The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the most important exams in India for students who want to become doctors or dentists. Every year, lakhs of students appear for this exam to get admission into MBBS, BDS, and other medical courses. One common question that students and parents often ask is — how much percentage is required for NEET? Let’s understand this in a simple and clear way.
Minimum Percentage Required in Class 12th for NEET
Before appearing for NEET, students must qualify their Class 12th board exams with a minimum percentage. The required percentage varies based on different categories:
| Category | Minimum Percentage in Class 12th (PCB) |
| General (UR) | 50% in Physics, Chemistry, Biology combined |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40% in Physics, Chemistry, Biology combined |
| PwD (General) | 45% in Physics, Chemistry, Biology combined |
PCB means Physics, Chemistry, and Biology only. Marks of Mathematics or other subjects are not considered for NEET eligibility.
Students must also pass English in Class 12th, though no minimum percentage is specified for English.
NEET Qualifying Percentile and Marks
Apart from Class 12th percentage, students must also secure a minimum qualifying percentile in the NEET exam itself. This percentile is based on the performance of all students appearing in the exam.
| Category | NEET Qualifying Percentile |
| General (UR) | 50th Percentile |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40th Percentile |
| PwD (General) | 45th Percentile |
This means a General category student must score at least marks that are equal to or above 50% of students who appeared in the exam. The actual qualifying marks change every year depending on the difficulty level of the paper and number of candidates.
Difference Between Percentage and Percentile
- Percentage is the score you get out of 100.
- Percentile shows your performance compared to other students.
For example, if you get 60% marks in NEET, that means you scored 60 out of 100. But if you are in the 80th percentile, it means you performed better than 80% of students.
Other Eligibility Conditions
- Age Limit:
- Minimum age: 17 years as of 31st December of the admission year.
- No upper age limit (as per current rules).
- Number of Attempts:
There is no limit on how many times you can attempt NEET. - Subjects Required in Class 12th:
- Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English must be studied.
How Much Percentage is Safe for Government Colleges?
Just qualifying the exam is not enough to get a seat in a government medical college. You must score higher marks to get a good rank. Generally:
- For General category, a score of 600+ is good for top government medical colleges.
- For OBC category, 570+ is considered safe.
- For SC/ST category, 480–500 can get a seat in many government colleges.
These scores change every year depending on the cut-off trends.
Final Words
To summarise, you need:
- At least 50% marks in Class 12th (PCB) for General category and 40% for OBC/SC/ST.
- 50th percentile in NEET exam for General and 40th percentile for reserved categories.
However, if you dream of getting into a top government medical college, you should aim much higher than just the minimum requirement. Hard work, proper guidance, and regular practice can help you achieve your goal.
