NEET PG may drop percentile scores for ranks as NMC backs new merit system
By TUF News Desk · Published 4 November 2026 · 4 min read
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Medical graduates preparing for NEET PG may soon be judged by a single number of a different kind. A 12-member expert committee has told the Supreme Court that postgraduate medical admissions should move from the percentile-based qualifying system to a rank-based merit system, and the National Medical Commission (NMC) has given the proposal in-principle approval.
The report was placed before the court on November 3. It covers both the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET PG) and the super speciality exam, NEET SS. Under the proposed system, results would declare ranks only. Percentile marks would no longer be specified.
What the committee has proposed
The change would end the annual argument over qualifying percentiles. At present, a candidate qualifies for counselling by clearing a percentile cut-off, which the authorities have repeatedly lowered late in the admission cycle to fill vacant seats. Under the new system, admission would rest on a candidate’s position in the merit list.
The NMC gave in-principle approval at its meeting on September 23, according to an October 1 letter from the NMC secretary to the Director General of Health Services. The commission is now working on a new regulation, and a draft is expected shortly for consultation with stakeholders. Until that regulation is finalised, nothing changes for candidates.
Why the court ordered a review
The review traces back to the NEET PG 2025 cut-offs. The Union Health Ministry lowered the qualifying score for general-category candidates from 276 to 103, and for SC, ST and OBC candidates from 235 to minus 40. A bench of Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe questioned the scale of that reduction and its effect on the quality of postgraduate medical education.
In May 2026, the court asked the Union government to find a permanent answer to the recurring cut-off reductions instead of revising the bar each year. The expert committee was set up after that direction. It said minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education must be maintained, and that competitive examinations should not be reduced to an administrative formality.
One petitioner counsel questioned the shift during the hearing. The court gave the petitioners time to file their responses and adjourned the matter, so the proposal will face further scrutiny before any regulation is settled.
What else the committee recommended
The report also takes up the vacant seats that have driven the cut-off cuts. It suggests lower fees for non-clinical postgraduate courses, with state fee fixation committees asked to consider separate fee structures for clinical and non-clinical branches. Candidates who take pre-clinical and para-clinical seats should be exempt from service bond requirements, the committee said, to make those seats easier to fill.
On counselling itself, the committee pointed to steps already introduced in the 2026-27 cycle. Candidates are now placed in Freeze and Float categories depending on whether they want to keep an allotted seat or seek an upgrade, and those seeking an upgrade can accept a seat online without visiting the institution. It also recommended that verified seat details reach counselling authorities well before counselling begins.
Candidates tracking the current rounds can follow notices on the official MCC portal. Those preparing for a reporting visit can work through the admission documents checklist, and candidates still comparing colleges can read how to choose a university in India before locking preferences.
Frequently asked questions
Will NEET PG 2027 use a rank-based system instead of percentiles?
Not yet. The National Medical Commission has given in-principle approval, but the regulation is still being drafted and will go out for stakeholder consultation before it can take effect.
What would change for candidates under a rank-based system?
Results would carry ranks only. Percentile scores would no longer be declared, and admission would be decided on rank in the merit list.
Why did the Supreme Court order a review of NEET PG admissions?
The court questioned the repeated lowering of qualifying cut-offs, including the NEET PG 2025 revision that cut the general-category qualifying score from 276 to 103, and asked for a lasting fix.
Does the proposal cover NEET SS as well?
Yes. The expert committee’s proposal covers both NEET PG and NEET SS counselling.
Frequently asked questions
Will NEET PG 2027 use a rank-based system instead of percentiles?
Not yet. The National Medical Commission has given in-principle approval, but the regulation is still being drafted and will go out for stakeholder consultation before it can take effect.
What would change for candidates under a rank-based system?
Results would carry ranks only. Percentile scores would no longer be declared, and admission would be decided on rank in the merit list.
Why did the Supreme Court order a review of NEET PG admissions?
The court questioned the repeated lowering of qualifying cut-offs, including the NEET PG 2025 revision that cut the general-category qualifying score from 276 to 103, and asked for a lasting fix.
Does the proposal cover NEET SS as well?
Yes. The expert committee's proposal covers both NEET PG and NEET SS counselling.
Sources: The Times of India, Careers360, NDTV