What is the passing marks in neet out of 720?

What is the Passing Marks in NEET Out of 720?

Hey there! As someone who's been through the NEET grind (and helped a few friends prep too), I know how nerve-wracking it can be waiting for those results. NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is India's gateway to medical colleges for MBBS, BDS, and other UG courses, and the total marks are indeed 720 (180 questions: 360 from Biology, 180 from Physics, and 180 from Chemistry).

Now, the "passing marks" in NEET aren't a fixed number like in school exams—they're qualifying marks set by the National Testing Agency (NTA) based on percentiles. To qualify for counseling and admissions, you need to score at or above the cutoff percentile for your category. The actual marks corresponding to that percentile vary each year depending on factors like the number of candidates, exam difficulty, and seat availability.

For NEET 2025 (results declared on June 14, 2025), here's the official qualifying cutoff:

Important notes:

• The minimum to pass is the lower end of these ranges (e.g., 144 for General). But remember, qualifying just gets you into the counseling pool—actual admission to colleges depends on your All India Rank (AIR) and state quotas. For top government MBBS seats, you'll realistically need 650+ marks.
• These are the qualifying cutoffs for eligibility. The admission cutoffs (for specific colleges) are much higher and released during counseling rounds by MCC (Medical Counselling Committee).

Quick Trend Over the Years

To give you context, here's how passing marks have trended for the General category (50th percentile):

You can see they've fluctuated—2025's lower end is a bit higher than 2024's due to exam patterns, but it's not drastically different.

If you've just taken the exam or are planning ahead, focus on consistent practice and mock tests to aim well above these thresholds. Got your scorecard? Use the NEET College Predictor tools on sites like Careers360 to see your options. Feel free to drop a comment if you have more questions—best of luck, future doc!