Want to pursue an MBBS and become a doctor? Then you must have heard about the NEET exam, which is one of the toughest exams that checks your eligibility for the MBBS course.
Once you have qualified for the NEET exam, there are many options to pursue MBBS. If you meet the cutoff, then you can pursue your MBBS degree in India, and if not, you can pursue it from abroad and save time. But in both scenarios, you need to qualify for the NEET exam.
You may be thinking about how many marks are required in NEET for MBBS, so don’t worry, we at MapMyCourse have created this blog just for you and many others who have less or no idea about the NEET exam.
What Is The NEET Exam?
NEET stands for “National Eligibility cum Entrance Test” it is an important exam for taking admission in Medical courses. The exam is conducted every year by the NTA (National Testing Agency). The NEET exam is usually conducted on two levels: NEET UG for admission to programs like MBBS and BDS, and NEET PG for admission to postgraduate courses like MS and MD.
NEET is a single-stage exam conducted in an offline mode to test your subject knowledge in biology, chemistry, and physics. The whole syllabus is based on 11th and 12th-class NCERT books.
There is a long history of medical entrance exams. before the NEET exam existed, there were so many entrance exams you needed to appear for if you wanted to pursue the MBBS program. There were AIPMT, many state-level entrance exams, and many others.
NEET Exam: Overview
Particulars | Details | |
Full Form | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test | |
Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) | |
Exam Frequency | Once a year | |
Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen and Paper-based) | |
Subjects Tested |
| |
Number of Questions | Physics | 45 |
Chemistry | 45 | |
Biology | 90 | |
Total | 180 | |
Total Marks | 720 | |
Exam Duration | 3 hours | |
Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | |
Marking Scheme |
| |
Languages Available | 13 languages (including English, Hindi, and regional languages) | |
How Many Marks Are Required In NEET For MBBS
The minimum score for NEET depends on many factors like the type of college and the category from which candidates belong, but generally, to secure an MBBS seat in medical colleges in India, an individual needs to score at least 600 marks out of 720, this score is a safe score to get admission in a medical course like MBBS.
Below are the category-wise qualifying marks for the NEET exam:
Category | Marks Range (2024) | Qualifying Criteria (In Percentile) |
Unreserved/ EWS | 720-164 | 50 Percentile |
OBC | 163-129 | 40 Percentile |
SC | 163-129 | 40 Percentile |
ST | 163-129 | 40 Percentile |
Unreserved/ EWS+PH | 163-146 | 45 Percentile |
OBC+PH | 145-129 | 40 Percentile |
SC+PH | 145-129 | 40 Percentile |
ST+PH | 145-129 | 40 Percentile |
Exam Pattern Of NEET
The NEET exam comprises 180 MCQ questions, which is conducted in offline pen-paper mode, below is the detailed exam pattern of the exam:
Particulars | Details |
No of questions | 180 |
Sections |
|
Exam mode | Offline ( Pen-Paper Mode) |
Time allotted | 3 Hours |
Marks are awarded for a correct answer | 4 Marks |
Marks deducted for incorrect answer | 1 Mark |
Significance Of NEET Passing Marks
To get the passing marks in NEET is very important for your MBBS journey. These qualifying marks decide whether you can move ahead or need to prepare again for the next attempt. The National Testing Agency (NTA) sets these minimum marks every year, and they differ based on your category.
For example, if you’re from the general category, you need to score at least the 50th percentile to qualify. But if you belong to a reserved category like SC, ST, or OBC, you need to score at least the 40th percentile. To qualify, you must have a good basic understanding of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
But remember, just passing the NEET exam doesn’t mean you will get admission. Your actual admission to an MBBS college depends on the cut-off marks, which are usually much higher than the qualifying marks. These cut-offs change every year based on how many students appear and how well they perform.
NEET Admission Cut-Off Vs NEET Minimum Qualifying
Criteria | NEET Minimum Qualifying Marks | NEET Admission Cut-Off |
Importance | Minimum marks are required to pass the exam. | Cutoff marks are required to secure an MBBS seat in a medical college. |
Marks determined by | National Testing Agency (NTA) | It is announced by the MCC (Medical Counselling Committee for each medical college. |
Category | Different for each category (General, OBC, SC, ST) | Varies by college and category (All India Quota, State Quota) |
Impact on eligibility | Determine whether the candidate is eligible for admission processes like counselling or not. | Determine whether the candidate is eligible for admission to specific colleges. |
Example |
| Varies from college to college i.e. for government colleges, it could be around 600-650 marks for general candidates, depending on the year. |
MBBS Admission Process Through NEET
Step 1: Apply for the NEET exam: The first is to apply for the NEET exam.
Step 2: Appear for the NEET Exam: Now, you need to appear for the NEET exam and check your results after declaration.
