NEET UG 2026 Results Announced
The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET UG 2026 results on July 16, 2026, at the official website neet.nta.nic.in. This announcement includes the final answer key and category-wise cutoff marks for the re-examination conducted on June 21, 2026. The re-exam was held after the original May 3 exam was cancelled due to a paper leak. Nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for the re-exam, with 11.21 lakh qualifying for medical admissions. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to open registration for All India Quota (AIQ) counselling shortly.
NEET UG Results Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Re-exam Date | June 21, 2026 |
| Result Declared On | July 16, 2026 |
| Candidates Registered | 22.79 lakh |
| Candidates Appeared | Nearly 20 lakh |
| Candidates Qualified | 11.21 lakh (about 56%) |
| Highest Score | 715 out of 720 (joint AIR 1) |
| General Category Cutoff | 213 marks (50th percentile) |
| Official Website | neet.nta.nic.in |
How to Download the NEET UG 2026 Scorecard
Candidates can access their scorecards on the official NTA portal by following these steps:
- Visit neet.nta.nic.in.
- Click on the "NEET (UG) 2026 Result" link on the homepage.
- Log in using your application number and date of birth or password.
- Enter the security captcha and submit.
- The scorecard will appear showing marks, percentile, All India Rank (AIR), category rank, and qualifying status.
- Download the PDF and save multiple copies, as the scorecard is required throughout counselling.
Note: NTA does not send scorecards by post or email.
NEET UG 2026 Cutoff: Category-wise Qualifying Marks
While qualifying percentiles remain consistent with previous years, cutoff marks have reached record highs for General and OBC categories, indicating increased competition.
| Category | Qualifying Percentile | Cutoff Marks (out of 720) |
|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 50th | 213–715 |
| OBC | 40th | 177–212 |
| SC | 40th | 177–212 |
| ST | 40th | 177–212 |
| UR-PwBD | 45th | Percentile-based; not separately published |
| OBC/SC/ST-PwBD | 40th | Percentile-based; not separately published |
Top Scorers of NEET UG 2026
No candidate achieved a perfect score of 720 this year. Two candidates shared the top rank with 715 marks each, and a small group surpassed 700 marks.
| Rank | Name | State | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR 1 (joint) | Aryan Gupta | Punjab | 715/720 |
| AIR 1 (joint) | Panshul Bansal | Haryana | 715/720 |
Beyond the top two, 19 candidates scored above 700 marks and 138 scored over 690. Among these 138 candidates, over 93% were first-time NEET takers and nearly 99% were aged 17 to 19. Additionally, 1,492 candidates scored 650 marks or higher. The top 17 scorers, all above 705 marks, hailed from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
Category-wise Qualified Candidates
| Category | Candidates Qualified |
|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 9,96,935 |
| OBC | 81,111 |
| SC | 29,947 |
| ST | 12,452 |
| Total | 11.21 lakh (approx.) |
Seat Matrix for NEET UG 2026 Admissions
Shortly before the results, the National Medical Commission released the updated MBBS seat matrix for the 2026-27 academic year. The total number of MBBS seats across 823 medical colleges stands at 1,36,939. This figure excludes seats under Institutes of National Importance such as AIIMS and JIPMER, which conduct separate counselling.
Reason for the Re-Examination
The original NEET UG 2026 exam, held on May 3 for 22.79 lakh registered candidates, was cancelled in mid-May after a paper leak was confirmed by the NTA. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe traced the leak to a source linked to the NTA. Consequently, the re-examination took place on June 21, 2026, conducted offline with the standard 720-mark, four-subject format and the usual +4/-1 marking scheme. The current results, cutoff, and merit list are based solely on this re-exam.
Next Steps: MCC Counselling 2026
Qualified candidates can now register for counselling conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). MCC manages counselling for the 15% All India Quota (AIQ), central universities, deemed universities, ESIC institutes, AIIMS, and JIPMER. The remaining 85% of seats under state quotas are handled separately by state authorities.
As of now, MCC has not announced official dates for Round 1 counselling. Based on the results timeline, registration is expected to open between July 21 and 25, 2026. Candidates should verify exact dates on mcc.nic.in rather than relying on tentative schedules.
The AIQ counselling process usually includes four rounds:
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3 (mop-up round)
- Stray Vacancy round
Reservation for AIQ seats follows central government norms:
- EWS: 10%
- OBC-NCL: 27%
- SC: 15%
- ST: 7.5%
- PwBD: 5% horizontal reservation within each category
NEET UG 2026 Results: Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the result declared? July 16, 2026, along with the final answer key and category-wise cutoff at neet.nta.nic.in.
- What is the General/EWS cutoff? 213 out of 720 marks at the 50th percentile, the highest General-category cutoff recorded.
- How many candidates qualified? Approximately 11.21 lakh out of nearly 20 lakh, a qualification rate of about 56%.
- Who topped the exam? Aryan Gupta (Punjab) and Panshul Bansal (Haryana) jointly secured AIR 1 with 715 marks each. No candidate scored a perfect 720.
- Is this result from the original May 3 exam? No, the May 3 exam was cancelled due to a paper leak. This result is based on the re-exam held on June 21, 2026.
- When will MCC counselling begin? Official dates are yet to be announced. Registration is expected around July 21–25, 2026, but candidates should confirm on mcc.nic.in.
- How to download the scorecard? Log in at neet.nta.nic.in using application number and date of birth or password to view and download the PDF scorecard.
