NEET PG Cutoff 2026: Expected Cutoff for General, OBC, SC/ST Candidates

Co-Author

Dr. Ssnegdha
NEET PG Cutoff 2026
Created On : Jun 25, 2025 Updated On : Jul 30, 2026 4 min read

Key Takeaways

  • The 2025 cutoff didn’t stay where NBE first set it. Here’s what changed mid-year, and why it matters for anyone banking on the “standard” percentile.
  • See how this year’s exam pattern compares to the last five cycles before you lock in a score target.
  • Find out which rank range actually got candidates into a government college last year, not just the qualifying cutoff.
  • Get a category-wise breakdown that accounts for both the qualifying percentile and what happens if seats stay vacant after Round 2.

Summary:

NEET PG 2026 will be held on August 30, 2026, with results expected a few weeks later. Qualifying cutoffs are usually set at the 50th percentile for General, 45th for General-PwBD, and 40th for SC/ST/OBC. But in 2025, NBE revised these down sharply mid-counselling after roughly 18,000 seats stayed vacant, dropping the General cutoff to the 7th percentile. This blog covers the confirmed exam pattern, five years of qualifying-marks trends, and what the 2025 revision signals for anyone appearing in 2026.

With over 2 lakh candidates competing for just over 70,000 seats, NEET PG is an intensely competitive exam. This is the entrance exam for medical graduates to pursue their postgraduate studies in medicine. The exam governs the admission into medical colleges, both government and private, for MD, MS, PGD, and other post-graduate courses.

The NEET PG 2025 cutoff marks determine the colleges and courses to which candidates are admitted. 

This blog will guide you through the cutoff marks and percentiles for the different categories, courses, and colleges.

NEET PG 2026 Exam

The NEET PG 2026 exam has been postponed to take place onthe 30th of August, 2026. Here are some of the exam particulars:

Exam ParticularsTimeline
Organizing BodyNational Board of Examinations (NBE)
Duration3.5 hrs
ModeComputer-based
Date of Examination30th August, 2026 (09:00 AM to 12:30 PM)
Declaration of Resultby 30th of September, 2026
Number of Questions200
Total Marks800

The cut-off marks for the NEET PG 2026 exam are the minimum marks required to qualify for the exam. They are also called the NEET PG qualifying marks. The NEET PG 2026 merit list of candidates will be declared on the day of the result.

Getting the minimum marks in the NEET PG exam does not automatically ensure admission into a PG course. You have to qualify for the college cut-off marks requirement for this.

Factors Influencing NEET PG 2026 Cutoff

The NEET PG 2026 exam cut-off scores change every year. They are influenced by many factors, such as:

  • Difficulty level of the exam
  • Number of candidates 
  • Total seats available
  • Previous years’ trends
  • Highest marks obtained

 The NBE releases the cut-off percentile before the exam. Although the cut-off percentile may remain the same, the cut-off marks change. This is based on the score of the candidates.

Let us see the minimum marks required to qualify for the NEET PG 2026 exam.

Must Check: NEET PG Counselling Date

Expected NEET PG 2026 Cutoff

The category-wise cut-off percentiles, as released by the NBE, are as follows:

CategoryCut-Off PercentileExpected Cut-off Score
General50th percentile270-315
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
Other Backward Caste - NCL40th Percentile240-270
Scheduled Castes (SC)
Scheduled Tribes (ST)
UR (PwD)45th percentile255-285

The cut-off mark range is estimated based on the previous year’s scores. These are the qualifying marks for the NEET-PG 2026 exam. The cut-off marks for colleges are different. They are released by the colleges after the results have been declared.

Apart from the qualifying exam, candidates also need to meet the cut-off marks requirement for colleges and branches to get admission.

The previous years’ cut-off marks for NEET PG have been within the same range. They differ by 15-20 marks. The category-wise cut-off marks for the exam in the previous 3 years are listed below:

Category Cut-Off Marks
2025202420232022
General276291291275
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
Other Backward Caste - NCL255257257260
Scheduled Castes (SC)
Scheduled Tribes (ST)
UR (PwD)235274274245

The cut-off marks for different branches for the NEET PG 2024 exam are also listed here.

BranchGeneralOBCSCST
Radiology545535500443
ENT440430370280
Surgery480465385310
OBGY500475405305
Dermatology550515450395
Medicine535500435350
Paediatrics510485405360
Pulmonary495500400300
Ophthalmology450435370295
Orthopeadics490480395300
Psychiatry460460365280
Anaesthesiology430410414350

Note that these are the general qualifying marks. The specific marks and ranks at which you can get admission into these branches will differ from one college to another.

Qualifying vs Admission Cutoff

The NEET PG qualifying marks and the actual cutoff marks for college admissions are two different things. The cut-off marks for colleges vary. There are opening and closing ranks and marks for college admission. These also differ for the different branches.

The admission cut-off marks depend on:

  • The highest marks and the average score of the candidate
  • Capacity of the college
  • Overall rank of the college
  • Courses offered by the medical college

The opening ranks are the ranks at which admission starts. The closing ranks are the ones at which the admission process closes. You can get admitted into a medical college only when your score is above the closing marks.

Here are the expected closing ranks for the top medical colleges for the NEET PG exam.

CollegeExpected Closing Rank
Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi29,300
Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram41,510
Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, Mumbai74,960
Guntur Medical College, Guntur48,030
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal9830
Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar64,200
JN Medical College, Belgaum97,340

The cut-off marks for government medical colleges like Maulana Azad and Lady Hardinge are generally high. 

