In a major revelation, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the official data for NEET UG 2025, highlighting that 9,72,787 students have failed to qualify for the exam this year. This figure has raised serious concerns among aspirants, parents and educators across the country.
NTA declared the NEET UG 2025 results on June 14, and surprisingly, the cutoff dropped across all categories due to the overall dip in scores. However, despite this lowered cutoff, a large number of students still failed to qualify for NEET 2025. The NTA’s latest data has now confirmed the scale of the issue, leaving experts and stakeholders shocked.
Category Wise Number of Students Registered, Appeared, Qualified and Not Qualified in NEET UG 2025
| Category | Registered (2025) | Appeared (2025) | Qualified (2025) | Not Qualified (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBC | 948,507 | 925,739 | 564,611 | 361,128 |
| SC | 333,646 | 322,538 | 168,873 | 153,665 |
| ST | 150,224 | 143,602 | 67,234 | 76,368 |
| General | 689,366 | 665,853 | 338,728 | 327,125 |
| EWS | 154,326 | 151,586 | 97,085 | 54,501 |
| Total | 2,276,069 | 2,209,318 | 1,236,531 | 972,787 |
What Went Wrong? Here’s the Possible Reason:
According to education experts and NEET coaching institutions, several factors might have contributed to the low qualification rate this year:
| NEET UG Counselling Guide 2025 | |
|---|---|
| State-wise MBBS/BDS Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| MCC NEET UG Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| AACCC AYUSH NEET Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
- Increased Difficulty Level:
Many students and teachers reported that the NEET UG 2025 question paper, especially in Physics and Biology, was tougher compared to previous years. Some also complained about tricky MCQs and questions with ambiguous options. - Strict Cutoff Despite Lower Scores:
Although the overall scores dropped this year, the cutoff remained unexpectedly high for many categories. This caused a large number of borderline students to miss qualifying by just a few marks. - NCERT-Based Surprises:
While NEET is based on NCERT textbooks, students observed that some questions were indirectly framed, requiring deep conceptual understanding. This affected students who relied on surface-level preparation. - Pressure & Mental Health Issues:
After back-to-back competitive exams and academic pressure, many students might have struggled with performance anxiety. The mental health aspect continues to play a significant role in NEET outcomes. - New Pattern Confusion:
Minor changes in the exam pattern or section-wise marking may have confused students during the exam, affecting time management and accuracy.
Category-Wise Impact
The failure rate wasn’t limited to a specific group. Students from the General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS categories all saw a notable drop in performance. Even among well-prepared candidates, many couldn’t meet the qualifying marks.
Experts React
Dr. Sanjay Tiwari, a NEET Mentor and MBBS Admission Expert, commented:
“The sheer number of students who didn’t qualify this year points to a larger issue. Students need more concept-focused preparation, and the system must ensure they are not just memorising but truly understanding the subjects.”
Join NEET News 2025 What This Means for MBBS Admissions
Despite the high failure rate, students who have cleared NEET this year stand a better chance of securing a medical seat, especially in private and deemed universities. Government college seats are still limited, but the competition might slightly ease in later counselling rounds due to fewer qualified candidates.
What Should Students Do Now?
- Qualified Students: Start preparing documents and keep an eye on NEET UG counselling updates.
- Non-qualified Students: Don’t lose hope. You can either prepare for NEET 2026 with a better strategy or explore other healthcare-related courses like B.Sc Nursing, BPT, or paramedical programs.
Note: The NEET UG 2025 result has sent shockwaves through the medical aspirant community. While nearly 10 lakh students failed this year, it’s a wake-up call for both students and the education system to focus more on conceptual clarity, mental readiness, and exam strategy.
Read Also: NEET UG 2025: Category-Wise Cutoff Revised for Government Colleges After Results
Read Also: NEET 2025 MBBS Cut-Off for EWS Category: AIQ College-Wise Opening & Closing Ranks!
