MBBS cutoffs in Maharashtra have significantly fallen following the release of the merit list.

MBBS cutoffs in Maharashtra have significantly fallen following the release of the merit list.

The cutoff marks for MBBS admissions in Maharashtra have markedly decreased this year, thanks to a more challenging NEET exam and the timely approval of seats, which have positively impacted more students.

MUMBAI: This year, Maharashtra has witnessed a significant drop in MBBS cutoff marks, with the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell linking this decline to the increased difficulty of the NEET exam and the efficient process of seat approvals.

The CET Cell announced the first merit list for 2025 on Thursday, revealing that the cutoff for the open category in government medical colleges is now at 509 marks, a reduction from last year's 642. In private, unaided colleges, the cutoff fell to 479 from 602.

The CET Cell is overseeing the admissions process for 8,138 MBBS seats across 64 institutions in the state. Officials noted that the decline in cutoff marks is apparent in both government and private colleges.

Last year's elevated cutoffs were influenced in part by an easier NEET exam, while this year's test, especially the physics section, has been regarded as more difficult. Experts pointed out that the difficulty level of NEET had diminished during the COVID-19 years but has now returned to what it was before the pandemic, resulting in lower overall scores.

Sudha Shenoy, a representative for parents, expressed her approval of this trend, stating that it would enable more students to obtain seats in government colleges. She attributed the timely completion of medical college approvals, which occurred before the first merit list was released for the first time, as a critical element.

This clarity alleviated uncertainty and contributed to lowering the cutoffs,” she mentioned, adding that delays in approvals in previous years had often elevated the benchmarks for the first list.

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