50 Percentile in NEET Means – Complete Guide to Percentile, Marks & Rank

Many NEET aspirants are confused about “50 percentile in NEET means” and how it relates to marks, rank, and qualifying criteria. Every year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) releases the NEET qualifying marks in the form of percentile scores, not just raw marks.

If you’ve been wondering “how much percentage need for NEET exam”, or how to calculate the 50th percentile in NEET, this guide will break down everything with clear explanations, examples, and tables. We’ll also explain how percentile differs from percentage, how NEET rank is affected, and the exact marks criteria for NEET qualification.

Quick Answer – What Does 50 Percentile in NEET Mean?

• 50 percentile in NEET means your score is equal to or higher than 50% of all candidates who appeared in the exam.
• It’s not the same as 50% marks.
• For the General category, 50 percentile is the minimum NEET qualifying marks needed to be eligible for counseling.
• This cutoff percentile is converted into marks, which vary each year depending on exam difficulty.

Percentile vs Percentage in NEET

Before we explain 50 percentile in NEET, you need to know the difference between percentage and percentile.

Term	Meaning	Example
Percentage	Your score out of total marks, expressed in %	If you get 360/720 in NEET → 50% marks
Percentile	Your relative performance compared to others	If you are at 50 percentile → You scored better than 50% of students

So, 50 percentile in NEET is relative ranking, not a direct half of 720 marks.

How to Calculate NEET Percentile

The NTA uses this formula: NEET Percentile=Topper’s Marks−Your MarksTopper’s Marks×100\text{NEET Percentile} = \frac{\text{Topper’s Marks} – \text{Your Marks}}{\text{Topper’s Marks}} \times 100

(Actually, NTA uses relative rank position, but for simplification, we consider proportional performance in competitive exams.)

A simpler definition:
Percentile tells you what percentage of students scored less than you.

50th Percentile in NEET Means

• For General category, 50th percentile is the qualifying cutoff.
• For OBC/SC/ST, it’s 40th percentile.
• For General-PwD, it’s 45th percentile.

50 Percentile of 720 – How Many Marks?

The 50 percentile of NEET changes every year because it’s based on exam performance.
Here’s the past 3 years’ data:

Year	NEET 50 Percentile Marks (UR)	NEET 40 Percentile Marks (OBC/SC/ST)
2023	137	107
2022	117	93
2021	138	108

Example: In NEET 2023, the 50 percentile of 720 was 137 marks, not 360 marks.

Why Does 50 Percentile Marks Change Every Year?

Because percentile is relative to other students’ scores:

• If the paper is easy, qualifying marks go higher.
• If the paper is tough, qualifying marks go lower.

What is 50 Percentile in NEET for OBC/SC/ST?

• It’s actually 40 percentile in NEET, which is the reserved category qualifying cutoff.
• This also changes yearly.

40 Percentile in NEET Means

• You scored better than 40% of candidates.
• For reserved categories, this is the minimum to qualify.
• In NEET 2023, 40 percentile was 107 marks.

50 Percentile Means How Many Marks in NEET?

There’s no fixed number. For example:

• NEET 2023: 50 percentile = 137 marks.
• NEET 2022: 50 percentile = 117 marks.
• NEET 2021: 50 percentile = 138 marks.

Marks Criteria for NEET

General Category

• Must score ≥ 50 percentile.

OBC/SC/ST

• Must score ≥ 40 percentile.

PwD

• Must score ≥ 45 percentile.

NEET Rank for 50 Percentile

If you score exactly at the 50 percentile qualifying mark:

• Your NEET rank will likely be in the 6.5–8.5 lakh range, depending on the year.
• This rank is enough to be eligible for counseling, but not enough for MBBS in government colleges.

What Can You Do With 50 Percentile in NEET?

Possible Options

• Admission in private medical colleges (MBBS/BDS) through management quota.
• AYUSH courses like BAMS, BHMS, BUMS.
• Paramedical and allied health courses.

Not Possible

• MBBS in top government medical colleges for unreserved category.

How to Improve From 50 Percentile to 90+ Percentile

If you just qualify but want to improve your NEET rank:

1. Master NCERT Biology – 85% of NEET biology is directly from NCERT.
2. Daily Physics Practice – Solve at least 50 numerical problems.
3. Revise Inorganic Chemistry – Memorize NCERT tables and diagrams.
4. Mock Tests Weekly – Review and analyze mistakes.
5. Time Management – Practice solving the paper within 3 hours.

FAQs on 50 Percentile in NEET

Q1: 50 percentile in NEET means how many marks?
A: It changes every year; in 2023 it was 137 marks for general category.

Q2: What is 40 percentile in NEET marks?
A: In 2023, 40 percentile was 107 marks for OBC/SC/ST.

Q3: How much percentage need for NEET exam to qualify?
A: General – 50 percentile, OBC/SC/ST – 40 percentile, PwD – 45 percentile.

Q4: What is 50 percentile of 720 marks?
A: It’s not directly 360 marks; in NEET 2023 it was 137 marks.

Final Takeaway

The 50 percentile in NEET is the qualifying benchmark for general category candidates. It means you’ve scored better than half of the candidates, but the actual marks required change yearly. If you only meet the 50 percentile cutoff, your NEET rank will likely not secure a government MBBS seat — but it does make you eligible for other medical courses.

If your goal is a top medical college, aim for 90+ percentile by boosting accuracy, mastering NCERT, and increasing mock test practice.