NEET-UG 2026 Results: 11.21 lakh candidates qualified in the re-test; women outnumber men
NEET-UG, which was originally held on May 3, was canceled on May 12 following allegations of question paper leakage. Photo file | Photo credit: The Hindu
A total of 11.21 lakh candidates qualified in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 held earlier this year, the results were declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday. Nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for the re-examination held on June 21 after the cancellation of an earlier exam due to an alleged paper leak.
These successful candidates are now eligible for admission to Undergraduate Medical (MBBS), Dental (BDS), AYUSH and allied courses across the country.
Two candidates, Aryan Gupta from Punjab and Panshul Bansal from Haryana scored the highest score of 715 (out of 720 marks) in the re-examination. Female aspirants recorded a stellar performance and accounted for more than 58% of the total number of qualified candidates. They also outperformed men in the overall pass rate – 56.8% of women who appeared passed the exam compared to 55.1% of men.
Of the top 138 candidates (scores above 690), 93% passed the exam on the first attempt, with 99% of them aged between 17 and 19. Nineteen candidates exceeded the threshold of 700 points.
The exam was conducted in 13 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Bengali.
State results
Uttar Pradesh generated the highest number of successful candidates with over 1.7 lakh qualifiers while Lakshadweep scored 43.
The top 17 positions (above 705 marks) were distributed among eight states – Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Regional top performers included Jigmet Yangchan Lamo (Ladakh, 530 marks), Dhruv Tripathi (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 606) and Fahmida Anees (Lakshadweep, 573).
Among the candidates who qualified, 5.12 lakh belonged to the Other Backward Classes-Non Creamy Layer category, followed by 2.91 lakh from the General category; 1.59 lakh from the Scheduled Caste category; 95,026 from generally-economically weaker sections; 63,716 from Scheduled Tribes; and 3,666 and 303 candidates from the category Persons with comparative disabilities and persons with disabilities.
Verification and queries
The initial provisional answer keys have been released and the public call window for candidates has been opened from June 25 to June 28. Scanned copies of original OMR answer sheets and recorded answers of candidates were placed transparently online for direct verification from July 13 to July 15.
The final verified answer key was released on Thursday, which was immediately followed by the final compilation and release of the all-India scorecards.
The NTA reminded candidates that its statutory mandate under the National Medical Commission (NMC) and NCISM Acts is strictly limited to conducting the examination and issuing all-India ranks. “Actual merit lists, residential verification and allotment of seats in counselors are under the purview of respective state authorities and the Medical Counseling Committee (MCC),” the education ministry said in its official statement.
“The NTA specifically warns against fraudulent phone calls, text messages or websites promising to lock seats or manipulate scores for money. Any suspicious activity can be reported directly to the authorities,” the report continued.
Eligible candidates can access and download their results from the official website at neet.nta.nic.in.
Published – 16 Jul 2026 23:04 IST