As the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the NEET UG 2024 results on June 4, 2024, a significant increase in the cut-off scores was observed this year. The cut-off for general and general-PH category applicants has increased to 720-164 this year, compared to 720-137 last year. For scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, and other backward class candidates, the NEET UG 2024 cut-off has risen to 163-129, up from 136-107 last year. Likewise, the cut-off for SC, ST, and OBC-PH candidates has increased from 120-107 last year to 145-129 this year. “The major reason for increasing toppers and cutoff marks this year is the ease of question paper due to the unavailability of conceptual and numerical based questions in the exam paper,” Dr. Ram Kumar, Senior Faculty in Botany from Amity Institute for Competitive Examinations told the Financial Express.
Why did the NEET UG cut-off increase this year?
As per the NTA and field experts, the increasing number of candidates appearing in the exam and easy question papers this year were one of the major reasons for increased cut-off and Rank 1 holders this time.
According to the NTA, there are one lakh seats available across various medical colleges this year, with 23 lakh individuals competing, equating to 23 candidates vying for each seat. A record 23.81 lakh students registered for NEET UG 2024, up from 20.87 lakh registrations the previous year.
This year, on the Chemistry exam of NEET UG 2024, there was a question about atoms where students had to choose the correct answer from four options, determining which of the two statements given in the question were correct. The NTA noticed it after reviewing objections to the provisional answer key—that two of the options were marked as correct in both the old and new NCERT textbooks.
Considering this, “NTA had to assign 5 marks to all students who had marked either of the options. Due to this, marks of a total of 44 students’ increased from 715 to 720, which resulted in an increased number of toppers,” an NTA official told The Indian Express.
On the other hand, the setting of easy question papers is also a major reason for increasing competition and high rankers. “Certain conceptual topics from the NCERT Class 10 Biology textbooks have been removed, including plant transformation, minerals, nutrition, digestion and absorption, strategies for enhancement in food production, and environmental issues. These changes limit the scope for framing conceptual questions, as all questions now derive from the remaining chapters. This reduction in content hampers the ability to create challenging questions, disadvantaged brilliant students,” Kumar explained.
Kumar further explained that key concepts have been removed from NCERT Biology books for classes 10 and 12, following a similar trend in physics and chemistry. Consequently, the NEET exam’s difficulty level is decreasing annually, leading to a rising number of students scoring a perfect 720/720 each year.
Mounting competition, stressing students
Experts warn that the intensifying competition in NEET and the failure to secure a seat despite high scores could have detrimental effects on students’ mental health. They emphasise that under pressure, some students may resort to extreme measures such as suicide or social isolation. “The focus should be on providing students with top-notch education and support. This includes offering comprehensive counseling services to manage stress and navigate options. Private medical colleges advocate for fair tuition fees and expand scholarships. Exploring partnerships with international schools and alternative pathways broadens opportunities. Additionally, workshops improve exam preparation and understanding of the admission process,” Dr. Arun Chaudhary, associate dean, Department of Pathology, Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences, said.
On the other hand, experts highlight an urgent necessity to enhance medical infrastructure, including hospitals and colleges, to accommodate the growing number of aspiring candidates and address the demand for healthcare professionals in India. “Expanding medical seat availability is crucial, achievable through new institutions and the growth of existing colleges. Maintaining educational excellence means enhancing faculty and facilities. Addressing disparities in medical college distribution, especially in rural areas, ensures equitable access to quality education and healthcare,” Gaurav Tyagi, co-founder, Career Xpert, explained.