NEET UG 2026: Tamil Nadu MBBS Cut-Offs Expected to Increase by 30 - 40 Marks

The cut-off scores for MBBS admissions in Tamil Nadu are expected to increase by 30 to 40 marks across all categories this year, driven by a sharp rise in the number of high-scoring candidates in NEET UG 2026, which was considered moderately difficult.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET UG 2026 results after conducting a retest on June 21. A total of 19,99,895 candidates appeared for the examination across the country, of whom 11,21,185 qualified.

Tamil Nadu recorded an impressive performance, with 12 students six boys and six girls securing places among the top 138 All India Ranks (AIRs) released by the NTA.

This year`s question paper was reportedly easier than last year`s, resulting in a substantial increase in the number of high-scoring candidates. As many as 19 candidates scored between 701 and 720 marks, while 1,371 candidates secured scores between 651 and 700. Another 8,425 candidates scored between 601 and 650, and 27,055 candidates obtained 550 to 600 marks.

In comparison, NEET UG 2025 saw only 1,647 candidates scoring between 600 and 686 marks, with the highest score in the country being 686, achieved by a single student.

The significant increase in top scorers is expected to directly impact admissions to government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. Candidates seeking MBBS seats may need to score 30 to 40 marks more than last year to secure admission.

For example, an Open Category candidate gained admission to Madras Medical College in 2025 with approximately 597 marks. This year`s cut-off is expected to rise to around 642 marks. Similarly, the Backward Class (BC) cut-off is likely to increase from 578 marks last year to approximately 629 marks. Comparable increases are expected across other reservation categories as well.

For NEET UG 2026, the NTA has fixed the qualifying cut-off at 213 marks for the General Category and 177 marks for candidates belonging to the OBC, SC, and ST categories.

Despite the strong performance of top-ranking students, Tamil Nadu recorded a decline in both the number of candidates appearing for the examination and those qualifying. While 1,35,715 students appeared for NEET in 2025, with 76,181 qualifying, only 1,08,601 candidates appeared in 2026, of whom 61,306 qualified a decline of 14,875 qualified candidates.

Educationist R. Ashwin attributed the lower participation to the cancellation of the original NEET examinatioion and the subsequent retest, which resulted in fewer students appearing for the exam. He noted that competition for government medical college seats would be significantly more intense this year.

NEET coaching trainer A. Vignesh said students were better prepared after facing the tougher examination in 2025, leading to a higher number of top scores this year. He added that the postponement of the examination due to the retest provided aspirants with additional preparation time, further contributing to the expected rise in MBBS admission cut-off scores.