NEET MDS 2026 Cut-Off Slashed: General Score Now 234, Check Your Category's New Marks

If you missed the NEET MDS 2026 cut-off earlier this year, you may be back in the race. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has slashed the qualifying cut-off for dental PG admissions, lowering it by 20.576 percentile points in every category.

For General and EWS candidates, the qualifying score has dropped from 308 to 234 marks out of 960. The new 29.424 percentile replaces the earlier 50th percentile bar. Thousands of dental graduates who scored between 234 and 307 earlier this year are now eligible for dental admissions counselling.

Revised category-wise qualifying scores

The cut-off has come down across the board, not just for the General category. Here is the full revised table:

• General (UR/EWS): 29.424 percentile, cut-off 234 marks (was 308 at the 50th percentile)
• General-PwBD: 24.424 percentile, cut-off 218 marks (was 289 at the 45th percentile)
• SC/ST/OBC (including PwBD of these categories): 19.424 percentile, cut-off 200 marks (was 271 at the 40th percentile)

The NEET MDS 2026 result was declared on June 2, 2026. NBEMS has made it clear that this revision does not change anyone’s rank. Your rank stays exactly as it was. Only the minimum qualifying bar has moved down.

A lower qualifying percentile does not change how competitive the popular branches are. Seats in high-demand MDS specialities will still go to higher-ranked candidates first. Treat the new cut-off as entry to the counselling hall, not as a promise of your preferred college.

Why the cut-off was lowered

The cut follows a letter from the Union Health Ministry dated October 12, 2026. NBEMS issued its revised notice under the Dental Council of India’s MDS Regulations, 2017, and the second proviso to Clause 7(1) of the MDS Course (First Amendment) Regulations, 2018.

This is the second year in a row that postgraduate dental seats have stayed vacant after the counselling rounds. Colleges across the country still have empty MDS seats, especially after the earlier rounds closed. A lower cut-off pulls more candidates into the eligible pool, which helps fill those seats.

“If your score is 234 or more, you are now in the race for an MDS seat. Do not sit this one out.”

Who benefits the most

The biggest winners are candidates who scored just below the old bar. A General-category student with 250 marks, for example, was not eligible a month ago. Today, that student can take part in counselling.

SC, ST, and OBC candidates get the largest relative relief. Their qualifying score has fallen by 71 marks, from 271 to 200. For many students in these categories, the gap between “not qualified” and “qualified” has just disappeared.

General-PwBD candidates benefit too. Their cut-off has come down from 289 to 218 marks, so a 71-mark drop there as well.

This change comes right as the counselling season moves into its final phase. NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 counselling registration closed earlier this month, so candidates who are now newly eligible should watch the counselling schedule closely for what comes next.

What you must do now

A lower cut-off does not hand you a seat. It only opens the door. Seat allotment still works the same way: your rank, your category, the choices you fill, and the seats on offer decide the result.

• Check the official notice. Read the revised cut-off notification on the NBEMS official website to confirm your eligibility status.
• Watch the MCC portal. The Medical Counselling Committee handles MDS seat allotment. Keep checking the MCC website for counselling updates, including any MCC stray vacancy counselling rounds that may accept newly eligible candidates.
• Keep your documents ready. Your candidature stays provisional until you meet every eligibility rule in the information bulletin. NBEMS will verify face identification and biometric details wherever required.
• Do not pay before you confirm. Read the eligibility rules in the information bulletin first, and only then take part in any round. A qualifying score alone does not make you eligible if another rule fails.

Do not wait for someone to call you. Counselling portals move fast in the final rounds, and deadlines in these rounds are short. Log in, check your status, and keep your documents and fee payment ready in advance.