NEET SS 2025 qualifying percentile reduced to 30th to fill 1,857 vacant seats

In short

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) reduced the NEET SS 2025 qualifying percentile to the 30th percentile on September 22, 2026.
The decision aims to fill 1,857 vacant super-speciality seats after the second round of counselling.
Approximately 6,000 additional candidates are now eligible for the proposed special stray vacancy round.
The reduction was made in compliance with a Supreme Court order issued on September 17, 2026.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is yet to announce the schedule for the special stray vacancy round.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has reduced the qualifying percentile for NEET SS 2025 from the 50th percentile to the 30th percentile. This decision, announced on September 22, 2026, in New Delhi, makes approximately 6,000 additional candidates eligible for super-speciality courses.

The move aims to address the 1,857 super-speciality seats that remained unfilled after the second round of NEET-SS counselling. It was made in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated September 17, 2026, in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 771 of 2026.

Reasons for the Percentile Reduction

The reduction in the qualifying percentile was directed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) through a letter issued on September 22, 2026. This action follows the Supreme Court’s concern over a bunch of super-speciality seats remaining vacant annually.

The Union Government, in a two-page note to the Supreme Court, stated, “To ensure available super speciality seats do not remain vacant and that the available training capacity is optimally utilised, it has been decided that the qualifying percentile for NEET-SS may be reduced from the existing 50th percentile to the 30th percentile for the purpose of proposed special stray vacancy round.” The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the decision was made in consultation with concerned stakeholders.

Impact on Candidates and Vacant Seats

With the revised percentile, candidates who secured the 30th percentile or above in their respective NEET-SS 2025 question paper groups are now qualified. This change specifically applies to the proposed special stray vacancy round.

The 1,857 vacant super-speciality seats comprise 1,094 DM/MCh seats and 763 DNB-SS seats. The revised result has been shared with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), MoHFW. No fresh scorecards will be issued, and there is no change in the question paper group-specific ranks declared on January 23, 2026.

Vacant Super Speciality Seats After Round 2
Course Type	Vacant Seats
DM/MCh	1,094
DNB-SS	763
Total	1,857

Candidates who have already secured and joined a seat in an earlier counselling round will not be permitted to use the Special Stray Vacancy Round to upgrade or switch their seat.

GROUP-Specific Cut-Off Scores

The NBEMS notice released on September 22, 2026, also detailed the group-specific qualifying cut-off scores at the 30th percentile. These scores are out of a maximum of 600 marks. The 30th percentile is based on a candidate’s position compared with other test takers, not simply 30% marks.

NEET-SS 2025 Group Specific Qualifying Cut-Off Scores at 30th Percentile (Out Of 600)
Question Paper Group	Qualifying Cut-Off Scores at 30th Percentile (Out Of 600)
Anaesthesiology Group	249
Critical Care Medicine Group	254
ENT Group	247
MEDICAL GROUP	175
Medical Oncology Group	180
Microbiology Group	306
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Group	325
Orthopaedics Group	256
Paediatric Group	231
Pathology Group	238
Pharmacology Group	213
Psychiatry Group	302
Radiodiagnosis Group	315
Respiratory Medicine Group	285
Surgical Group	243

Verification and Future Counselling Steps

During admission, the aggregate marks (in percentage) from all MBBS Professional Examinations, as provided by the candidate in their NEET-SS 2025 application form, will be verified. If these MBBS aggregate marks were used to break a tie in the NEET-SS 2025 rank and are found to be incorrect, the candidate’s NEET-SS 2025 candidature will be cancelled.

The NBEMS notice also stated, “If at any stage, candidates are found to have resorted to use of any unfair means in the exam, such candidates shall be liable for penal action as deemed appropriate by NBEMS/MCC/Counseling authority. In the event of any such candidates being declared successful in the NEET-SS 2025, the results/candidature of such candidates shall be cancelled and/or are deemed to be cancelled.” The official schedule for the Special Stray Vacancy Round, including registration, choice filling, seat allotment, and reporting, is yet to be announced by MCC. Candidates are advised to check the MCC official website, mcc.nic.in, for the counselling schedule and formal notice.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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