NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam Result and Cutoff: Stray Round Next

NTA declared the NEET UG 2026 re-exam result on 16 July 2026. Of close to 20 lakh candidates, 11.21 lakh qualified, and the General cutoff was 213 out of 720. MCC counselling is in its last stage. The Round 3 final result is out, reporting closes on 9 October, and the stray vacancy round opens on 12 October.

Updated on 5 October 2026.

Key Takeaways: NEET UG 2026 re-exam result and counselling

• Result declared on 16 July 2026. Close to 20 lakh candidates sat the 21 June re-exam and 11,21,185 qualified, according to the NTA result press release of 16 July 2026.

• The qualifying cutoff rose sharply. General and EWS candidates needed 213 out of 720 (50th percentile), against 144 in 2025. OBC, SC and ST candidates needed 177 (40th percentile), against 113 in 2025.

• Counselling is near its end. MCC published the Round 3 final allotment result on 1 October 2026. Round 3 reporting runs to 9 October, and stray vacancy round registration runs from 12 to 14 October.

• Qualifying is not the same as getting a seat. India has 1,40,664 MBBS seats for 2026-27, of which 64,121 are in government colleges, according to the NMC seat matrix of 21 September 2026. That is about eight qualified candidates for every seat.

• Two highest scorers. Aryan Gupta (Punjab) and Panshul Bansal (Haryana) scored 715 out of 720. Only 19 candidates scored above 700.

For the full exam picture, from syllabus to counselling, see our NEET UG 2026 guide. The quick version of the score data is in our web story on NEET UG 2026 marks and official numbers.

NEET UG 2026 re-exam result at a glance

Registered, appeared and qualified counts come from the NTA key data points of NEET (UG) over years, 2019 to 2026. Centre and city counts come from the NTA result press release.

Why was there a NEET UG 2026 re-exam?

The first NEET UG 2026 exam was held on 3 May 2026. On 12 May 2026, NTA cancelled it with the approval of the Government of India, after inputs on alleged malpractice. The Government referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as stated in the NTA press release of 12 May 2026.

NTA fixed the re-exam for 21 June 2026 in its public notice of 15 May 2026. Candidates did not register again and paid no second fee. Our guide to the NEET date of exam covers every date in the 2026 cycle.

What was the NEET UG 2026 re-exam cutoff?

The NEET UG 2026 qualifying cutoff is the lowest score that makes a candidate eligible for MBBS and BDS admission. It is set by percentile, not by a fixed mark. A percentile shows where you stand against everyone who sat the exam. So when the paper or the cohort changes, the cutoff marks move.

All figures are from the NTA key data points of NEET (UG). The General cutoff rose by 69 marks in one year, from 144 to 213. Our NEET cutoff page keeps the full list of past cutoffs.

How many candidates qualified NEET UG 2026, by category?

Fewer candidates qualified in 2026 than in 2025, mainly because fewer appeared in the re-exam. The share who qualified stayed close to 56 per cent in both years.

Source: NTA key data points of NEET (UG), 2019 to 2026. More than 58 per cent of the qualified candidates in 2026 were women, according to the NTA result press release.

NEET UG 2026 score distribution: how many scored 500, 600 and 650?

A qualifying score is only the start. What decides a seat is how many candidates scored above you. The NTA result press release gives these counts for NEET UG 2026.

Compare that with 64,121 government MBBS seats. Even 90,780 candidates at 500 or more is larger than the number of government seats, before reservation and state quotas are applied. Our college predictor shows which colleges a NEET UG 2026 rank could reach.

NEET UG 2026 counselling status: where MCC stands now

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) runs All India counselling for MBBS and BDS. It holds three rounds and an online stray vacancy round. The dates below are from the MCC schedule for Rounds 2, 3 and 4, dated 14 September 2026.

The MCC Round 3 final allotment result was published on 1 October 2026. For what each round involved, see our NEET UG 2026 MCC counselling Round 1 guide and our MCC Round 3 registration 2026 guide. The web story on the MCC Round 3 schedule shows the dates in a few slides.

Fees are from the MCC UG Counselling 2026 information bulletin. A candidate who does not join a seat allotted in Round 2 or a later round loses the security deposit.

What should you do now after the NEET UG 2026 result?

The next step depends on where you stand on 5 October 2026.

• You hold a Round 3 seat. Report to the college with your original documents by 9 October 2026. A Round 3 seat cannot be resigned. Not joining it means losing the security deposit and being removed from further rounds.

• You have no seat yet. Watch for the stray vacancy round, with registration from 12 to 14 October 2026. Our NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round guide explains who can take part.

• You joined a Round 3 seat or hold a state seat. You cannot take part in the All India stray vacancy round. MCC and the states share data on joined candidates.

• You are in state counselling. State rounds run on their own dates. Follow your state counselling authority's website, because state seats make up the larger share of government seats.

• You qualified but expect no seat. Compare the realistic options now: a private or deemed seat in India, a second NEET attempt, or MBBS abroad. Our web story on options when you qualify but get no MBBS seat lists them in short.

How many MBBS seats are there for NEET UG 2026 candidates?

India has 1,40,664 MBBS seats in 839 colleges for 2026-27, according to the NMC seat matrix dated 21 September 2026. NMC is the National Medical Commission, India's medical regulator. The count leaves out Institutes of National Importance such as AIIMS and JIPMER.

With 11,21,185 qualified candidates, there are about eight qualifiers for every MBBS seat, and about 17 for every government seat. Of these, MCC's Round 1 offered close to 27,300 MBBS seats across all its quotas, according to the MCC Round 1 seat matrix. Our MBBS seat matrix 2026-27 post has the state-wise numbers.

