The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduates (NEET UG) 2025 on June 14, 2025, marking a crucial milestone for over 22 lakh candidates who appeared nationwide. This year, more than 12 lakh candidates qualified, securing eligibility to participate in the upcoming counselling sessions for admission into MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and other undergraduate medical courses across India.
NEET UG 2025 was held on May 4, 2025, and the results were promptly followed by the release of the final answer keys, allowing candidates to verify their performance. The official results, accessible via neet.nta.nic.in, include detailed scorecards with subject-wise marks, total scores, percentile ranks, All India Ranks (AIR), and qualifying status.
One of the most notable aspects of this year's results is the significant drop in the qualifying cut-off marks across all categories compared to previous years. For the general and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) categories, the cut-off range decreased from 720–162 in 2024 to 686–144 in 2025. Similarly, the cut-offs for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories dropped from 161–127 to 143–113 marks. Candidates in the General-Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category now qualify with scores between 143 and 127, while SC-PwBD, OBC-PwBD, and ST-PwBD candidates have a qualifying range of 126–113 marks.
These lowered cut-offs reflect several factors, including the difficulty level of the exam, which many students found more challenging this year, as well as the number of candidates and available seats. The cut-off marks represent the minimum scores required to qualify for counselling; however, admission cut-offs for individual colleges are typically higher and depend on factors such as seat availability, college popularity, reservation policies, and state versus All India Quota (AIQ) seat distribution.
Rajasthan's Mahesh Kumar topped the NEET UG 2025 examination, securing the first rank with an impressive percentile of 99.9999547 and scoring 686 out of 720 marks. His achievement stands out as the highest this year, although it is lower than last year's perfect score of 720. Other top rankers include Utkarsh Awadhiya from Madhya Pradesh, Krishang Joshi from Maharashtra, and Mrinal Kishore Jha from Delhi, who secured ranks 2, 3, and 4 respectively.
In total, 1,236,531 candidates qualified for NEET UG 2025 across all categories. The gender-wise breakdown shows 514,063 males, 722,462 females, and 6 candidates identifying as third gender among the qualifiers. Category-wise, the numbers include 564,611 OBC, 168,873 SC, 67,234 ST, 338,728 General, and 97,085 EWS candidates. Additionally, the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category saw 9,167 candidates appear for the exam, with 3,673 qualifying.
The counselling process for NEET UG 2025 admissions is slated to begin soon, typically in July or August, following the result declaration. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will conduct the All India Quota (AIQ) counselling, which accounts for 15% of the total seats, while the remaining 85% of seats will be filled through respective state-level counselling processes. Candidates must meet the qualifying criteria and participate in these rounds to secure admission.
The counselling for NEET UG 2025 will involve four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round for unfilled seats, and a Stray Vacancy Round conducted at the institutional level. Candidates are advised to keep essential documents ready, including their NEET 2025 roll number, scorecard, photo identification, category and domicile certificates, recent photographs, and educational certificates.
Reservation policies as per the Government of India apply to NEET UG admissions. Central institutes and universities allocate seats with 10% reserved for General-Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS), 15% for Scheduled Castes, 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes, 27% for OBC Non-Creamy Layer, and a horizontal reservation of 5% for PwBD candidates across categories. State quota seats follow the respective state government’s reservation norms.
While qualifying NEET UG 2025 is a significant achievement, it is important to note that it only renders candidates eligible for counselling and does not guarantee admission. Admission depends on performance in counselling rounds, seat availability, and category-wise competition. For instance, prestigious government medical colleges under the AIQ often have closing ranks much higher than the qualifying cut-offs.
Top medical colleges in India, as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, include All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore. Students aspiring to join these institutions face intense competition and typically require scores well above the qualifying cut-offs.
This year’s NEET UG exam maintained its marking scheme of awarding four marks for each correct answer and deducting one mark for each incorrect response, with no marks for unanswered questions. The exam consisted of 180 questions, none of which were dropped in the final evaluation.
In case of ties in scores or percentile, the NTA employs a detailed tie-breaking formula based on subject-wise marks, proportion of incorrect answers, and, if necessary, a random selection process supervised by an independent expert committee.
Technical glitches were reported briefly on the NTA’s official website due to heavy traffic following result announcements. Candidates were advised to access their scorecards through alternative platforms such as the UMANG app, DigiLocker, or their registered email IDs.
With the results now out, candidates are urged to stay updated on counselling schedules through official MCC and respective state Directorate of Medical Education (DME) websites. The counselling process is critical to securing a seat and embarking on a medical career.
As the NEET UG 2025 journey progresses, the lowered cut-offs and increased number of qualifiers signal a competitive yet hopeful landscape for aspiring medical professionals across India. The next steps—counselling and seat allotment—will determine the final composition of the new batch of medical, dental, and AYUSH students for the academic year 2025-26.
