actually secure a seat in a medical college. This is significantly higher than the qualifying cutoff.

The qualifying cut-off is generally lower than the admission cut-off.

NEET Cutoff 2026 – Expected Category Wise

The table below shows the expected NEET 2026 cutoff marks for all categories based on past trends and current analysis. These are estimates — actual figures will be released by NTA after the exam.

Note: These figures are estimates based on past NEET cutoff trends. Actual numbers may vary based on exam difficulty, number of candidates, and top scores.

NEET Cutoff 2024 (Official Data)

The table below shows the official NEET 2024 cutoff marks revised by NTA. In 2024, as many as 17 students scored a perfect 720/720, pushing the General category upper cutoff to its maximum.

Note: These figures are based on the revised cutoff released by NTA for NEET 2024.

NEET Cutoff Previous Year Trend (2020–2025)

Tracking the year-wise NEET cutoff trend helps aspirants set realistic score targets for 2026. The qualifying percentile remains constant (50th for General, 40th for Reserved), but actual marks fluctuate based on exam difficulty and topper scores each year.

What Will Drive the NEET 2026 Cutoff?

• Number of Candidates: Over 22–24 lakh students are expected to appear for NEET 2026. Higher registration = higher competition = higher cutoff.
• Exam Difficulty: If Physics is tough (like 2025), overall scores drop and the cutoff falls. A moderate paper pushes the cutoff higher.
• New MBBS Seats: Any addition of new MBBS seats by NMC (National Medical Commission) will ease the admission cutoff.
• Topper Score: The highest marks scored set the upper cutoff range. In 2024 it was 720; in 2025 it was 686.

NEET AIQ (All India Quota) Cutoff 2026

The 15% All India Quota (AIQ) is managed by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and is the most competitive route to top government medical colleges. Students from any state can compete for AIQ seats regardless of their home state.

Note: Expected figures based on 2024–2025 AIQ counselling closing ranks. Actual 2026 data will be released by MCC post-counselling.

NEET Cutoff 2026 Government vs Private College

There is a major difference between the NTA qualifying cutoff and the actual score you need to secure an MBBS seat. Here is a clear breakdown:

NEET Cutoff 2026 for OBC Category

The National Test Agency will release the NEET cutoff for OBC category at neet.nta.nic.in in June 2026. The cutoff for the OBC category is set at the 40th percentile, which corresponds to a qualifying score range of approximately 161–127 marks out of 720.

The cutoff may vary based on the difficulty of the exam, number of candidates appearing, and several other factors. OBC candidates who score between 161–127 qualify for counselling, but to secure a government MBBS seat, an OBC candidate typically needs 450–530+ marks depending on the state.

State Wise NEET Cutoff 2026 (Expected)

85% of all MBBS seats in India are filled through State Quota counselling. Each state sets its own admission cutoff based on local seat availability and the number of qualified candidates. Below are expected score ranges for top states based on 2024 and 2025 trends:

Note: State-wise admission cutoffs are released by respective state counselling authorities after all counselling rounds are completed. Figures above are estimates based on 2024–2025 trends.

How to Check NEET Cutoff 2026

Steps by step guide to check the NEET 2026 cut off is mentioned below : 

Step 1 : Visit the official website of NTA NEET www.neet.nta.nic.in

Step 2 : Look for the “PUBLIC NOTICE” section on the screen.

Step 3 : Click the “NEET RESULT 2026” link under the “PUBLIC NOTICE” section.

Step 4 : A PDF containing category wise cut off will appear

Step 5 : Scroll through the PDF to reach the “NEET 2026 CATEGORY WISE CUT OFF” section

Step 6 : You can check the cut off marks of any category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the expected NEET 2026 cutoff for General category?
Ans. The expected qualifying cutoff for General (UR) candidates in NEET 2026 is in the range of 720–162 marks (50th percentile). The exact cutoff will be officially released by NTA after the exam on 03 May 2026, expected in June 2026.

Q2. What is the NEET 2026 cutoff for OBC, SC, and ST categories?
Ans. The expected qualifying cutoff for OBC, SC, and ST candidates is approximately 161–127 marks (40th percentile). These are minimum qualifying marks — actual admission cutoffs for government colleges are much higher depending on the state and available seats.

Q3. Is 500 marks enough to get MBBS in a government college in NEET 2026?
Ans. A score of 500 may secure a seat in a government college through State Quota for OBC/SC/ST categories in some states. However, for AIQ (All India Quota) seats, General category students typically need 600+ marks. For reserved categories via AIQ, 500 may be borderline for some states.

Q4. What score is needed for AIIMS Delhi in NEET 2026?
Ans. AIIMS Delhi is the most competitive medical college in India. Candidates generally need 670+ marks and a rank within the top 50–100 to be considered for AIIMS New Delhi through AIQ counselling conducted by MCC.

Q5. What is the minimum NEET score for MBBS abroad in 2026?
Ans. To pursue MBBS abroad, an Indian student only needs to meet the NTA qualifying cutoff — approximately 144+ for General and 113+ for reserved categories in 2026. Countries like Russia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, and Bangladesh accept this minimum qualifying score. No separate exam is required.

Q6. When will the NEET 2026 cutoff be released?
Ans. The NEET 2026 cutoff is expected to be released in June 2026, along with the NEET UG 2026 result on the official website neet.nta.nic.in. Students can download the category-wise cutoff PDF from the Public Notice section of the website.

Q7. Will NEET 2026 cutoff be higher or lower than 2025?
Ans. Based on historical trends: if the 2026 exam is moderate in difficulty, the cutoff may rise from 2025 levels (144 for General) back toward 155–165. If the exam is tough (like 2025), it may stay near 138–144. If the exam is easy, it could go above 165. The final cutoff depends entirely on exam difficulty and the top scores achieved.

Q8. What is the difference between NEET qualifying cutoff and admission cutoff?
Ans. The qualifying cutoff (released by NTA, ~162 marks for General) is the minimum score to be eligible for counselling. The admission cutoff is the actual score at which a specific college fills its last available seat — this is significantly higher, often 500–650+ for government MBBS seats.

Q9. How many students qualify NEET each year?
Ans. In 2025, approximately 12.36 lakh students qualified NEET out of 20.8 lakh who appeared. In 2024, 13.15 lakh students qualified out of 24 lakh who appeared. Qualification means meeting the minimum percentile cutoff — it does not guarantee a seat in any college.

Q10. What is the NEET cutoff for BDS (Dental) in 2026?
Ans. The qualifying cutoff for BDS is the same as MBBS (162 marks for General). However, for a government BDS college seat, General category students typically need 500+ marks, and for private BDS colleges, scores of 300–400 may be sufficient depending on management or state quota availability.

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