As the NEET PG 2025 counselling process moves forward, confusion persists among candidates about cut-off criteria, specifically the difference between percentile and percentage and how these affect eligibility for MD/MS admissions.
What Is a Percentile and Why Does It Matter?
In NEET PG, the cut-off is based on percentile — a statistical measure that reflects how a candidate performed relative to all others who appeared in the exam, not simply the raw marks scored. A higher percentile means a candidate performed better compared with other test-takers.
For example:
- A 50th percentile means scoring better than 50 % of candidates, regardless of absolute marks.
- Because of negative marking and multiple sections, actual marks and percentiles can diverge significantly.
This differs from percentage, which directly reflects the number of marks obtained out of the total (e.g., 400 out of 800 = 50 %). The percentage does not indicate rank or relative performance among all candidates.
How have Cut-Off Rules Changed for NEET PG 2025?
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) recently revised the minimum qualifying percentile for NEET PG 2025 counselling Round 3 after a large number of postgraduate seats remained vacant. Under the new criteria:
- The General/EWS qualifying percentile has been reduced from the 50th to the 7th percentile.
- For General PwBD, it is now the 5th percentile.
- For SC, ST and OBC candidates (including PwBD), it has been lowered to 0 percentile, meaning even candidates with negative marks (as low as –40 out of 800, due to negative marking) are eligible to participate in counselling under this criterion.
Why Does This Change Matter?
These revised cut-off percentiles do not change the NEET PG 2025 ranks already published; they only affect eligibility for counselling rounds. Candidates still compete for seats based on their rank list, and admissions depend on rank, choice filling, and seat availability, not just qualifying percentile. Understanding the difference between percentile (relative position among all candidates) and percentage (raw score proportion) is crucial since cut-off rules for counselling use percentile thresholds to decide eligibility.
What Candidates Should Know?
- Eligibility for counselling doesn’t guarantee a seat — seat allocation still depends on NEET PG rank and choices.
- The revised qualifying percentile helps expand the pool of eligible candidates for counselling to avoid seats remaining unfilled, but it has also sparked debate within the medical community about standards and merit.