Factors that will decide cutoff marks: The NEET Cutoff signifies the minimum score required for students to secure admission into prestigious government or private medical institutions in India. It is important to note that this cutoff is not static; it fluctuates annually due to various factors related to the examination.
Further, to understand how the NEET 2025 cutoff will be established, students should be aware that it is influenced by a range of changing variables. These factors include trends from the previous year’s cutoff, the exam’s difficulty level, the number of candidates, the highest scores attained, the number of available seats, reservation policies, as well as any modifications to the exam format or syllabus.
Factors that will decide cutoff marks 2025
- Difficulty Level of the NEET Exam
The difficulty level of the exam significantly influences the cutoff. Generally, the NEET exam is categorized as moderate to difficult, but variations in the standards of paper-setting can alter this difficulty.
NEET Difficulty Trends (Last 5 Years)
| Year | Difficulty Level |
| 2025 | Moderate to difficult (expected) |
| 2024 | Moderate to difficult |
| 2023 | Moderate to difficult |
| 2022 | Moderate to difficult |
| 2021 | Moderate to difficult |
| 2020 | Easy to Moderate |
- Number of NEET Applicants
The overall number of students participating in the exam has a direct effect on the cutoff. An increase in the number of candidates raises the level of competition, thereby impacting the admission threshold.
NEET Applicant Statistics (Last 5 Years)
| Year | Number of Applicants |
| 2025 | Approx. 23 lakh (Expected) |
| 2024 | Approx. 24 lakh |
| 2023 | Approx. 21 lakh |
| 2022 | Approx. 19 lakh |
| 2021 | Approx. 16 lakh |
| 2020 | Approx. 16 lakh |
- Availability of Medical Seats
The limited availability of medical seats in MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, as well as other programs heightens competition, which in turn affects the cutoff.
Seat Distribution Across Medical Programs
| Course/College | Number of Seats |
| MBBS | 91,415 |
| AIIMS MBBS | 1,205 |
| JIPMER MBBS | 200 |
| BDS | 27,948 |
| AYUSH | 52,720 |
| BSc Nursing | 487 |
| BVSc | 603 |
- Reservation Policies
The NEET Cutoff varies according to student categories. For instance, the anticipated cutoff for the general category in 2025 is expected to range from 720 to 162 marks, while for SC candidates, it is projected to be between 161 and 127 marks.
NEET 2025 Reservation Quota
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| OBC-NCL | 27% |
| EWS | 20% |
| PwD | 5% |
Read Also: India Sees 40% Growth in Medical Colleges, 42% Rise in MBBS Seats Over 5 Years
- Highest Achieved Scores
The highest scores attained by candidates act as a benchmark and play a crucial role in determining the cutoff. Historically, these top scores have consistently been close to the maximum achievable marks.
Top Scores (Last 5 Years)
| Year | Highest Score |
| 2024 | 720 |
| 2023 | 720 |
| 2022 | 715 |
| 2021 | 720 |
| 2020 | 720 |
6. Previous Year NEET Cutoffs
Historical cutoff data serves as a reference for establishing the new cutoff. Analyzing the cutoff trends from 2023 and 2024, it is anticipated that the NEET 2025 cutoff for the general category will likely fall between 720 and 162 marks.
General Category Cutoff Trends
| Year | Cutoff Range |
| 2025 | 720-162 (Expected) |
| 2024 | 720-164 |
| 2023 | 720-137 |
| 2022 | 715-117 |
| 2021 | 720-138 |
| 2020 | 720-147 |
7. Modifications in NEET Exam Structure or Curriculum
Any alterations to the curriculum or exam structure have a direct impact on student performance and the overall difficulty of the exam. The updated NEET 2024 syllabus introduced significant changes, including:
- Returning to the pre-COVID exam structure
- Removing optional questions from Section B
- Shortening the exam duration to 180 minutes
- Reducing the number of chapters from 97 to 79
- Excluding topics such as Digestion, Absorption, and Reproduction in Organisms
- Eliminating 18 chapters from Physics
- At last, segmenting the Chemistry syllabus into Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry.
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