To qualify the NEET SS exam and take admission in the DM, M.Ch or DrNB super speciality courses you are required to score at least 50th percentile of the total marks. However, the qualifying cutoff will be different for every speciality group.
NEET SS qualifying cutoff is the minimum percentile score that you must score in order to secure admission in the DM, M.Ch or DrNB super speciality courses through the NEET SS 2025 exam . As per the qualifying cutoff, you must score at least 50th percentile to successfully clear the exam and appear for the counselling process. For the NEET SS exam, the qualifying cutoff is expressed by the authorities in terms of percentile rather than absolute marks. Therefore it must be noted that the performance in NEET SS exam will be assessed on the basis of the relative performance level of other test takers. Moreover, the cutoff will vary as per your category and the choice of speciality group. Every candidate must know that the qualifying cutoff does not guarantee admission but it is the score that makes you eligible for appearing in the counselling process.
Also Read: List of Super Specialty Courses Available through NEET SS 2025
What is NEET SS Qualifying Cutoff?
It is quite important to understand what is actually a qualifying cutoff. When we speak of qualifying cutoff it is basically the marks / score / percentile that is required to appear for the counselling rounds. For the NEET SS exam, since the qualifying cutoff of NEET SS is expressed in the percentile format, we can say that the cutoff is assessed on the basis of other test takers. Since the qualifying cutoff is 50th percentile for the NEET SS exam, it means that more than half of the candidates who had appeared for the exam have scored below this.
Expected Qualifying Cutoff of NEET SS
You can check the expected qualifying cutoff from the below table. You must note that the cutoff will be different for every speciality group.
Specialty Group | Qualifying Score (Out of 600) |
|---|---|
Anaesthesiology | 279 |
Critical Care Medicine | 285 |
ENT | 350 |
Medical | 299 |
Medical Oncology | 280 |
Microbiology | 340 |
Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 354 |
Orthopaedics | 254 |
Paediatrics | 287 |
Pathology | 261 |
Pharmacology | 315 |
Psychiatry | 311 |
Radiodiagnosis | 315 |
Respiratory Medicine | 365 |
Surgical | 285 |
Is NEET SS Qualifying Cutoff and Admission Cutoff same?
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No, admission cutoff and qualifying cutoff are not the same things. Candidates must know that these cutoffs have different purposes in the admission process and they are decided by different authorities in different ways. For example, the qualifying cutoff serves as the basis of participating in the counselling rounds but the admission cutoff guarantees admission to various courses through NEET SS exam. Since the qualifying marks in the exam is 50th percentile therefore all those candidates who have scored above this are eligible for taking part in the counselling rounds. In short you can say that admission cutoff is the marks / score required to get a seat allotted during counselling in one of the participating colleges/ institutes and qualifying cutoff is the minimum marks required to participate in the counselling process.
Also Read: What is a Good Score in NEET SS 2025?
What is the Difference between Admission Cutoff and Qualifying Cutoff of NEET SS?
Check the difference from the below table.
Basis of Comparison | NEET SS Qualifying Cutoff | NEET SS Admission Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
Meaning | The minimum score/percentile required to be declared qualified in the NEET SS examination. | The minimum rank or score required to secure admission into a specific DM/MCh/DNB Super Specialty seat. |
Purpose | To filter eligible candidates for participation in counselling and seat allocation. | To allocate seats in different super specialty courses and colleges. |
Authority Deciding It | National Board of Examinations (NBE). | Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for All India Quota and State counselling authorities for state quota seats. |
Nature | Common and uniform for all candidates within a specialty group. | Variable depending on course, college, category, and counselling round. |
Expressed As | Usually in percentile (e.g., 50th percentile for General category). | Expressed in rank or marks (closing rank/score of last admitted candidate). |
Applicability | Applies to all candidates appearing in NEET SS. | Applies only to candidates seeking admission in a particular institution/course. |
Dependency on Seats | Independent of the number of seats available. | Directly dependent on seat availability. |
Dependency on Competition | Not influenced by competition level beyond minimum standard. | Highly influenced by the number of applicants, preferences, and competition. |
Category-wise Variation | Category-specific qualifying cutoffs (UR, SC, ST, OBC, PwD). | Category-wise admission cutoffs vary widely across colleges and rounds. |
Changes Every Year | May change slightly based on exam difficulty and NBE policy. | Changes every year and every counselling round. |
Relaxation | NBE may lower the qualifying cutoff in special circumstances. | No relaxation once seats are filled; cutoff is outcome-based. |
Outcome of Meeting Cutoff | The candidate becomes eligible for counselling. | The candidate gets admission into a specific course/college. |
Failure to Meet Cutoff | The candidate is disqualified, cannot participate in counselling. | Candidates may still participate but will not get a seat in that course/college. |
For queries related to the NEET SS exam feel free to reach us by filling the Common Application Form . You can also directly post your doubts in our QnA zone . To talk to our experts directly call us on our toll-free number 1800-572-9877.
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FAQs
While the qualifying percentile remains the same across categories, the actual marks corresponding to that percentile may differ for each specialty group. This is because each super specialty paper has a different level of difficulty and candidate performance distribution.
The NEET SS qualifying cutoff is officially expressed in terms of percentile, not raw marks. This is because percentiles account for variations in difficulty across different specialty question papers and allow for fair normalization of scores.
For candidates belonging to SC, ST, and OBC categories, the qualifying cutoff is generally the 45th percentile. This relaxation is provided to ensure equitable representation and access to super specialty medical education.
For General and EWS category candidates, the qualifying cutoff is usually set at the 50th percentile. This means that a candidate must score equal to or higher than 50% of the candidates appearing in that specialty group to qualify for the exam.
No, the NEET SS qualifying cutoff is not fixed and may vary from year to year. Changes in the number of candidates, exam difficulty, and policy decisions by NBEMS can lead to fluctuations. However, traditionally, the qualifying percentile remains relatively stable unless a relaxation or revision is officially announced.
The NEET SS Qualifying Cutoff refers to the minimum percentile or score that a candidate must obtain in the NEET Super Specialty (SS) examination to be declared “qualified.” It acts as an eligibility benchmark rather than a guarantee of admission. Candidates who meet or exceed this cutoff are considered eligible to participate in counselling and admission processes, subject to seat availability and institutional criteria.
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