As many as 258 candidates scored zero or negative marks in the NEET for Postgraduate courses 2026.

NEET-PG 2026 result: Over 250 candidates score zero or below as 2.66 lakh appear

As many as 258 candidates scored zero or negative marks in the NEET for Postgraduate courses 2026. The examination saw 2,65,960 candidates appear, with the lowest score standing at minus 59 out of 720.

01 Oct 2026, 05:50 by Anmol Nath Bali · India Today

In Short

258 candidates scored zero or negative in NEET-PG 2026
2,65,960 candidates appeared for the exam
Lowest cut-offs since 2021 reported for NEET-PG

A total of 258 candidates scored zero or negative marks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) 2026, which saw 2,65,960 candidates appear, according to an analysis of the results published by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

Of these candidates, 64 scored zero, while 194 received negative marks. The lowest score was minus 59 out of 720, corresponding to an All India Rank of 2,65,960.

The figures are based on an analysis of the published score list and do not represent a separate category-wise breakdown released by NBEMS.

OVER 2.65 LAKH CANDIDATES TAKE THE TEST

Of the total candidates who appeared, 2,63,544 took the examination on August 30.

The remaining 2,416 candidates appeared for a re-examination held in Jaipur on September 5. The re-test was conducted after a power failure disrupted the examination at the affected centre.

CUT-OFFS RANGE FROM 226 TO 262

The qualifying cut-off for General and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates was 262 marks out of 720, corresponding to the 50th percentile.

For General candidates with benchmark disabilities, the cut-off was 244 marks, or the 45th percentile.

Candidates from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), including those with benchmark disabilities in these categories, needed 226 marks, corresponding to the 40th percentile.

All 258 candidates who scored zero or below fell short of the qualifying cut-off for every category.

The qualifying cut-offs for NEET-PG 2026 were also reported to be at their lowest levels since 2021 across categories. NEET-PG is the national-level entrance examination for admission to postgraduate medical courses in India.

- Ends