NEET is a highly anticipated and competitive entrance exam in the country, awaited by lakhs of medical aspirants. The exam is an important gateway for admissions to various esteemed medical colleges and universities. So, when it comes to NEET, a candidate must be well-acquainted with the concepts of qualifying marks and cut-off marks.
Do you think that both are the same? No, they are certainly not! Qualifying marks differ in nature, purpose and application from the cut-off marks in the NEET exam. Knowing both concepts and their differences is important to plan a study strategy and crack the exam on your first attempt.
Grasping the Concepts of Qualifying Marks and Cut-off Marks in NEET
Students should understand and grasp the following details about the qualifying and cut-off marks in the NEET exam.
Qualifying Marks
- Qualifying marks are the minimum marks a candidate requires to be eligible or competent for further stages of the NEET exam. These marks decide whether you are eligible for admission to the medical colleges in the country or not.
- These marks are determined by the exam conducting authority, NTA (National Testing Agency).
- Qualifying marks set an important scale to filter out candidates that have not secured enough scores to proceed to the next stage.
- The authorities determine these marks based on the number of students appearing for the exam and its difficulty level.
Cut-Off Marks
- Cut-off marks are the minimum marks students require to earn for admission to the desired individual medical colleges for specific courses.
- These marks are determined by the exam conducting authority, NTA, depending on various category reservations, difficulty level of the exam, and seats available for the opted courses by students.
- It is crucial for the students to surpass or at least meet the minimum cut-off to proceed to the next stage, i.e. counselling and college seat allotment.
Difference Between Qualifying and Cut-Off Marks in NEET Exam
The following are the key differences between Qualifying and cut-off marks that the students should consider when preparing for the exam.
Purpose
- Qualifying marks depict the minimum eligibility and competence required for progressing to the further stages of the NEET exam.
- However, the purpose of cut-off marks is to determine whether a candidate is eligible for admission to a specific medical college or courses
Application
- Qualifying marks are applicable to test the eligibility uniformly for all the appearing candidates, irrespective of the colleges or courses they want admission to.
- Cut-off marks apply for admission to specific individual colleges and universities based on the available seats and the applications received for admissions.
Variation
- Qualifying marks do differ every year as determined by the concerned authorities. However, they do not fluctuate much and are more stable compared to cut-off marks every year.
- Cutt-off marks, on the other hand, differ every year based on the applications received, seats available in colleges for specific courses, category-wise reservations etc.
Estimated Qualifying Marks for NEET 2023 | ||
Category | Marks | Percentile |
Unreserved Category | 720-138 | 50th |
Reserved Category | 137-108 | 40th |
Estimated Cut-Off for NEET 2023 | |
Category | Percentile |
Unreserved Category | 50th |
Reserved Category | 40th |
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between qualifying and cut-off marks is as important as knowing your syllabus for the NEET exam. So, students must ensure they are thorough with these concepts. Figuring out this difference is vital for framing study strategies and setting goals to surpass even the cut-off scores. Only then are you eligible to get admission into your desired medical college? A strong foundation will help you reach your goals and achieve your desired success.
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