MBBS abroad after NEET UG 2026: the rules that apply

An Indian citizen who wants to study MBBS abroad must also qualify NEET UG, as the NEET UG 2026 information bulletin states. A NEET UG 2026 qualifier therefore meets this first condition.

The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 set the rules for the course itself:

• The course must last at least 54 months.

• It must include a 12-month internship at the same foreign institution.

• Teaching must be in English.

• After returning, the graduate must pass FMGE and then complete a 12-month supervised internship in India.

Online study counts only if it is made up in person. NMC's notice of 18 March 2026 on physical onsite compensation for online studies sets this out. It replaced an earlier notice dated 6 March 2026, which NMC withdrew.

FMGE pass rates for MBBS abroad graduates

FMGE, the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, is the screening exam a foreign medical graduate must pass before practising in India. It is run by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). The national results for 2025 are in the NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025.

So roughly one candidate in five passed in each 2025 exam. Pass rates differ widely by university and country, which is why the choice of university matters. Our FMGE 2026 pass rate guide has the latest figures. Graduates who want to work in another country sit that country's licensing exam instead, such as the USMLE in the United States or PLAB in the United Kingdom.

futureMBBS works with 23 partner universities in 9 countries across Europe. Our guide to MBBS in Europe after NEET Round 3 covers timing and costs for the 2026 intake.

Conclusion: NEET UG 2026 re-exam result and counselling

The NEET UG 2026 re-exam result came out on 16 July 2026, with 11.21 lakh qualifiers and a General cutoff of 213. Counselling has moved fast since then. MCC Rounds 1 and 2 are closed, the Round 3 final result is out, and the stray vacancy round opens on 12 October. With about eight qualifiers for every MBBS seat, families without a seat should compare state rounds, the stray round and the options abroad now.

Frequently asked questions about the NEET UG 2026 re-exam result

When was the NEET UG 2026 re-exam result declared?

NTA declared the NEET UG 2026 re-exam result on 16 July 2026, the same day as the final answer key. The re-exam was held on 21 June 2026 after the 3 May exam was cancelled. Close to 20 lakh candidates appeared, and 11,21,185 qualified. Scorecards are on neet.nta.nic.in.

What is the NEET UG 2026 qualifying cutoff?

The NEET UG 2026 qualifying cutoff is 213 out of 720 for General and EWS candidates, at the 50th percentile. OBC, SC and ST candidates needed 177, at the 40th percentile. General PwBD candidates needed 194. In 2025, the General cutoff was 144, so it rose by 69 marks, according to NTA.

How many candidates qualified NEET UG 2026?

According to NTA, 11,21,185 candidates qualified NEET UG 2026, out of 19,99,895 who appeared and 22,79,743 who registered. That is about 56 per cent of those who appeared. In 2025, 12,36,531 qualified. More than 58 per cent of the 2026 qualifiers are women.

Who topped NEET UG 2026?

Aryan Gupta from Punjab and Panshul Bansal from Haryana jointly topped NEET UG 2026 with 715 out of 720. NTA reported that 19 candidates scored above 700, and 138 scored above 690. The top 17 rankers, all above 705, came from eight states.

Is NEET UG 2026 MCC counselling over?

Not yet. MCC Rounds 1 and 2 are closed. The Round 3 final result came out on 1 October 2026, and Round 3 reporting runs until 9 October. The online stray vacancy round follows, with registration from 12 to 14 October, a result on 17 October and reporting until 26 October 2026.

Can I join the NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round?

You can take part if you hold no seat. A candidate who joined a seat in MCC Round 3 cannot join the All India stray vacancy round. Nor can a candidate who holds a state counselling seat, because MCC and the states share joined-candidate data. Registration runs from 12 to 14 October 2026 on mcc.nic.in.

How many MBBS seats are there in India in 2026?

India has 1,40,664 MBBS seats in 839 colleges for 2026-27, according to the NMC seat matrix dated 21 September 2026. Government colleges hold 64,121 seats and private colleges hold 76,543. The count leaves out AIIMS, JIPMER and other Institutes of National Importance. That is about eight qualifiers per seat.

Can I study MBBS abroad with my NEET UG 2026 score?

Yes, if you qualified NEET UG 2026. The NTA bulletin requires Indian citizens studying MBBS abroad to qualify NEET. The NMC rules then require a course of at least 54 months in English, with a 12-month internship at the same university. Graduates must pass FMGE to practise in India.

Sources

• NTA press release: decision on the NEET (UG) 2026 exam of 3 May 2026, 12 May 2026

• NTA public notice: conduct of re-examination for NEET (UG) 2026, 15 May 2026

• NTA press release: NEET (UG) 2026 result, 16 July 2026

• NTA: key data points of NEET (UG) over years, 2019 to 2026

• NTA: NEET (UG) 2026 information bulletin

• NTA NEET UG official website

• MCC: UG AIQ counselling schedule for Rounds 2, 3 and 4, 14 September 2026

• MCC: final allotment result for UG Round 3 counselling 2026, 1 October 2026

• MCC: UG Counselling 2026 information bulletin

• MCC: seat matrix for Round 1, NEET UG 2026

• MCC: UG medical counselling page

• NMC: MBBS seat matrix for 2026-27, 10 September 2026

• NMC: Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021

• NMC: physical onsite compensation for online studies, 18 March 2026

• NBEMS: FMGE Performance Report 2025