NEET UG 2026 Expected Cut-Offs for MBBS, BDS Admissions

Approximately 22.79 lakh students appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 on May 3, competing for admission to MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses across India. Despite a trend of increasing difficulty in recent years, many candidates found the 2026 exam relatively easy, with the Biology section taking the most time.

Cut-off scores play a crucial role in securing admission to various government and private medical colleges, including prestigious institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER). Only candidates who meet the qualifying criteria will be eligible to participate in the counselling process for undergraduate medical programs.

Expected Cut-Offs for NEET UG 2026

Education experts and coaching analysts predict that the general category cut-offs for NEET UG 2026 will range between 720 and 138 marks. Admission to top government medical colleges is expected to require scores exceeding 620. It is important to distinguish between two types of cut-offs:

• Qualifying Cut-Off: The minimum score required to pass the exam.
• Admission Cut-Off: The score that guarantees a seat in a medical college.

While the qualifying cut-off allows candidates to be eligible for counselling, only those meeting the admission cut-off secure a seat.

NEET UG Cut-Off Trends from Previous Years

Historical data shows that the highest cut-off for the unreserved category was in 2024, with a top score of 162. The lowest cut-off recorded was in 2022, at 117 marks. Below is a summary of cut-offs for general and reserved categories over the past five years: