NEET-PG 2026 result: 258 candidates score zero or below as 2.66 lakh appear

As many as 258 candidates who appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) 2026 scored zero or negative marks, according to an analysis of the result data published by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

The examination was taken by 2,65,960 candidates, with 64 candidates scoring zero and another 194 recording negative marks. The lowest score in the examination was minus 59 out of 720. The candidate with this score was placed at All India Rank 2,65,960.

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

Over 2.65 lakh candidates appeared

Of the 2,65,960 candidates who appeared for NEET-PG 2026, 2,63,544 took the examination on August 30.

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

NEET-PG 2026: Key result statistics

Parameter	Figure
Total candidates appeared	2,65,960
Scored zero or below	258
Scored exactly zero	64
Scored negative marks	194
Lowest score	−59 / 720
Rank at lowest score	2,65,960
Candidates in August 30 exam	2,63,544
Candidates in Jaipur re-exam	2,416
General/EWS cut-off	262 / 720
General PwBD cut-off	244 / 720
SC/ST/OBC + PwBD cut-off	226 / 720
General/EWS qualifying percentile	50th
General PwBD qualifying percentile	45th
SC/ST/OBC + PwBD qualifying percentile	40th

The results provide a broad picture of performance in one of India's key medical entrance examinations, which determines admission to postgraduate medical courses across the country.

NEET-PG 2026 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 category candidates with benchmark disabilities, the cut-off was 244 marks, corresponding to the 45th percentile.

For candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), including those with benchmark disabilities in these categories, the qualifying cut-off was 226 marks, corresponding to the 40th percentile.

All 258 candidates who scored zero or negative marks fell below the qualifying threshold applicable to the different categories.

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.