NEET UG 2025: MCC Says 144 Marks Enough to Pursue MBBS this Year

NEET UG Counselling: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) says 144 marks in the NEET UG 2025 exam is enough to pursue MBBS this year in India or abroad. This is a big shift from previous years and expands eligibility for many aspirants.

NEET UG 2025 Cutoff

NEET Qualifying Marks Drop

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the general category qualifying marks for NEET UG 2025 now range from 686 to 144, a steep decline from 720–162 in 2024.

Similarly, cut-offs for reserved categories have also dipped:

• SC/ST/OBC: 143–113 (40th percentile)
• General-PH: 143–127 (45th percentile)

This drop in qualifying marks has made medical counselling accessible to a significantly wider pool of candidates.

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC): 144 Marks Are Enough

The MCC’s directive underscores that achieving 144 marks in the general category is sufficient to participate in the AIQ counselling, as well as many state-level counselling rounds, paving the way for MBBS admissions in government, deemed, and private colleges.

NEET UG 2025 Counselling: Key Points

Aspect	Details
Who’s Eligible	All candidates scoring ≥144 (General) or ≥113 (Reserved)
Counselling Rounds	MCC AIQ (~15%) and many state quotas (~85%)
Expected Seat Range	Lower-rank seats likely in government colleges; broader options in private/deemed institutes
Counselling Prep	Start registration on the MCC portal when it opens, likely in July

This shift significantly increases mid-scoring students’ chances of securing an MBBS seat.

Read Also: NEET UG Counselling 2025 Registration (Soon), Dates, Process, Document, Fees

Why NEET UG 2025 Cutoff Reduced

Several factors may have contributed:

• A relatively tougher exam, leading to lower scores.
• Higher number of applicants.
• Marginal increase in MBBS seats across government and private colleges.

Counselling & Seat Allocation: What to Expect Next

• AIQ & State-Quota Counselling: MCC is expected to launch counselling in July; interested aspirants should prepare all necessary documents.
• Deemed & Private Colleges: Many are likely to fill seats even with scores close to 144.
• Based on their scores, students are also advised to explore MBBS abroad options, BDS, or other allied medical courses.

NEET Counselling: Steps to Take

1. Check your NEET scorecard and ensure it meets the 144+ threshold for your category.
2. Monitor counselling dates via the MCC website.
3. Register early for AIQ and state-wide counselling.
4. Prepare documents like scorecard, 10/12 marksheets, ID proofs, etc.
5. Research potential colleges and prepare your preference list.

The MCC’s announcement offers hope to a broader group of NEET qualifiers, even those with scores just above the minimum threshold. With the qualifying cut-off lowered to 144, many more students are now eligible to vie for an MBBS seat in India’s highly competitive admissions landscape.