Thousands of aspirants who appeared for the Re NEET 2026 are waiting to understand the Re NEET 2026 SC Cutoff to evaluate their eligibility for medical admissions. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the NEET UG 2026 qualifying cutoff, and candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category must secure the 40th percentile to qualify for the counselling process.
For NEET UG 2026, the qualifying marks for the SC category are 212–177. However, qualifying the examination does not guarantee admission to an MBBS, BDS, or other medical programme. Final admission depends on factors such as the candidate's All India Rank (AIR), reservation policy, seat availability, choice filling, and counselling rounds.
The Re NEET 2026 SC cutoff refers to the minimum marks required by Scheduled Caste candidates to become eligible for the NEET UG counselling process.
There are two important types of cutoffs every candidate should understand:
Simply meeting the qualifying cutoff does not ensure admission to an MBBS seat.
| Particular | Details |
| Category | Scheduled Caste (SC) |
| Exam | Re NEET UG 2026 |
| Qualifying Percentile | 40th Percentile |
| Official Qualifying Marks | 212-177 |
| Admission Basis | AIR + Counselling |
| Counselling Authorities | MCC & State Authorities |
| Government College Admission | Based on merit and counselling |
Note: The NEET 2026 SC qualifying marks has been officially released with the Re NEET 2026 result.
| Particular | Details |
| Category | SC |
| Qualifying Percentile | 40th Percentile |
| Exam | Re NEET UG 2026 |
| Admission Basis | AIR + Counselling |
| Counselling | MCC & State Authorities |
| Official Cutoff | Released with Result |
The National Testing Agency has announced the official qualifying cutoff for the SC category. Candidates securing marks within the prescribed qualifying range and meeting the 40th percentile criterion are eligible to participate in the counselling process.
| Category | Qualifying Percentile | Official Qualifying Marks |
| SC | 40th Percentile | 212–177 |
| SC-PwBD | 40th Percentile | 193–177 |
Many students confuse qualifying marks with admission marks.
| Criteria | Score |
| Qualifying Cutoff | 177–212 |
| Safe Score for Private Medical Colleges | 250+ |
| Safe Score for Government MBBS (State Quota) | 450–550+ (varies by state) |
| Competitive AIQ Government Colleges | 520–600+ |
| AIIMS Admission | Usually 600+ |
The official qualifying cutoff only determines eligibility for counselling. Admission to medical colleges generally requires a considerably higher score.
Several factors influence the NEET SC category cutoff 2026, including:
Overall difficulty level of the examination
Number of candidates appearing
Total MBBS and BDS seats available
Reservation policy
Previous year's cutoff trends
Performance of candidates in the re-examination
Counselling rounds and seat vacancies
Even a small variation in these factors can change the qualifying marks.
| Year | Percentile | Qualifying Marks | Candidates Qualified |
| 2026 | 40th Percentile | 212–177 | 29,947 |
| 2025 | 40th Percentile | 143–113 | 31,995 |
| 2023 | 40th Percentile | 107–136 | 34,420 |
The official qualifying cutoff for the SC category increased in 2026 compared with the previous two years. While the qualifying marks moved to 212–177, the number of SC candidates qualifying under the eligibility criteria was 29,947, compared to 31,995 in 2025 and 34,420 in 2024. Changes in the qualifying marks generally reflect variations in overall candidate performance and the percentile-based cutoff process.
Candidates should note that securing the official SC qualifying cutoff of 177–212 marks only makes them eligible for counselling. Admission to government medical colleges depends on several additional factors, including:
All India Rank (AIR)
Reservation category
State quota
Number of available seats
Counselling round
The Re NEET SC government college cutoff is generally much higher than the qualifying cutoff.
Admission to AIIMS and top government medical colleges remains highly competitive.
Generally:
AIIMS requires exceptionally high scores.
Top government colleges admit candidates with much better AIRs.
Competition remains intense despite reservation benefits.
Candidates aiming for premier institutes should focus on achieving a score well above the minimum qualifying marks.
SC candidates receive reservation benefits during counselling as per Government norms.
Reservation benefits include:
Reservation under All India Quota (AIQ)
State quota reservation
Relaxed qualifying percentile
Reserved seats in government medical colleges
Candidates must produce valid documents during counselling.
SC Caste Certificate
NEET Scorecard
Admit Card
Class 10 & 12 Certificates
Identity Proof
Domicile Certificate (for state quota)
Medical admission experts advise candidates not to focus only on the qualifying cutoff.
Key points include:
Qualifying cutoff only makes you eligible for counselling.
Admission depends largely on AIR.
Aim for a safe score rather than the minimum qualifying marks.
Participate in every counselling round.
Previous year's cutoff should be treated only as a reference, not a guarantee.
Candidates with higher scores enjoy significantly better admission opportunities.
Many deserving candidates lose admission opportunities because of avoidable mistakes.
Common errors include:
Confusing qualifying cutoff with college cutoff
Ignoring AIQ and State Quota counselling
Not checking previous counselling trends
Participating only in Round 1
Delaying document verification
Not keeping reservation certificates updated
Avoiding these mistakes can improve admission chances considerably.