The world of medical exams is often a place of intense competition and high stakes. Every year, thousands of medical aspirants take the NEET PG exam, hoping to secure their spot in postgraduate medical courses. But this year, a surprising change has shaken up the usual rules. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, or NBEMS, has announced a significant revision in the eligibility criteria for NEET PG 2025 candidates. This update will take effect starting January 14, 2026, and could change who gets a chance to participate in the next step of their medical journey.
Imagine the scenario as a story. Once, only those who scored above a certain high standard could even think about counseling for their dream postgraduate seat. But now, the rules have relaxed dramatically. The qualifying percentiles for certain groups—such as candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC communities, and even those with disabilities—have been brought down from 40th percentile all the way to the 0th percentile. That’s like saying, “Everyone, no matter how low their score, can now participate.” It's a big change that has left many students wondering what it all means.
How did this happen? Well, it’s related to the exam’s marking scheme, which is the rules that decide how scores are given. In NEET PG, each correct answer earns 4 marks. Every wrong answer results in a deduction of 1 mark, which is called negative marking. If a candidate leaves a question blank, they get no marks for that question. Based on this system, some students could end up with negative scores—scores less than zero—if they answered many questions incorrectly.
Originally, only students with scores above the previous cut-off, expressed as a percentile, could participate in counseling to get postgraduate seats. Now, with this new update, even candidates who have negative scores—scores like minus 40—can be considered for counseling, at least in terms of eligibility. This is important because it opens up a larger pool of students for the next steps, especially those who might have faced challenging questions or lower total scores but still wish to try their luck.
It’s important to note that this change only affects eligibility for counseling, not the actual exam ranks or results. The authorities have confirmed that the official results, declared on August 19, 2025, remain unchanged for the moment. So, your rank or position in the exam does not alter because of this revision. If you scored in the original range, your rank is still the same; this is just about who can show up and participate in the counseling process.
Many students are curious: Does this mean candidates with negative scores can now join the same counseling sessions as top scorers? The answer is that the official confirmation on this is still pending. Currently, there’s no official statement saying that students with negative scores will be allowed to participate fully in counseling beyond the new eligibility criteria. So, students should stay tuned for further updates.
Why does this matter? For many, this revision could be a game-changer. It might give those who performed poorly or were unsure about their answers a second chance to be part of the process. But this also raises questions about fairness and the purpose of qualifying marks, which are meant to filter out candidates based on their performance.
Remember, this change doesn’t dissolve the competitive spirit of the exam or diminish the importance of scoring well. Instead, it seems to be an adjustment meant to expand opportunities, perhaps making the process more inclusive. Still, candidates should be cautious and keep an eye on official notifications to understand exactly how these changes will be implemented.
In summary, the NEET PG 2025 exam results remain the same, but the eligibility rules for counseling are now more relaxed for certain groups, allowing those with lower or even negative scores to participate. The new cut-off score is now set at minus 40 out of 800, based on the exam’s negative marking scheme. This scheme awards 4 marks for each correct answer, deducts 1 mark for wrong answers, and gives no marks for unanswered questions.
As the story unfolds, students need to remember: nothing has changed about their actual exam performance so far. The upcoming days will reveal how this new rule affects the future counseling sessions. For now, candidates are advised to wait for official confirmation before drawing conclusions, but it’s clear that the landscape of NEET PG 2025 is shifting in a way that could create new opportunities for many medical aspirants.
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