NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Qualification, Internship Requirement & Cutoff Date
National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination for MDS admissions 2026 ( NEET MDS )
Exam On - 2 May '26
Candidates who want to apply for the NEET MDS 2026 exam must know the eligibility conditions. The NEET MDS eligibility criteria involve age limit, educational qualification, internship and marks requirements. Not fulfilling the small details in the NEET MDS exam eligibility can lead to rejection of candidature. Go through the eligibility criteria shared below before filling out the NEET MDS form 2026.
NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria & Internship Date
The eligibility criteria for NEET MDS 2026 will be displayed on the exam notification and information bulletin. The NEET MDS 2026 exam is likely to be held in April. The NEET MDS is a single entrance exam for admission to the post-graduate course under the Dentists Act, 1948. There is no other exam at the state or institution level to get entry to the Masters in Dental Surgery (MDS) course. To appear for this eligibility-cum-ranking exam, candidates need to fulfil the prescribed NEET MDS eligibility 2026.
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There are around 7,000 MDS seats available in over 200 dental colleges in India. A candidate must possess Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS) degree and should have completed a year of compulsory rotatory internship to be eligible for the MDS examination. The NEET MDS internship cutoff date 2026 will be mentioned in the information bulletin. Candidates must go through the NEET MDS 2026 eligibility criteria before filling the applications.
Candidates cannot appear for the NEET MDS exam if they do not complete the BDS internship before the cutoff date. The NEET MDS cutoff date for internship is mentioned on the information bulletin.
The selection process for MDS is simple you need to apply for undergraduate medical counseling through your NEET mark.The NEET MDS cutoff 2025 score for general category students is 261, while for SC/ ST/ OBC category aspirants, the cutoff is 227.
- NEET PG Eligibility Criteria 2025
- NEET MDS Eligibility 2026 for All India 50% Quota Seats
- NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility for Foreign Nationals
- NEET MDS Internship Requirement 2026
- Qualifying Criteria for NEET MDS Counselling 2026
NEET PG Eligibility Criteria 2025
Knowing the eligibility conditions for NEET MDS answers the common queries, such as who can apply for the exam, what is the internship cutoff date, what is the age limit, and what marks are required to appear for the exam. Go through the detailed NEET-MDS exam eligibility below.
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Age Limit
There is no age limit for the candidates who want to apply for NEET MDS 2026.
Attempt Limit
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences- NBEMS has not put a limit on the number of attempts for the NEET MDS exam. A candidate can appear for the exam as many times as required to get admission to the desired MDS college.
NEET MDS Educational Qualification
- To be eligible for NEET MDS, a candidate must have obtained the BDS degree awarded by a university or institute in India.
- Candidate must be registered with the State Dental Council and should have obtained provisional or permanent registration
- One must have undergone compulsory rotatory internship of a year in a recognised dental college before the prescribed cut off date.
Also Read: NEET MDS Exam Date 2026
NEET MDS Eligibility 2026 for All India 50% Quota Seats
The eligibility for NEET MDS exam for All India 50% quota seats is the same as stated above. In addition to the conditions shared above, candidates who got BDS degree from Jammu & Kashmir are also eligible to apply for the MDS exam 2026. Such candidates can also participate in the ‘Grant of Short Service Commission in Army Dental Corps’ and for MDS admissions in Armed Forces Institutes.
Candidates seeking admission to DY Patil MDS course must have a valid score in NEET MDS. The final admission to the university is based on NEET MDS Counselling results. Candidates with 10108 rank and above can get the following specialisations for General category All India Quota:
| Course | Round 1 (Closing Rank) | Last Round (Closing Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| MDS in Oral Medicine and Radiology | 8808 | 21388 |
| MDS in Periodontology | 13098 | 17234 |
| MDS in Public Health Dentistry | 10710 | 10710 |
No, the NEET MDS tie-breaking criteria have remained the same over the past few years. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has not made any changes in the NEET MDS tie-breaking criteria over the years, proving the efficacy of the system. The highest weightage is provided to the overall accuracy, followed by sectional accuracy and lastly, age criterion.
Government Dental College and Hospital cutoff 2025 has been released across multiple specialisations. Based on the Round 2 seat allotment, the NEET MDS cutoff scores ranged between 28 and, 244 for the General AII India category students. Among all the MDS specialisations, MDS in Orthodontics is the most competitive specialisation.
Furthermore, according to Government Dental College OBC AI category cutoff 2024, the Last Round closing rank ranged between 335 and 505. For more information, click here.
NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility for Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals need to fulfil the given criteria to be eligible for the MDS examination-
- Candidates must possess a foreign dental degree equivalent to BDS and should be recognised by the Dental Council of India (DCI).
- Foreign nationals need to obtain the security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India before applying for NEET MDS 2026.
- After the candidate makes payment of the registration fee, the DCI may grant temporary registration for the MDS course duration of the respective dental college/institution to which he/she is admitted. However, such candidates should be duly registered with an appropriate registering authority in their countries from where they obtained the Basic Dental qualification. Candidates also need the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the dental council of that country to allow them to pursue Post-Graduation in India.
Also Read: NEET MDS Syllabus 2026
NEET MDS 2025 Cut off Marks For Government Colleges
NEET MDS Internship Requirement 2026
Candidates who underwent or are undergoing a 12-month Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship or practical training and will complete the same before the cut off date can fill out the NEET MDS application form 2026.
The details submitted by candidates regarding the NEET MDS internship completion date and starting date will be considered final. Applicants need to submit the original internship completion certificate at the time of NEET MDS counselling 2026.
Also Read: NEET MDS Mock Test
Qualifying Criteria for NEET MDS Counselling 2026
Candidates who will appear for the NEET MDS 2026 exam and will clear it by obtaining the qualifying percentile and scores will be qualified for the MDS Counselling 2026. The NEET MDS Cut-Off for the counselling process is shared below-
| Category |
Qualifying Percentile |
|---|---|
| General/ EWS |
50th Percentile |
| SC/ ST/ OBC/ PwD (SC/ST/OBC) |
40th Percentile |
| PwD (General) |
45th Percentile |
NEET MDS Counselling
The NBEMS conducts the NEET MDS exam for admission of candidates to dental colleges and institutes for this post-graduate course. The NEET MDS Counselling seeks to fill the given seats in India-
- All India 50% quota seats for all States/ UTs
- State quota seats for all States/ UTs
- MDS Courses at all Private Dental Colleges, Institutions and Universities
- MDS Courses at Armed Forces Medical Services Institutions
- Screening exam for dental surgeons (BDS & MDS) for Short Service Commission in Army Dental Corps
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
DY Patil Pune NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all rounds. The cutoff was released in the form of opening and closing ranks for students belonging to the All India quota.
Going by the last round cutoff for the General AI category, the ranks fell between 4598 and
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The Utkal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS course and its various specialisations for all rounds and categories under the All India category. For the General AI category, the cutoff ranged from 39 to 268, according to the first and last round closing ranks. Among
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The DU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the AI quota for admission to the MDS courses. For the OBC AI quota, the cutoff ranged 33 in the first round to 423 in the last round. Students can refer to the table below to know the first and last round closing ranks for various MD
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Th HPU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the All India quota. For the OBC AI quota, the closing cutoff ranged from 333 to 524 in the last round. Among all the MDS course specialisations, the hardest was MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with a cutoff rank of 333 for thi
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The HPU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to MDS course via the NEET MDS entrance examination for all rounds and categories for the students belonging to the All India quota. For the General AI category, 290 was the closing cutoff rank in the last round for MDS in Conservative Den
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all categories under the All India quota. The top two most competitve courses were MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with the cutoff in the last round being 2795. In 2024, the cutoff for the same cours
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to the MDS programme. According to the cutoff in 2025, the last round closing ranks were between 2795 and 19481 for the General category candidates under the All India quota. The hardest course for admission in the last roun
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The Manipal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been published branch and round-wise for admission to the MDS course. For the General AI category, the last round cuotff ranged from 2623 to 16716 rank, wherein, MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was the toughest course for admission, and the easie
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The Gujarat University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was published for all categories and rounds under the All India category. According to the NEET MDS Cutoff 2025, for the General AI category, the cutoff range was 38 to 530, wherein the most competitive specialisation was MDS in Conservative Dentistry and
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham NEET MDS cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to various MDS specialisations. The NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 ranged from 1782 in the first round closing ranks to 16185 in the last round closing ranks. Among all the streams, MDS in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics
N
Contributor-Level 10
NEET MDS Notifications
While all dental colleges across India accept NEET MDS scores, AIIMS Delhi, or other AIIMS campuses offering MDS course do not accept NEET MDS scores. Hence, MDS aspirants planning to take admission to AIIMS colleges have to appear for INI CET (MDS) exam. On the other hand, candidates are advised to prepare and appear for NEET MDS entrance exam to amplify their chances of admission.