NEET MDS 2026: NBEMS Lowers Qualifying Scores After Health Ministry's 20.576-Percentile Cut; Ranks Unchanged
Published 16 Oct 20262 min read5 Views
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has released revised NEET MDS 2026 qualifying scores. This follows a Health Ministry letter dated 12 October 2026 that lowered the qualifying percentile by 20.576 points for every category. Candidates who fell short earlier may now meet the cut-off. NBEMS says the ranks published on 2 June 2026 do not change.
Revised qualifying criteria (out of 960)
| Category | Earlier percentile | Revised percentile | Earlier score | Revised score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General/EWS | 50th | 29.424th | 308 | 234 |
| General-PwBD | 45th | 24.424th | 289 | 218 |
| SC/ST/OBC (incl. PwBD) | 40th | 19.424th | 271 | 200 |
The 20.576 figure is a drop in percentile points, not in marks. The score cut-offs fell by 74, 71 and 71 marks.
What changes and what doesn't
- Ranks stay as published on 2 June 2026.
- Candidature is provisional. It depends on eligibility under the Information Bulletin and on Face ID/biometric verification where required.
- A qualifying score is not a college closing score or a promise of a seat.
What comes next: The Ministry asked MCC to act on a priority basis. As of 16 October 2026, I found no new MCC schedule for MDS rounds, so candidates should check mcc.nic.in and their state authority. Don't treat any date as confirmed until MCC or the state publishes it.
What candidates should do
- Compare your category and score with the table.
- Keep your scorecard, category certificate, BDS degree or internship proof, and ID ready.
- Save acknowledgements of every application.
- Watch MCC and your state counselling authority for registration and choice-filling dates.
Read the NBEMS notice in the official AMRU-hosted PDF, pages 4–5, and monitor the MCC MDS counselling page for counselling instructions.