Know the Safe Score in NEET for MBBS in General Category

Each year, more than 20 lakh students take the NEET exam, India's biggest medical entrance test, to resume their journey to becoming a doctor. After getting results, one thing that races in the mind of every aspirant is certainly "Is my score safe enough for MBBS?" It will depend on various factors – your category, type of college (government or private) and the state you're aiming for. PrepMed brings you this complete guide that covers all the aspects you should know about the safe NEET score for General Category students who wish to pursue MBBS, and how a NEET rank predictor could make your college search easier.

Why the Safe NEET Score Matters for General Category Students

The most competitive pool in the counselling of the NEET examination is the General Category. In the reserved category, there is no need to have a cut-off, as the category students are given a certain relaxation in their percentage requirement. In contrast, in the General Category, the students have to have a clear benchmark before entering into the counselling process.

The qualifying percentile for NEET for General Category students is the 50th percentile, which corresponds to a minimum of 720 marks out of 720 and a minimum qualifying percentile of around 137-145 marks. But, qualifying does not mean getting an MBBS seat.

If anyone wants to get an MBBS seat in a government medical college under the General Category, then they must strive a lot more. This is where a good NEET college predictor comes in handy, as it helps you to compare your score with the cutoffs of the past few years, and lets you know which college you can get into.

NEET 2026 Paper Standard

On the basis of the initial students' feedback, expert analysis, and preliminary answer key, NEET 2026 can be evaluated on the following parameters:

Overall Difficulty Level

NEET 2026 is said to be moderately difficult compared to NEET 2025 - a bit easier than NEET 2025, but definitely tougher than NEET 2024. This has shifted it to an intermediate difficulty level, so candidates who got a mark of 150-480 should not be worried, since the expected cut-offs will be expected to be lower than last year.

Subject-Wise Paper Analysis

• Physics is the most difficult section of NEET 2026 as it has more of a numerical, mechanics and modern physics-based question. Difficulty level was as of NEET 2025 and as compared to NEET 2024. 
• Chemistry: Average difficulty level overall. The application-oriented questions appeared in greater numbers in Organic Chemistry. Inorganic was straightforward. There were some tricky numericals in Physical Chemistry. Conceptual depth is easier compared to NEET 2025 and NEET 2024.
• Biology (BOTANY + ZOOLOGY) was the top-scoring section. The questions were mainly of the NCERT type, with a few higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) questions being asked. This was similar to NEET 2025, but has a few more assertion-reason type questions than NEET 2024.

Year-on-Year Difficulty Comparison

What Is the NEET Score for MBBS — Government vs. Private Colleges?

Here is the score that students need for MBBS in government and Private colleges respectively:-

NEET Score for Government College

The admission in a government medical college is the dream of almost every aspirant of NEET (ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh per year). The competition and the number of government seats, however, are rather tight.

In the top Government college seats covered under the All India Quota (AIQ) General Category:

• High-tier colleges (AIIMS, JIPMER, etc.): Score more than 650 – 680 (Rank in top 100 – 500)
• For a score between 550-650 (Rank approximately 500-10,000), you should consider the reputed state government colleges.
• Other government colleges: Score 450 - 550 (Rank roughly 10,000 - 50,000)

The minimum NEET score to get government college under the General Category is around 450-480. Still it varies from year to year as per the difficulty level in the paper and the number of candidates.

Cut-offs are decided by separate State Counselling Bodies for State Quota and are different for each State. That's why it's important to use a NEET score rank predictor for accurate prediction.

Check: Top government medical colleges in India for MBBS - rank wise

NEET Score for Private Medical Colleges

Private medical colleges have fewer seats and lower cut-offs, but the tuition fees are significantly high, ranging from Rs. 5 lakhs to 25 lakhs or even higher, as per the medical college and state.

In a private medical college, the NEET score for the General Category to pursue MBBS is usually:

• Deemed/Central Universities (Private, above average): Score 500-600
• Private colleges in the state: Score between 400–500
• Management quota seats: 300-400 (but minimum qualifying requirements must be met as well)

Remember: For Private Colleges, the minimum qualifying percentile is fixed by the NTA for each category.

