To clear NEET (qualify) , you don’t need a fixed number of marks, but you must cross the category-wise qualifying cutoff , which is given in percentile , and roughly corresponds to a marks range out of 720.

How Many Marks Are Required to Clear NEET?

NEET qualifying criteria are set by NTA every year and are based on percentile , not just raw marks.

However, from recent and expected trends for NEET 2025–2026 , we can talk about approximate marks needed to just qualify , not to get a government MBBS seat.

NEET Qualifying Marks (Expected Range for 2026)

Recent guidance and coaching analyses suggest the following expected qualifying marks range for NEET 2026 :

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Category</th>
    <th>Qualifying Percentile (Expected)</th>
    <th>Approx. Marks Range out of 720 (Expected)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General (UR)</td>
    <td>50th percentile</td>
    <td>≈ 686 – 144</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>OBC / SC / ST</td>
    <td>40th percentile</td>
    <td>≈ 143 – 113</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General-PwD</td>
    <td>45th percentile</td>
    <td>≈ 143 – 127</td>
  </tr>
</table>

These are expected/indicative ranges , and the final cutoff changes every year based on difficulty level and how students perform.

In simple words:

  • If you are General , crossing around 150+ marks typically puts you near or above the qualifying zone in recent years.
  • For OBC/SC/ST , even 120–130+ can be enough just to qualify , depending on the year.
    This is only to clear NEET , not to secure a good MBBS seat.

Important: Qualifying NEET vs Getting MBBS Seat

Many students confuse “clearing NEET” with “getting an MBBS seat”. They are very different things.

  • Clearing NEET = Scoring equal to or above the minimum qualifying cutoff (percentile-based).
  • Getting MBBS/BDS seat = You must meet the college/AIQ/state cutoff , which is much higher than just qualifying.

For example (based on recent trends and guidance):

  • For top government colleges / AIIMS-like colleges :
    • Often 620+ or even 650+ marks are needed for General category.
  • For average government MBBS seats :
    • Often in the 580–620+ band for General, slightly lower for reserved categories (varies by state).
  • For private colleges :
    • Cutoffs are lower than top government colleges but still far above just qualifying in NEET.

So, just qualifying NEET (say 150–200 marks) often does NOT guarantee an MBBS seat, especially in a government college.

Academic Eligibility: Class 12 Marks Required

Apart from NEET score, you also need minimum marks in Class 12 (PCB) to be eligible :

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Category</th>
    <th>Minimum Class 12 (PCB) Aggregate</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General</td>
    <td>50%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>OBC</td>
    <td>40%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SC/ST</td>
    <td>40%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>PwD</td>
    <td>45%</td>
  </tr>
</table>

If you don’t meet this Class 12 percentage requirement, you are not eligible to appear or your candidature may not be considered, even if you score high in NEET.

NEET Total Marks and Marking Scheme (For Context)

To understand how many marks you might score, here is the exam structure :

  • Total marks : 720
    • Physics: 180
    • Chemistry: 180
    • Biology (Botany + Zoology): 360
  • Marking scheme :
* +4 marks for every correct answer
* −1 mark for every wrong answer
* 0 marks for unattempted questions

Formula to calculate your NEET score:

NEET score=4×(Correct answers)−1×(Wrong answers)\text{NEET score}=4\times (\text{Correct answers})-1\times (\text{Wrong answers})NEET score=4×(Correct answers)−1×(Wrong answers)

Latest Trend & “Safe” Targets (2025–2026)

From current articles and coaching estimates for 2025–2026 :

  • To just qualify NEET :
    • General: aim for at least 160–180+ as a safer cushion.
    • OBC/SC/ST: aim for 140–160+ as a safer cushion.
  • To aim for MBBS in a decent government college :
    • General: usually target 600+.
    • Reserved categories: often 540–580+ can start to become competitive, but this varies by state and year.

These are trend-based, not official cutoff predictions. Official cutoffs are released by NTA only after the result every year.

Forum-Style Perspective: What Students Are Saying

On education blogs and forums, you’ll often see posts like:

“I just want to clear NEET, not necessarily get a top government college. How many marks are enough?”

The typical community answers look like this (paraphrased):

  • “If you are General , try not to rely on 140–150. Go for 180–200+ so you are comfortably above the qualifying line.”
  • “If you want MBBS in a government college , don’t even think in terms of ‘passing marks’. Think 600+.”
  • “Even if you are SC/ST/OBC , target as high as possible, because seat allotment depends on state cutoffs, category, and college demand , not just qualifying.”

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

  • NEET is out of 720 marks.
  • To clear/qualify NEET , you must meet the category-wise percentile cutoff decided each year by NTA.
  • Expected qualifying marks range (for 2026) :
    • General : around 144+ (50th percentile – approx 686–144 range).
* **OBC/SC/ST** : around **113+** (40th percentile – approx 143–113 range).

* **General-PwD** : around **127–143+** (45th percentile).
  • But : To actually get an MBBS seat , especially in a government college, you usually need much higher marks , often 580–650+ depending on college, state, and category.
  • You also need minimum Class 12 PCB percentage (50% General, 40% OBC/SC/ST, 45% PwD) for eligibility.

Bottom Note

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.