The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), New Delhi, has announced a reduction in the qualifying percentiles for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test – Master of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS 2025). As per the revised criteria, the minimum qualifying percentiles for all categories have been lowered by 19.863 points, following directives from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The revision was detailed in an official NBEMS notice, citing the Ministry’s letter No.V.12025/84/2024-DE dated August 10, 2025, and made in accordance with the Dental Council of India’s (DCI) MDS Regulations, 2017 and the 1st Amendment Regulations, 2018.
Revised NEET MDS 2025 Cut-Offs
Under the new guidelines:
- General / Unreserved (UR) & Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates now require 30.137 percentile, reduced from the earlier 50 percentile.
- General – Persons with Benchmark Disability (General-PwBD) candidates need 25.137 percentile, down from 45 percentile.
- Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), including PwBD candidates, now require 20.137 percentile, reduced from the previous 40 percentile.
The original NEET MDS 2025 results were declared on May 15, 2025, and this percentile revision is aimed at widening the pool of eligible candidates for MDS admissions.
Ranks Remain Unchanged
NBEMS has clarified that this revision does not alter the ranks already published in the May 15, 2025 result notification. Candidates’ standings in the merit list remain exactly as before. The board reiterated that candidature remains provisional until all eligibility conditions outlined in the NEET-MDS 2025 Information Bulletin are met, which includes Face ID/Biometric verification where applicable.
The official notice stated:
“It may be noted that there is no change in the NEET-MDS 2025 rank as published vide NBEMS result notification dated 15.05.2025.”
Impact on Counselling
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is currently conducting the NEET MDS 2025 counselling process. While the revised percentile thresholds will make more candidates eligible for admission, NBEMS has not issued specific guidance on how this will impact ongoing counselling rounds or seat allocation.
Experts believe that lowering the qualifying percentiles could help fill vacant postgraduate dental seats across government and private institutions. However, it could also increase competition among newly eligible candidates, particularly in the later rounds of counselling.
Regulatory Context
The percentile reduction aligns with the DCI’s provision that allows authorities to lower qualifying marks if a significant number of seats remain unfilled. The 2nd proviso in clause 7(1) of the MDS Course (1st Amendment) Regulations, 2018 enables such adjustments to ensure optimal seat utilisation without compromising minimum competency standards.
What Candidates Should Do
Candidates who now qualify under the revised cut-offs should immediately check the MCC counselling schedule and participate in choice-filling and seat selection as per the official timelines. They must also prepare the required documents for verification at the time of reporting.
With this revision, many aspiring dental postgraduates have gained a fresh opportunity to secure an MDS seat in the 2025–26 academic year, making the upcoming counselling rounds even more significant, for more details CLICK HERE
