NEET Total Marks & Marking Scheme: The Ultimate Guide

Are you aiming to get a seat in India’s top medical college? Then your NEET score can decide whether you get into a top-tier government medical college, a private college, or have to wait another year. So naturally, understanding the NEET total marks and pass mark, marking scheme, and minimum marks required for MBBS admission is crucial.

In this detailed guide, we’ll break down everything, from NEET full marks to qualifying cutoffs, pass marks for MBBS, and even how your marks can translate into ranks. Let’s dive in.

Understanding NEET Total Marks

If you’ve been preparing for NEET, you’ve probably heard the figure tossed around quite a bit: 720 marks. That’s right. NEET is conducted for a total of 720 marks.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

• Total Questions: 180
• Marks per Question: 4
• Total Marks = 180 questions × 4 = 720

Each of these 180 questions is an opportunity, and a risk, too, as we’ll see in the marking scheme. The exam is objective (MCQ-based) and includes three main subjects:

• Physics – 45 questions
• Chemistry – 45 questions
• Biology – 90 questions (divided into Botany and Zoology)

That’s 180 questions across 3 subjects in a 3-hour-and-20-minute test. But just scoring high isn’t enough; you need to know how high is high enough, and that’s where things get real.

NEET Marks Distribution – Section-Wise Breakdown

If you are in the race to crack the NEET exam, then understanding the mark distribution is very important. Here's how the paper is structured:

Each subject is further divided into:

• Section A: 35 Questions (Compulsory)
• Section B: 15 Questions (Attempt any 10)

You’ll still answer a total of 45 questions per subject. But this change gives you some wiggle room; you can skip the tougher ones in Section B and go for the 10 you’re most confident in.

Biology alone accounts for 50% of the paper, so if you’re naturally inclined towards it, you’ve got a great advantage. However, Physics is often the Achilles' heel for many, so plan your time wisely.

NEET Marking Scheme Explained

Let’s keep it super simple:

• Correct Answer = +4 marks
• Wrong Answer = –1 mark
• Unattempted Question = 0 marks

So, technically, every question you answer correctly boosts your score by 4, but every wrong answer drags it down by 1. Now you can see why guessing isn't always the best idea.

Let’s break this down with an example.

Say you answered:

• 140 correctly: 140 × 4 = 560
• 30 incorrectly: 30 × (–1) = –30
• 10 left blank: 0

Now you will get a score of 530

Negative Marking in NEET

Here's the tricky part that keeps aspirants up at night: negative marking. NEET aspirants lose 1 mark for each incorrect answer they give in the NEET exam. It might not sound like a lot at first glance, but trust me, it adds up fast.

Consider this:

• 10 wrong answers = –10 marks
• That’s the difference between a cutoff and no chance for a government college seat.

The exam tests not just knowledge, but accuracy and judgment under pressure. Here are a few tips to deal with negative marking:

1. Don’t guess blindly. Eliminate obviously wrong options and only answer when you’re 60-70% sure.
2. Mark smarter, not just faster. Accuracy > Speed.
3. Recheck Section B selections. Since you get to choose 10 out of 15, pick the ones you know cold.

Remember, every mark counts, especially when lakhs of students are competing for limited MBBS seats. 

NEET Pass Mark & Qualifying Criteria

Now that we’ve covered how marks are awarded and deducted, let’s get into something every aspirant Googles at least once a week: "What is the NEET pass mark?"

NEET doesn’t have a fixed “pass mark” like a board exam. Instead, it follows a percentile-based system, meaning your performance is ranked relative to others. So your NEET qualifying marks depend on:

• The total number of students who appeared
• Difficulty level of the paper
• Performance of top scorers

NEET Exam Pass Mark Category-Wise

Let’s break it down further based on category:

• General/Unreserved (UR): You’re competing at the top. Usually, anything below 137 won’t be considered.
• OBC/SC/ST: Aspirants from this category should focus on getting 107–110 marks to qualify.
• PwD Candidates: There's additional consideration, but again, you still need to cross your category percentile.

One big mistake students make is thinking that once they’ve “passed” NEET, they’ll get a seat. Nope. Passing just means you’re eligible. Getting into an MBBS program, especially in a government college, is a whole different ball game.

Minimum Marks Required in NEET for MBBS Admission

Minimum Marks Required in NEET for MBBS in Government College

Here’s where the numbers really matter. Getting into a government medical college is tough, not just because of the competition, but because of the limited seats.

Why so high? Because you're not just aiming to pass. You're aiming to outrank lakhs of students for a few thousand seats. Add to that state quotas, AIQ seats, and reservation rules, and the real competition zone narrows even further.

If you're targeting:

• VMMC or UCMS – aim for 645–660
• Any top state medical college – target 620+

And keep in mind, cut-offs change every year, depending on paper difficulty and student performance. But the trend? Always going up.

Minimum Marks Required in NEET for MBBS in Private College

Private colleges have a different system. While the cut-offs are usually lower than those of government colleges, the fee structure is way higher. Even in private colleges, scoring above 400–450 gives you a better choice of college and course. But here's the kicker, you still need to qualify NEET, which means 137+ for UR and 107+ for reserved categories.

Private colleges also have management quota and NRI quota, but these come with heavy price tags, think ₹60 lakh to ₹1 crore for the full MBBS course.

So if affordability is key, shoot for a government seat. If flexibility is more important, a private college can be a backup, but don't compromise on your NEET score.

NEET Marks vs Rank: How Scores Translate

One of the most confusing things about NEET is the difference between marks, percentile, and rank. Let’s clear it up once and for all.

• Marks: Out of 720, based on your right and wrong answers.
• Percentile: Your position relative to the rest of the candidates.
• Rank: Your position number-wise among all NEET takers.

So if your percentile is 99, it means you've scored higher than 99% of test-takers. That’s impressive. But remember, rank is what determines college admission, not just percentile.

Why does this matter? Because rank = seat allocation. You could qualify for NEET, but unless your rank is competitive, you won’t land a good college.

Every extra mark improves your rank significantly, especially in the 500–700 zone. Just a 5-mark bump could leapfrog you over 1,000+ ranks.

Conclusion

Whether you're a NEET first-timer or a repeater, understanding the NEET total marks, marking scheme, and qualifying cut-offs is non-negotiable. This exam isn’t just about hard work; it’s about smart work, strategy, and staying a few steps ahead of the competition. Knowing how NEET is marked, what rank corresponds to which marks, and what it takes to get into an MBBS seat, especially in a government college, can make or break your preparation.

If MBBS is your dream, you can’t afford to settle for just qualifying. You’ve got to target high, keep your nerves calm, and be laser-focused. Because let’s face it: your NEET score doesn’t just open college gates, it opens your future.

Need help with that? You don’t have to do it alone.

PrepMed is your trusted partner in this journey. Whether it’s expert guidance, tailored study plans, NEET-level mock tests, or rank-targeted strategy, we’ve got you covered.

Also read:

How to calculate NEET marks - step by step

Minimum Marks to qualify NEET for Government College

you must have a mentor to crack NEET with good marks