What After Cutoff?

The admission process starts after the results have been announced. The benefit of predicting your rank and the available colleges is that you are prepared for the counselling stage.

Use the Academically NEET PG 2026 predictor tools to ease this process for you.

Once you get your result and shortlist the available colleges, ensure that:

  • Have all the relevant documents in one place
  • Have made travel plans in advance for counselling
  • Inquired about any specific requirements of the college
  • Arranged for a fee payment method after successful qualification for admission.

Conclusion

The cut-off marks for the NEET PG 2026 exam are the minimum marks required to qualify for the exam. The cut-off percentile has already been provided by the NBE. 

It is beneficial to predict your rank and colleges to better prepare for the counselling step.

With the exam delayed by nearly 2 months, take this time to do the last-minute revision and preparation. 

Connect with experts and peer groups at Academically to make this journey easier and more enriching.

About Us

Academically is a global Ed-Tech healthcare platform, led by Dr. Akram Ahmad (PhD in Medicine, University of Sydney, Global Healthcare Career Coach) and his expert team, that helps pharmacists, doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, and other allied healthcare professionals to achieve their career goals in India and abroad. We provide complete career guidance, like skill assessment, Visa, PR and coaching for International licensure exams such as AMC, OPRA, APEP, ADC, DHA, SPLE, OCANZ COE and more for countries like Australia, New Zealand, Gulf countries, the US, the UK, and Canada. We have trained more than 8,000 students across 30+ countries, with a 90%+ success rate on international healthcare licensure exams. We are India’s first healthcare Ed-Tech platform to introduce AI-based mock tests, to help students study smarter and track progress effectively. Beyond exam preparation, we also offer job assistance programmes, such as Upskill by Academically, covering clinical drug development and MSL (Medical Science Liaison). To help you land your dream job, we have recently launched our job platform Jobslly by Academically, only for healthcare professionals for both India and abroad.

FAQs

Q- What is the cut-off score for the NEET PG 2026 exam?

Ans- The final cut-off score for the exam will be released by the NBE after the results have been declared. The cut-off percentile for the general category is 50%, while for ST and SC it is 40%.

Q- Is NEET PG a difficult exam?

Ans- Yes. The NEET PG is a challenging and competitive exam. But with a correct preparation strategy and dedication, you will be able to qualify for it.

Q- Is the NEET PG exam conducted online?

Ans- Yes, the exam is a completely online, computer-based exam of 3.5 hours. The 5 sections of the exam are timed. You will not be able to go to the next section before this time is up.

Q- Is the NEET PG exam held in two shifts?

Ans- No. As per the SC ruling, the NEET PG exam will be held in only a single shift. The timing for the shift is yet to be officially announced.

Q- Can a foreign medical graduate take the NEET PG exam?

Ans- Yes, a foreign graduate can take the NEET PG exam. They need to pass the FMGE and complete an internship before taking the exam.

Q- What ranks will get me into a government medical college?

Ans- The top government colleges fill in the fastest with top scorers. You can still get a good government college with a rank of up to 20,000.

Q-Who conducts counselling after NEET PG 2026 results?

Ans- The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts counselling for All India Quota (AIQ) seats, while respective State Counselling Authorities handle State Quota seats.

Q-Is there negative marking for unattempted questions in NEET PG 2026?

Ans- No. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. Negative marking of 1 mark applies only to incorrect answers.

Q-When will the NEET PG 2026 admit card be released?

Ans- Admit cards are typically released about a week before the exam. For the August 30, 2026 exam, expect the admit card in the last week of August, though NBE hasn’t confirmed an exact date yet.

Q-What subjects does the NEET PG 2026 syllabus cover?

Ans- The syllabus spans 19 subjects from the MBBS curriculum across Pre-Clinical, Para-Clinical, and Clinical streams, with Medicine and Surgery carrying the highest weightage.

Q-What is the application fee for NEET PG 2026?

Ans- The online application fee is ₹3,500. Additional charges may apply for candidates in certain categories, so check the official information bulletin for the exact breakup.

Q-What is the last date to complete internship for NEET PG 2026 eligibility?

Ans- Candidates must complete their internship by September 30, 2026, as per NBE’s cutoff date for the 2026 cycle.

Dr. Indu Kasiviswanathan
Dr. Indu Kasiviswanathan
about the author

Medical Content Writer (Academically), Dentist, BDS, PG in Healthcare Management (Loyola Inst. of Mgmt.). Dr. Indu Kasiviswanathan is a dentist, healthcare content writer, and medical education specialist with expertise in simplifying complex clinical and healthcare concepts for global audiences. She holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree and has professional experience in both clinical dentistry and healthcare content development. She has been working as a Medical Content Writer at Academically Global since 3 years, contributing to the website's SEO-optimised blogs, landing pages, and educational resources focused on international healthcare licensing exams like on ADC, gulf dental programmes, AMC and other medical career pathways. With prior clinical experience as a practicing dentist, she brings practical healthcare insights into her writing, helping bridge the gap between medical accuracy and reader accessibility. She also holds academic exposure in healthcare administration and psychology, enabling her to approach medical communication with both analytical depth and patient-centric understanding.

Build a Successful Global Healthcare Career
Academically

Get Complete Details & Expert Guidance

Our experts will contact you soon

Free guidance • No spam • No obligation

Students
Trusted by 50,000+ healthcare aspirants