NEET SS 2025 Revised Cutoff Out; Qualifying Percentile Reduced From 50th to 30th

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has reduced the NEET-SS 2025 qualifying percentile from the 50th percentile to the 30th percentile, expanding the pool of candidates who qualify for super-speciality counselling. NBEMS issued the cutoff-reduction notice on September 22, 2026. Candidates placed at or above the 30th percentile in their respective NEET-SS 2025 question paper groups are now considered qualified under the revised criteria. The revised qualifying scores range from 175 marks for the Medical Group to 325 marks for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Group, out of a maximum of 600. The reduction follows developments before the Supreme Court concerning unfilled super-speciality seats. The Centre told the Court that 1,857 seats remained vacant after two counselling rounds and that lowering the percentile could make approximately 6,000 additional candidates eligible for the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round.

NEET SS 2025 Revised Cutoff: Key Highlights

Source: @natboard.edu.in

NEET SS 2025 Revised Group-Wise Qualifying Cutoff

NBEMS has announced separate 30th-percentile qualifying scores for all 15 NEET-SS question paper groups.

Candidates whose scores are equal to or above the applicable revised cutoff for their question paper group now meet the revised NEET-SS 2025 qualifying requirement.

NEET SS Old vs New Cutoff: How Much Did Scores Drop?

The percentile was reduced uniformly from the 50th to the 30th percentile, but the corresponding decrease in marks varies considerably across question paper groups.

Microbiology recorded the largest reduction in qualifying marks, falling by 83 marks from 389 to 306. The Medical and Medical Oncology groups each saw a 50-mark reduction, while Psychiatry recorded the smallest numerical reduction at 22 marks. The mark comparison is based on NBEMS's January 23 result notice and the revised September cutoff.

Why Was the NEET SS 2025 Cutoff Reduced?

The reduction is linked to a substantial number of unfilled super-speciality seats after the second counselling round. The Centre informed the Supreme Court that 1,857 seats remained vacant, including 1,094 DM/MCh seats and 763 DNB-SS seats. It proposed lowering the qualifying percentile to 30th so that a larger pool of eligible candidates could participate in a Special Stray Vacancy Round. The Centre estimated that approximately 6,000 additional candidates could become eligible after the change. The Supreme Court accepted the Centre's proposal on September 17, 2026. The stated objective was to reduce the number of vacant super-speciality seats and make better use of available medical training capacity.

What Has Not Changed After the Cutoff Revision?

The revised cutoff changes qualifying status for candidates between the earlier and new thresholds, but it does not create a new ranking exercise.

NBEMS has clarified that:

• Question Paper Group-specific ranks declared on January 23, 2026 will remain unchanged.
• No fresh NEET-SS 2025 scorecards will be issued.
• Candidates' existing scores remain unchanged.
• The revised cutoff determines whether a candidate now meets the qualifying requirement.

Therefore, a candidate who was previously below the 50th-percentile cutoff but now meets the applicable 30th-percentile score may become qualified without receiving a new rank or scorecard.

What Does the Revised Cutoff Mean for Counselling?

NBEMS has shared the revised result with the Medical Counselling Committee of the Directorate General of Health Services. MCC conducts centralised NEET-SS counselling for eligible DM, MCh and DrNB Super Specialty seats. The cutoff reduction is connected to the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round for seats left vacant after earlier counselling. The Centre told the Supreme Court that candidates who had already secured and joined seats through earlier rounds would not use the special stray round as an upgradation opportunity. The detailed participation rules should, however, be checked against the final MCC notice once the schedule is published. As of September 23, 2026, candidates should monitor the official MCC Super Speciality counselling portal for the formal Special Stray Vacancy Round schedule, registration window, vacancy matrix and participation instructions.

NEET SS 2025 Round 2 Counselling Status

MCC has already completed the second counselling round. The Round 2 provisional allotment was published on August 13, 2026, followed by the final allotment result. The MCC website currently lists the “Final Result Super Speciality Counselling 2025 Round 2” among its current events. The percentile reduction applies after these developments and is aimed at expanding the eligible candidate pool for the remaining vacant seats.

How to Check NEET SS 2025 Revised Qualifying Status

Candidates can determine whether they now qualify by comparing their existing NEET-SS score with the revised cutoff for their question paper group.

• Visit the official NBEMS website.
• Open the notice titled “Reduction in qualifying percentile of NEET-SS 2025.”
• Identify your NEET-SS question paper group.
• Check the revised 30th-percentile qualifying score.
• Compare it with the score shown on your existing NEET-SS 2025 scorecard.

If your score is equal to or above the revised group-specific cutoff, you meet the revised qualifying threshold. Candidates do not need to wait for a fresh scorecard because NBEMS has stated that no new scorecards will be issued.

What Should Newly Qualified Candidates Do Now?

Candidates who become qualified after the percentile reduction should:

1. Check their score against the revised group-specific cutoff.
2. Retain their existing NEET-SS 2025 scorecard and rank details.
3. Monitor the MCC Super Speciality counselling website for the Special Stray Vacancy Round schedule.
4. Check the official vacancy matrix when MCC publishes it.
5. Review participation and eligibility conditions before registering.
6. Keep the required original admission credentials ready for verification.
7. Avoid relying on unofficial registration dates until MCC publishes the counselling schedule.
8. Candidates should particularly note that NBEMS has changed the qualifying threshold, while MCC will publish the operational counselling details for the remaining seats.