NEET UG 2024: Cut-offs to rise by 30 marks, many MBBS aspirants may retake exam next year

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions has seen exceptionally high scores this year, leading to an expected increase in the cut-off by 30 marks compared to last year. This year’s exam saw 67 students across the country, including 11 from Maharashtra, achieve perfect scores of 720. Experts predict that the competition for desirable seats in medical colleges will be intense, with the cut-off in Maharashtra expected to be around 620 marks for its 9,000 seats.

Despite the increase in scores, many students are likely to be eligible for 50,000 other seats in dental, physiotherapy, and paramedical courses. However, many students might consider retaking NEET next year if they do not secure admission to their desired MBBS colleges.

The Students Islamic Organisation of India has called for an investigation, an independent audit, and complete transparency to restore trust in NEET. Their statement highlighted reports of impossible scores and unexplained awarding of grace marks, causing significant stress for students and eroding confidence in the system.

Anil Nagar, founder of an online test preparation platform, urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to investigate the reported irregularities. He emphasized that this unprecedented situation requires appropriate measures to address the concerns raised by students and parents.

One such student, Avinash Chauhan, scored 599 marks and was ranked 82,000 this year. Last year, the same score would have ranked around 30,000. Avinash, who was attempting the exam for the fourth time, expressed his disappointment at not qualifying for any government medical college.

The Pune-based NGO District Entrance Examination Performance Enhancement and Research reported that many candidates, despite scoring well, are considering retaking the exam next year.

A director of a coaching institute in Pune, pointed out the dramatic increase in high scores, with over 2,250 students scoring above 700 marks this year compared to 350 last year. He also mentioned the possibility of a paper leak in North India.

Historically, the cut-off for MBBS in government medical colleges for general category students has been around 550-580 marks, with Mumbai-Pune colleges around 625-650 marks.

Compensatory marks and transparency issues:

The NTA stated on Thursday that 1,563 students were compensated for the loss of time during the NEET-UG 2024 exam. However, the statement did not specify the range of marks awarded or the formula used. The increase in candidates from 20.3 lakh to 23.3 lakh contributed to the higher number of high scorers.

Due to widespread discontent among aspirants, many students and parents are planning to move to court, alleging a lack of transparency in this year’s results. The NTA clarified that 50 out of the 67 students who scored 720 marks benefited from grace marks. Specifically, 44 students received grace marks for a physics question due to discrepancies in NCERT textbooks, and six received compensatory marks for loss of exam time.

The NTA formed a grievance redressal committee to address these issues, basing their decisions on factual reports and CCTV footage. The compensatory marks awarded ranged from -20 to 720, adjusted according to the candidates’ answering efficiency and time lost, following a Supreme Court formula from June 2018.

A parent, considering legal action, questioned the fairness of awarding grace marks, arguing that it was not mentioned in the information brochure. Dr. Santosh Kadam, president-elect of IMA-Maharashtra, also criticized the practice, calling it unfair in a high-stakes exam like NEET.