NEET is the gateway for admission in MBBS and BDS colleges across India. Every year, students wishing to study medicine appear for the exam with the aim of scoring the best in NEET to secure a seat in prestigious government medical colleges. NTA is also going to start the registration process for NEET UG 2025 soon. In such a situation, by getting admission in government colleges, candidates can fulfill their dream of better studies at low fees. However, getting admission in government colleges is not that easy as the number of government medical colleges in the country is very less and students have to go through tough competition to secure their seat here.
According to the National Medical Commission, out of a total of 799 medical colleges in the country, only 389 are government medical colleges. Every year more than 10 lakh students qualify for NEET, so the cut-off for government seats remains very high. It is estimated that this year 28 to 30 lakh students will appear in the NEET UG exam.
The NEET cut-off score for government medical colleges changes every year and there are many factors affecting it-
Number of applicants: The number of applicants appearing in the NEET exam also affects the cut-off marks. If the number of applicants exceeds the available seats, then the competition increases, and the cut-off marks increase.
Competition: NEET is a highly competitive exam. The number of applicants is much more than the available seats, which makes the cut-off score high.
Difficulty level of the exam: The difficulty level of the NEET exam plays an important role in determining the cut-off marks. If the exam is relatively easy then the cut-off marks may be high whereas if the exam is more challenging then the cut-off marks may be low.
Category: Reservation policies provide relaxation in cut-off marks for various reserved categories such as OBC, SC, ST, and EWS. Generally, the cut-off marks required for the reserved category are lower.
College preferences: Cut-off scores vary depending on the medical college you are targeting. Top medical institutes naturally have high cut-offs.
Total available seats: The availability of seats in medical colleges affects the cut-off marks to a great extent. If seats are limited then the cut-off marks may be high due to tough competition for those seats.
How much can the cutoff go this year?
Candidates seeking admission in government medical colleges through the All India quota will have to score 650 plus for the general category, 630 to 650 for OBC, and 500 to 550 for the SC-ST category, only then they will be entitled to get admission to the government seats. Whereas for private and deemed universities, the expected cutoff for general category can be from 400 to 550 and for reserved categories from 250 to 400. Whereas for NRI and management quota, the cutoff can go from 250 to 400.
