The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is set to lower the cutoff scores for NEET PG 2025 soon. This important update means more medical students will become eligible to apply for upcoming counselling rounds, especially Round 3, which assigns postgraduate medical seats across India. Official announcements from the MCC indicate that the NEET PG 2025 qualifying cutoff could be reduced by up to 15 percentile .
This decision follows the completion of the first two rounds of NEET PG 2025 seat allocation. The MCC has confirmed that the detailed dates and schedule for NEET PG counselling 2025 Round 3 will be released only after these new, lower cutoff scores are officially announced. Students and aspiring doctors should regularly check the official MCC website, mcc.nic.in, for these crucial updates.
Why is the NEET PG Cutoff being lowered?
The main reason for reducing the NEET PG cutoff is to fill all available medical seats. After the initial counselling stages (Round 1 and Round 2), some postgraduate medical seats often remain vacant. High-ranking students usually secure their preferred seats in popular specializations like Radiology, General Medicine, or Surgery at top institutions. Other students might choose to wait for the next year to aim for a better rank if they do not get their desired course or college.
To prevent these valuable medical seats from remaining empty, the MCC lowers the qualifying percentile. This action broadens the pool of eligible students, allowing more candidates to participate in later counselling rounds. It provides additional opportunities for students to secure admission to postgraduate medical courses, even in less-preferred specializations or colleges. This ensures that available seats in the medical education system are used efficiently.
Expected Cutoff Reduction
While the exact new cutoff has not yet been declared, a significant reduction is anticipated. Following past trends, the MCC is expected to decrease the NEET PG 2025 cutoff by approximately 10 to 15 percentile . For instance, in 2024, the cutoff for the General category was lowered by 15 percentile. For candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories, the cutoff was reduced by 10 percentile.
A percentile score shows how a candidate's performance compares to others who took the exam. For example, a 50th percentile score means you performed better than 50% of all test-takers. Lowering this percentile makes it easier for more students to meet the minimum qualification for counselling.
Original NEET PG 2025 Qualifying Cutoffs
Before any reduction, here were the initial minimum qualifying percentiles for NEET PG 2025:
| Category | NEET PG 2025 Original Qualifying Percentile |
| Unreserved (UR) | 50th percentile |
| SC/ST/OBC | 40th percentile |
| UR PWD | 45th percentile |
What are the next steps for students?
Once the revised cutoff is announced, the MCC will promptly release the detailed schedule for Round 3 counselling. Students must remember that even with a reduced cutoff, they still need to achieve this new minimum qualifying score to be eligible for the counselling process. Only qualified candidates can register and choose their preferred colleges and courses for seat allotment.
Originally, registration for Round 3 NEET PG 2025 counselling was planned for December 26 . This date was postponed because the deadline for reporting for Round 2 admissions was extended. Now, students can expect Round 3 registration to begin in the second week of January 2026 . All registrations and choice filling must be done online via the official MCC website: mcc.nic.in.
Important Points for NEET PG Counselling
Eligibility: Candidates must meet the minimum cutoff score, whether original or revised, to be considered for seat allotment.
Seat Cancellation: A seat allotted in Round 2 automatically cancels any Round 1 seat. If no new seat is allotted in Round 2, the Round 1 seat remains.
Counselling Scope: The MCC conducts online counselling for 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats in postgraduate medical courses. State counselling bodies handle other seats.
Regularly checking official notifications from the MCC website is essential for all students aiming for a postgraduate medical seat through NEET PG 2025 counselling.
