NEET MDS 2026 qualifying percentile cut by 20.576 points; general cut-off falls from 308 to 234 of 960

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences said in a notice dated 14 October 2026 that the minimum qualifying percentiles for NEET MDS 2026 have been lowered by 20.576 percentile for every category, acting on a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare letter No. V.12025/84/2024-DE dated 12 October 2026 issued under the DCI MDS regulations. The revised cut-offs for the 2026-27 session are 29.424 percentile (234 of 960) for General and EWS, 24.424 percentile (218) for General PwBD, and 19.424 percentile (200) for SC, ST and OBC including their PwBD candidates, down from 50, 45 and 40 percentile respectively.

The NEET MDS 2026 ranks published on 2 June 2026 do not change; the reduction only widens the pool of candidates who count as qualified for MDS counselling. Medical Dialogues reported on 13 October that the ministry asked MCC to act on the revision on a priority basis, so candidates who fell below the original cut-off and now qualify should watch MCC and their state counselling bodies for fresh registration windows. Candidature remains provisional and subject to eligibility and biometric verification.

The NBEMS notice with the revised score table is on natboard.edu.in; counselling updates are on mcc.nic.in.