Step 3: Counselling: If you qualify for the exam, then participate in counselling sessions.
Step 4: Choice Filling and Seat Allotment: You must fill out your preferred colleges, and based on your rank, seats will be allotted if you fulfil the requirements.
Step 5: Document Verification: Once you get a seat, verify your documents, including your NEET scorecard and other qualifications.
Step 6: Fee Payment and Admission: Pay the required fees to confirm your admission after the document verification.
Step 7: Reporting to College: At the end, report to the allotted college to begin your MBBS journey.
Previous Year’s Cut-Off For Government College
Below is the table of marks required in NEET for MBBS:-
Category | 2024 Cutoff | 2023 Cutoff | 2022 Cutoff | 2021 Cutoff | 2020 Cutoff | 2019 Cutoff |
General/Unreserved (UR) | 660 | 618 | 596 | 595 | 610 | 582 |
EWS | 658 | 607 | 595 | 595 | 608 | 586 |
OBC | 654 | 616 | 596 | 595 | 608 | 583 |
SC | 575 | 505 | 454 | 473 | 505 | 463 |
ST | 544 | 460 | 423 | 452 | 484 | 445 |
Factors Influencing NEET Score For MBBS
Below are the factors to help students set realistic goals and prepare accordingly:
- Number of Appeared Candidates:
The total number of candidates for NEET in a particular year directly impacts the competition level. Suppose if more candidates have appeared for the exam, the competition generally increases, which leads to high cut-off marks.
- Difficulty Level:
The difficulty level is one of the factors that impact the NEET cutoff. If the exam is difficult, then only a few students can score high marks, which can lead to a low cutoff, and an easier paper can lead to a high cutoff.
- Seat Availability:
The availability of seats in government and private institutions can also make an impact on the NEET cutoff. If more seats are added, the cutoff may decrease, but if there are few seats available, then the cutoff will go high.
- Reservation Policies:
Reservation policies play a significant role in deciding the cutoff. Categories like SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwD mainly influence the cutoff marks. Reserved category candidates have lower cutoffs than the candidates from the general category.
- Type of College (Government vs. Private):
This factor completely depends on a candidate’s preference. if a candidate aims for government medical colleges, then he/she has to deal with a high cutoff, while candidates who aim for private medical colleges have to deal with a slightly lower cutoff as compared to government colleges.
- Value of the College:
The value and the prestige of the medical college also matter in deciding the cutoff. Some top government medical colleges like AIIMS and Maulana Azad Medical College are highly valued colleges and have higher cutoffs for MBBS admissions.
Best Medical Colleges For MBBS In India
College | Annual Fees Range | Location |
Vardhman Mahavir Medical College And Safdarjung Hospital
| INR 50,000 | New Delhi |
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) | INR 6,870 | New Delhi |
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) | INR 6,770 | Pondicherry |
King George’s Medical University (KGMU) | INR 54,900 | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) | INR 21,600 | New Delhi |
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | INR 26,800 | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
Government Medical College And Hospital | INR 30,460 | Chandigarh, Punjab |
Christian Medical College (CMC) | INR 56,330 | Vellore, Tamil Nadu |
Kasturba Medical College (KMC) | INR 17,70,000 | Manipal, Karnataka |
St. John’s Medical College | INR 6,00,000 | Bangalore, Karnataka |
Mysore Medical & Research Institute | INR 53,800 | Mysore, Karnataka |
Conclusion
NEET is an important exam for anyone who wants to study MBBS in India. before appearing for the exam, you need to know about the exam pattern, admission process, and how many marks are required in NEET for MBBS. This can help you a lot in your preparation. While the minimum marks only make you eligible for counselling, it’s the cutoff marks that decide which medical college you can get.
The NEET cutoff changes every year depending on factors like the number of students appearing, the difficulty of the paper, and your preference for a government or private college. If you are aiming for top colleges like AIIMS or JIPMER, you will need strong preparation and consistent effort.
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FAQs
Q.1 What is a good score in NEET for MBBS?
Ans. Scoring above 630, you can confirm an MBBS seat in a top college. Scoring between 600 – 650 can also lead you to government colleges.
Q.2 What is the cutoff for AIIMS?
Ans. The NEET cutoff for AIIMS Delhi for The NEET cutoff for AIIMS Delhi, and the closing score in 2024 was 652.
Q.3 Which are the top 5 AIIMS in India?
Ans. According to NIRF 2024 and other rankings, AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Jodhpur, and AIIMS Patna.
Q.4 Can I get MBBS with low NEET score?
Ans. It might be difficult to secure a seat in a top college with a low NEET score, but you can try some colleges abroad to pursue your MBBS degree.
Q.5 How to calculate NEET score?
Ans. NEET score is calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers, with +4 marks for each correct answer and -1 mark for each incorrect answer.
