NEET Score Breakdown: Knowing the Difference Between Qualifying Marks & Cut-Off Criteria

Are you a student dreaming of a successful career in the medical field? If so, you’re likely familiar with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which serves as the gateway to renowned medical institutions across India. This standardized test evaluates students nationwide, determining admission eligibility for undergraduate medical programs.

Being the only entrance examination for medical courses across India, it is essential for aspirants to understand the scoring process and whether there’s a difference between NEET cut-off and qualifying marks.

In this blog, we decode the NEET scoring system for students, focusing on the key distinctions between NEET cut-off scores and qualifying marks to debunk common misconceptions.

Difference between NEET Cut-Off and Qualifying Marks

The key difference between NEET cut-off and qualifying marks lies in their purpose and threshold. The NEET qualifying marks is the minimum score required to pass the NEET exam and become eligible for counseling and admission. In contrast, the cut-off scores represent the minimum score required for admission consideration across institutions.

Let’s take a closer look at the difference between these two scoring processes and how they impact NEET scores.

NEET Qualifying Marks

In simple terms, NEET qualifying marks represent the minimum scores that students must achieve to clear the NEET exam and be considered eligible for counseling and admission to medical colleges. It serves as a threshold for students to proceed further in the admission process.

Despite common misconceptions among students, NEET qualifying marks do not equate to 50% of the total score. In fact, qualifying marks aren’t a fixed percentage but are percentile-based. Put simply, you must score higher than half of the test takers to qualify. The required marks typically range from 150 to 200 annually but do not assure admission to medical colleges.

Qualifying marks vary for different categories of students (like General, SC/ST, OBC, etc.) and are decided by the exam conducting authorities. Meeting the qualifying marks acts as a baseline requirement for students to proceed to the counseling rounds. However, securing admissions ultimately depends on various factors like availability of seats, cut-off score and category-wise rankings.

NEET Cut-Off

NEET cut-off scores are the minimum marks required for admission to medical colleges. These scores vary each year based on factors like exam difficulty, number of applicants, available seats, etc. It is determined based on a percentile system and indicates the percentage of candidates who have scored equal to or below a given score. Securing a score that’s above the cut-off is crucial for college admissions as it determines eligibility for seat allocation.

NEET cut-offs are diverse among categories (General, OBC, SC, ST, etc.) and are subject to change each year. Every category has specific cut-off scores based on reservation policies and competition levels. Additionally, colleges set their cut-offs based on factors like seat availability, infrastructure, demand and previous years’ trends. The cut-off scores for NEET 2024 will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the results are out. To give you a better idea, listed below is the NEET 2023 cut-off list for various categories.

CATEGORY	CUT-OFF PERCENTILE	MARKS RANGE
General	50th	720-137
General-PH	45th	720-137
SC	40th	136-107
ST	40th	136-107
OBC	40th	136-107
SC/ST/OBC-PHST-PH	40th	120-107
ST-PH	40th	120-108

Key difference between NEET Cutoff and Qualifying Marks

Criteria	NEET Qualifying Marks	NEET Cut-Off Scores
Purpose	Determine eligibility for NEET counseling & admissions	Shortlist candidates for individual college admissions
Consistency	Remain constant across colleges and states	Fluctuate annually based on exam difficulty, competition and college preferences
Passing Requirement	Achieving qualifying marks is essential to pass the NEET exam	Scoring above the cut-off is crucial for admissions to preferred colleges
Guarantee of Admissions	Meeting qualifying marks doesn’t guarantee admission but allows participation in counseling	Meeting cut-off scores ranks candidates for admissions based on merit and category
Authority and Setting	Set by the NTA and varies based on candidate categories	Set by individual colleges based on seat availability, level of difficulty and competition

Factors Influencing NEET Cut-Off and Qualifying Marks

It is important to note that both qualifying marks and cut-off scores for NEET are likely to differ based on student categories (General, SC, ST, OBC, etc.) due to reservation policies and quotas. As a NEET aspirant, it is crucial to know about other key factors that influence NEET qualifying marks and cut-off scores. We have outlined these essentials for you below:

Factors Influencing NEET Qualifying Marks

• Difficulty Level of the Exam
  The complexity and level of difficulty of the NEET exam directly impacts the qualifying marks required for passing.
• Number of Applicants
  Higher competition resulting from a larger pool of applicants can lead the qualifying marks to be set at a higher score.
• Trends from Previous Years
  Previous years’ performance may influence the setting of qualifying marks for the current years’ exam.
• Exam Standardization
  Standardization of the exam ensures fairness and consistency in determining qualifying marks from year-to-year.

Factors Influencing NEET Cut-Off Scores

• College Reputation & Demand
  Institutions with exceptional reputation or higher demand tend to set higher cut-off scores for admissions.
• State-wise Quota & Policies
  State-level policies can have a direct impact on cut-off scores set by colleges within the state.
• Number of Seats
  Limited availability of seats in medical colleges can raise the cut-off scores as competition increases.

Conclusion

To conclude, understanding these key differences between NEET qualifying marks and cut-off scores is crucial for every aspiring medical student. While qualifying marks signify eligibility, cut-off scores set the bar for admissions into prestigious colleges. Navigating these distinctions empowers students to approach NEET preparation with targeted goals and informed strategies. To further elevate your preparation, explore the Extramarks NEET Learning App for access to a vast repository of NEET-focused resources. This includes personalized mentoring, video lectures, practice questions, mock tests and performance analytics – all tailored to your individual learning needs and exam requirements. Sign up today and excel in your NEET 2024 journey!

FAQs

What are qualifying marks for NEET?

NEET qualifying marks are the minimum scores required to pass the exam and proceed to the counseling process. Every year, the NTA releases the qualifying marks along with the NEET results.

What is 720-138 NEET cutoff?

This range refers to the cut-off passing marks for candidates under the General category in the NEET exam.

What is the meaning of cutoff in NEET?

NEET cut-off scores refers to the minimum score required to qualify for admission into various medical colleges.

What is the use of cutoff marks?

NEET cut-off marks are crucial for determining the eligibility of students who qualify for admissions to specific medical colleges based on merit.

Are qualifying marks and cutoff the same?

No, NEET qualifying marks are the minimum passing score needed to be eligible for counseling whereas cut-offs determine admission eligibility based on competition and college preference.

What is the qualifying percentage in NEET?

The NEET qualifying percentage varies each year depending on the candidate’s category and overall performance in the exam.

Last Updated on June 24, 2024