The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a medical entrance examination that takes place on a national level. Naturally, the number of students that appear for the exam is in lakhs. But out of those lakhs of students, how many actually get selected for NEET?
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the exam and announces the cut-off scores after declaring the results. Students have to sit for the exam and score marks above the predetermined cut-off to reserve seats in an undergraduate medical course of their choice, such as MBBS, BDS, and other medical programs. This blog will give you an insight into how many students get selected each year.
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Number of NEET Examinees Each Year
When the NEET exam took place for the first time in 2013, a total of 6.5 lakh students appeared for the exam. The number kept increasing as the years passed, with over 14 lakh students appearing for the exam in 2019.
However, as the pandemic struck, the number fell rapidly. In 2020, only 13.6 lakh students sat for the exam, registering the lowest growth rate when NEET was established. The coming years saw the number of applicants gradually rising. In 2021, 15.4 lakh students appeared for the exam, while 2022 saw 18.7 lakh registrations and 17.6 lakh test takers.
The highest number of registrations was recorded in 2023, with almost 21 lakh students applying for NEET.
Selection Criteria for NEET
Although many students sit for the exam, you must understand that the selection process depends on individual colleges with their own admission criteria. Moreover, the number of seats available in colleges is limited.
In 2023, a total of 322 government medical colleges will be offering 48,012 MBBS. Similarly, different courses have different numbers of seats.
So the answer to how many students are selected in NEET every year is that it depends on factors like:
- Number of candidates appearing for the exam
- Difficulty level of the exam
- Number of seats available
- NEET cut-off scores
Number of Students Selected in NEET Each Year
The NEET 2023 cut-off marks released by NTA decide how many students have passed the exam and who will be able to secure seats in government and private colleges.
- In 2019, 14.10 lakh candidates registered for the exam, of which 13.26 lakh appeared and 7,97,042 candidates qualified.
- In 2020, a total of 13.66 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, out of which 7,71,500 candidates qualified for the exam.
- In 2021, out of 15.4 lakh students, a total of 7,97,042 students qualified.
- Last year in 2022, 17.64 lakh candidates wrote the exam while 9,93,069 candidates passed.
So as you can see, every year, over 50% of students pass the exam and become eligible for one of the seats in their choice of medical institution.
Conclusion
Qualifying for NEET with good scores is the first step towards securing a seat in one of the top medical colleges in the country. If you work hard and stay consistent in your preparation, you can easily crack the exam and pursue the course you want in your college of choice.
FAQs
How many marks are required in NEET for MBBS out of 720?
NTA releases the cut-off percentile, which decides the marks required in NEET 2023 for MBBS. However, a score of 500 and up is considered good.
What are the passing marks for NEET out of 720?
The qualifying marks change every year and depend on the NTA cut-off percentile. However, a score of 135 and above is the usual range.
