One in Four NEET Candidates Dropped Out in Kerala in 2026; Rajasthan Showed 69% Success Rate

In New Delhi, it was recorded that the minimum score required to pass the NEET-UG entrance exam reached a historical maximum of 213 marks. Meanwhile, the number of candidates who successfully passed the medical entrance exam decreased by 115,000. This discrepancy is attributed both to a smaller number of participants and a sharp increase in score distribution.

Changes in Qualification Thresholds

Furthermore, for the first time in history, the share of qualified candidates from EWS and OBC categories exceeded 60% of those who appeared. At the same time, the percentage of qualified candidates from the unreserved category is now below 50%. The qualification thresholds for unreserved and EWS candidates rose to 213 marks from 144 marks in 2025, representing an increase of 69 marks. For candidates from OBC, SC, and ST, the threshold increased by 64 marks, rising from 113 to 177.

Participation and Performance Dynamics

The passing range for UR/EWS shifted from 720-162 in 2024 to 686-144 in 2025, and in the current year, it stands at 715-213. For candidates from OBC, SC, and ST, the lower limit changed from 127 in 2024 to 113 last year, and then sharply increased to 177. The total number of registrations remained almost unchanged—22.8 million compared to 22.76 million in 2025. However, the number of candidates who appeared decreased from 22.09 million to 19.99 million, which is a drop of nearly 2.1 million. Consequently, attendance fell from 97.1% to 87.7%.

Results Analysis and Passing Percentages

The number of qualifiers dropped from 12.37 million to 11.21 million, indicating a decrease of 9.3%. Nevertheless, the success rate among those who appeared remained almost the same—around 56.1%, suggesting that the reduction in qualified candidates is mainly due to fewer participants rather than a decline in performance. According to category passing criteria, UR and EWS candidates must score at least the 50th percentile, while OBC, SC, and ST candidates require the 40th percentile. For candidates with disabilities, the requirement is the 45th percentile for UR/EWS and the 40th percentile for OBC, SC, and ST.

Detailing Ranges and Statistics

Regarding scores, the ranges for 2026 were as follows: 715-213 for UR/EWS, 212-177 for OBC, SC, and ST, 212-194 for UR/EWS-PwBD, and 193-177 for most candidates from reserved categories with disabilities. The range for ST-PwBD was 191-177. The NTA table shows that 9.97 million candidates passed the UR/EWS threshold, while 81,111 candidates from OBC, 29,947 from SC, and 12,452 from ST passed within the lower sliding band. These figures refer to the sliding bands, not the total number of qualifiers from each social category.

Categorical Passing Rates

Separately by category, 61.8% of EWS candidates who appeared passed the selection, which was the highest figure. This was followed by 60.7% of OBC candidates. The passing rate among SC candidates was 52.4%, among all candidates—51.2%, and among ST candidates—49%.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Bachelor) Neet (UG) 2026 on Thursday. The agency stated that the publication of results was timely to keep the medical admission and counseling calendar on schedule.

Results and Ranking Leaders

Approximately two million participants took the Neet (UG) 2026 exam, spread across 5440 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Out of this number, 1,121 thousand candidates qualified for undergraduate programs in medicine, dentistry, AYUSH, and related fields.

Top Exam Results

The highest score in Neet UG 2026 was achieved by Aryan Gupta from Ludhiana, who secured the first rank in the All India Rank (AIR 1) with an exceptional percentile of 99.9999. Panshul Bansal from Haryana also achieved the second rank in the All India Rank (AIR 2) with the same percentile.

Other highly ranked candidates include Uplakshyu Goyal from Rajasthan, who ranked AIR 3 with a percentile of 99.99985, and Ayush Bhalotia from Bihar—AIR 4. Kudale Shravani Krishna from Maharashtra became the highest-ranked female candidate, securing AIR 5, followed by Riya Ranjan from Bihar at AIR 6.

Participant Geography

Among the top 138 ranked candidates, Maharashtra showed the largest representation with 22 participants, followed by Rajasthan (18) and Punjab (11). Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh each provided nine candidates, while Gujarat and Delhi contributed eight candidates each.

Preparation Strategies of Top Performers

Several other candidates from the list of leaders shared their preparation methods, emphasizing the importance of discipline, consistency, and family support for achieving success. Ayush Bhalotia, who ranked AIR 4, reported scoring 710 marks and maintaining a disciplined study routine while preparing in Kota. He told ANI: 'I scored 710 marks and ranked 4th in the All India Rank... I dedicated about five to seven hours to self-study and attended classes for six hours every day.'

Critic Jain, who ranked AIR 18, stressed that he focused on doing his best rather than aiming for a specific rank. He told ANI: 'I tried to give my absolute best, although at the time I wasn't really thinking about achieving a specific rank. My only goal was to give everything I had... My parents were incredibly supportive. When I got good results, they were very happy, which motivated me further. When my results weren't as good, they told me not to get upset. They reminded me that there was still room for improvement and that I could do better, especially since there was still plenty of time before the NEET exam.'

Gudjan, who ranked AIR 52, linked her success to continuous learning and teachers' advice. She told ANI: 'I studied hard and followed my teachers' advice. I studied for about six to seven hours daily. Including classes, my total study time reached approximately ten hours. My family supported me greatly.'