Is the NEET 2023 Cutoff Expected to Decrease?

I appeared for my NEET UG exam in 2018. Back then, around 15 lakh students appeared for the exam. Our faculties used to tell us to just cross the 500 marks boundary, and you’ll get into a Government Medical college. MBBS seats from a government college were easily available if one’s marks were above 500/720.

For the 2018 NEET exam, my marks were 485, and my AIR (All India Rank) was 27730. Despite this, I didn’t get a government college; I got a seat in a semi-private college based on merit. The admissions for my college closed at 475 for that particular year.

After I completed my second year of MBBS following the NEET 2019 exam, students who were alloted to my college came with their parents for enquiries and admission. I asked one of the students about his NEET marks. He scored 540 out of 720 and got a rank in a similar range as I did the previous year! This is an incredible jump of 70 marks in just one year!

Here is a list of candidates who registered for the NEET exam. As you can see, the number of students increases every year, clearly indicating the rise in NEET cutoffs. The number of students applying for the NEET exam:

Another supporting fact is the news about NEET 2024. Students scoring 600/720 are not getting a Government college. Six years ago, AIR 1 used to score more than 600.

Hence, in the future, the cutoff is going to increase at a faster rate compared to the increase in MBBS seats and new colleges every year.

The NEET cutoff may decrease if the exam is more difficult, candidate performance is lower, or if more seats are available. However, it depends on multiple factors, and trends will be clearer closer to the results.

This year, for the 2024 NEET, it is next to impossible that the cut-off marks will decrease. Rather, there might be an increase of around 35–40 marks as compared to the cut-off marks of the previous year.

Note: The official NEET 2024 All India cut-off marks have not been released as counseling is yet to begin.

With the increasing number of registrations and repeaters adding on every year, people clearing the exam in 5–6 attempts, the cutoff is only going to increase. There must be an age limit on the NEET.