NEET PG 2025 Cutoff Marks Reduced To Minus 40: What Does This Mean For Student?

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has recently lowered the NEET-PG 2025 admission cutoff marks to zero percentile or minus 40 marks for SC, ST, and OBC candidates. This decision

aims to fill the vacant seats in medical colleges by allowing more candidates to participate in counselling and occupy available seats, though seats will still be allocated based on rank.

Furthermore, the cutoff marks for general and EWS candidates have also been reduced from the 50th to the 7th percentile, decreasing the score requirement from 276 to 103 marks.

However, this move has sparked numerous questions and significant outrage on social media. Can admissions proceed despite negative marking in the exam? To understand this, let’s examine the admission process for NEET PG.

What Does It Mean To Have A Cutoff Of Zero Percentile?

A zero percentile cut-off means the minimum percentile required to qualify has been significantly lowered. Even candidates with the lowest percentiles can qualify. However, being eligible for counselling does not ensure a seat. Your eligibility depends on your rank, merit, options, seat availability, category, and college requirements.

What Is A Percentile And How Is It Calculated?

A percentile is a rank-based measure indicating how many candidates scored below you. It shows the percentage of candidates behind you, rather than the percentage of total marks you received. Percentile is calculated by determining the percentage of candidates who scored less than you. It may include factors like ties, rank-ordering, and the difficulty levels of different exam shifts.

How Has The Number Minus 40 Been Calculated?

In NEET PG, questions are often multiple-choice. A correct answer awards four marks to the students and, a wrong answer scores a negative marking of mark, while unattempted questions result in zero score. A negative score results when wrong answers significantly outnumber correct ones. For example, 10 correct answers will lead to 40 marks while 80 wrong answers will lead to minus 80 which could result in a score of minus 40.

What Is The Relationship Between Percentile Cutoff, Category Cutoff, And Rank?

The cut-off percentile determines eligibility for counselling, while rank or merit determines the order of seat selection. The category or quota specifies which seats candidates can claim. Even if the cut-off is 0 percentile, seat selection still relies on rank, so a candidate with a rank of -40 will only secure a seat if higher-ranked candidates do not fill all the available seats.

Those who appeared for the NEET PG exam and are yet to get admission, can benefit from the reduction of marks. They must ensure to register for the third round of counselling and have all necessary documents ready. However, one must note that eligibility does not guarantee a seat; merit and rank still play crucial roles in admissions.