Check: 5 Best Affordable Cheapest Private Medical Colleges In India

Use PrepMed NEET College Predictor for Personalised Results

Instead, the smartest would be to use the smartest and the most powerful tool available, simply: PrepMed NEET college predictor, which uses data to analyze your NEET score, your category, your home state, and your course preference to provide you with a list of colleges where you have a realistic chance of admission.

PrepMed NEET exam college predictor has been updated with the latest data related to counselling rounds from MCC, state counselling boards and deemed universities. It accounts for:

• Opening and closing ranks from previous years
• Availability of seats for AIQ vs. State Quota
• Cut-offs are set for each category (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS)
• Round-wise counselling trends

This is one of the most dependable tools for those aspirants who are planning to form their counselling strategy.

NEET College Predictor In West Bengal

Each state has a wide variation in the cutoff of NEET counselling, and West Bengal is an example. There are many reputed government medical colleges in West Bengal, such as Calcutta Medical College, SSKM and RG Kar Medical College. Both seats are in huge demand among the local aspirants.

By opting for a college predictor in West Bengal, the aspirants can:

• View the list of West Bengal government and private colleges available according to their score
• Be aware of the trends in how much the states cut from the General Category.
• Decide on the counselling to choose: either AIQ counselling or WBMCC counselling (West Bengal State counselling).

How to Use the PrepMed NEET Rank Predictor?

A rank predictor helps predict your NEET rank based on a few factors, such as your raw score and the distribution of scores vs. ranks from past results published by NTA. Let's take a look at how you can effectively use PrepMed NEET exam rank predictor:

• In the NEET predictor, enter the expected / actual NEET score.
• Choose your category (General/OBC/SC/ST/EWS)
• Choose your home state for state quota eligibility
• You will get your All India Rank (AIR) immediately with the help of this tool.
• It sifts colleges based on your rank, and you are likely to get admission to that college.

The accuracy of the NEET exam rank predictor is extremely high as the regression models are trained on data provided by the NTA for the score vs percentile relation.

Safe Score Bracket Summary for General Category (MBBS)

Here is your Safe Score Bracket Summary for General Category (MBBS):-

Tips to Maximise Your Counselling Strategy

To Maximise Your Counselling Strategy here are some of the tips given below:-

• You can opt to register for MCC in advance alongside your state counselling.
• Make all your choices carefully and opt for PrepMed's NEET college predictor to make a wide but realistic list.
• Don't miss out on counselling round(s) as seats open up in subsequent rounds for upgrading or withdrawal.
• For Check NRI and Management quota check separately, as they have their own different eligibility and cut-off norms.
• Check college recognition – check if the college is recognized by the National Medical Commission (NMC)

Start Your Preparation Early for a Better NEET Score 

NEET preparation must start at least one or two years in advance to get an edge over last-minute NEET aspirants. Revision is a habit that top scorers swear by, practice on mock tests, and subject-wise analysis. Early starters also have plenty of time to take advantage of tools such as PrepMed's NEET exam score rank predictor to determine what they can realistically achieve and plan their studies accordingly.

Conclusion

The first step towards a smart counselling strategy is understanding the safe NEET score required for MBBS in the General Category. The very first step towards a smart counselling strategy is understanding the safe NEET exam score for MBBS in the General Category. Be it to get admission into a top government college or to look into private college options, it's best to know the NEET cutoff for MBBS before the last-minute stress to avoid any last-minute mishaps.

PrepMed is India's most student-friendly NEET rank predictor & NEET college predictor, developed on real data, updated annually and based on the most accurate assessment of admission chances.

Don't take chances with your medical career. Smarter, Better and Confidence in getting your MBBS seat by planning with PrepMed.

FAQs

Q1. How much NEET score is required for MBBS? 

A minimum of 137 marks is needed to qualify for an MBBS seat in the General Category in government colleges, while 480-550+ marks are needed to secure an MBBS seat in government colleges under the general category.

Q2. What is the minimum NEET score for MBBS? 

The NTA prescribes the minimum NEET score of the 50th percentile, which is 137 marks, for the eligibility of students for MBBS admission every year.

Also read:

Join the Best Dropper & Repeater Batch for NEET 2027 exam

Passing Marks In NEET Out Of 720​ For MBBS (For General, OBC And SC Categories)

What is State Quota in NEET and How to Apply for It?