The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is among the most prestigious examinations in India for those who wish to become dentists or doctors. Each year, thousands of students sit for this test in order to be admitted to MBBS, BDS, and other medical programs. A common question parents and students often have is what percentage is needed for the NEET exam? Let’s understand this in a straightforward and easy manner.
Minimum Percentage required in class 12th in NEET
Prior to appearing for NEET students must pass the board exams for Class 12th with a minimum of 80. The percentage needed to pass depends on the different categories:
| Category | Minimum Percentage for Class 12th (PCB) |
| General (UR) | 50% of the time in Physics, Chemistry, Biology all |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40% of Physics, Chemistry, Biology together |
| PwD (General) | 45 percent of the time in Physics, Chemistry, Biology all |
PCB is Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, but only. Marks of Mathematics or other subjects aren’t taken into consideration for NEET eligibility.
Students must also be able to pass English in 12th class although there is no minimum percentage specified for English.
and NEET Qualification Percentile, and Marks
In addition to the Class 12th percent students also need to achieve an at-least acceptable percentile on the NEET examination in the exam itself. The percentile is determined by the overall performance of students taking the exam.
| Category | The NEET Qualifying Percentile |
| General (UR) | 50th Percentile |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40th Percentile |
| PwD (General) | 45th Percentile |
The general category student has to score at least marks at or above 50% of the students who participated in the exam. The exact qualifying marks vary every year, based on the difficulty of the test and the amount of candidates.
Percentage and Percentile
- Percentage is the score you get from of 100.
- Percentile compares your performance with other students.
If, for instance, you score 60 percent marks in NEET this means that you scored 60 marks out of 100. If you’re in the 80th percentile of students, this means that you scored better than the 80% of students.
Other Eligibility Criteria
- Age Limit :
- Minimum age of 17 at the time of the 31st day of the year of admission.
- No upper limit on age (as as per the current rules).
- The number of attempts:
There’s no limit on how many times you are able to try NEET. - The subjects required in class 12th :
- Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English must be studied.
What percentage is safe to use in Government Colleges?
The mere fact that you passed the exam is not enough to be able to secure an admission into a state-run medical school. You need to score better marks to achieve a top grade. Generally:
- For general category A score 600+ is considered good for the top medical schools of the government.
- In the OBC class A score of 570+ is considered to be safe.
- For the SC/ST category the 480-500 range is a possibility to get an admission to many universities that are government-run.
The scores vary each year based on the cut-off trend.
Last Words
To summarise, you need:
- Minimum 50 marks for class 12th (PCB) for general class or 40% marks for OBC/SC/ST.
- 50th percentile of NEET test in General as well as 40% for categories reserved.
However, if you have a dream of gaining admission to a top medical school that is a government institution it is important to aim more than the minimum requirements. A lot of hard work, a good guidance and consistent practice will aid you in reaching your goals.
