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. The NEET MDS 2026 application form is available till March 30, 2026.
NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria & Internship Date
The NBEMS has started the NEET MDS 2026 registrations. Candidates who want to appear for the exam need to register online and fill the NEET MDS application form 2026. The NEET MDS 2026 application is available from March 14 to 30, 2026. Candidates need to fulfill the NEET MDS eligibility criteria 2026 to register for the exam. 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 is May 31, 2026. Go through the NEET MDS 2026 eligibility criteria below including educational qualification, internship requirement and others.
The NEET MDS 2026 exam will be held on May 2, 2026. 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. There are around 7,000 MDS seats available in over 200 dental colleges in India.
Also Read: NEET MDS Previous Year Question Papers with Answers
- NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria 2026
- 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 MDS Eligibility Criteria 2026
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.
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
Commonly asked questions
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.
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 |
The NEET MDS 2023 cutoff was reduced for each category by 31.807 percentile. Based on that, the NEET MDS 2023 cutoff for General, reserved category (SC, ST, OBC, PWD) and UR-PWD categories are 168, 125 and 149 respectively. As far as the percentiles are concerned, these are 18.193, 8.193 and 13.193, respectively.
On analysing last three year cutoffs, the expected NEET MDS ranks for DY Patil Pune cutoff 2024 for R1 for the General category All India students may range as follows for top courses:
- For MDS in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics may range between 4357 and 5773.
- For MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery may range between 3304 and 6308.
- For MDS in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics may range between 4140 and 7695.
- For MDS in Oral Medicine and Radiology may range between 12191 and 14143.
- For MDS in Periodontology may range between 9767 and 13098.
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.
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
Commonly asked questions
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences offers admission to MDS programme through Faculty of Medical Sciences, DU. The institute considers NEET MDS score for admission to MDS programme. MDS is a competitive programme and candidates must score well to get a seat. Below is NEET MDS cutoff for MAIDS Delhi MDS:
| Course | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDS in Prosthodontics, Crown and bridge | 1 | 3 | NA |
| MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | NA | 21 | 12 |
| MDS in Oral Pathology and Microbiology | NA | 132 | NA |
| MDS in Oral Medicine and Radiology | 150 | NA | NA |
| MDS in Public Health Dentistry | NA | NA | 87 |
The expected closing ranks for NEET MDS cutoff for AMU MDS R1 for OBC Category can be anticipated from the last three year cutoff ranges as mentioned below:
- For MDS in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics it must range around 49
- For MDS0 in Periodontology it must range around 275
- For MDS in Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry it must range around 198
- For MDS5 in Oral Medicine & Radiology it must range around 341
DU offers MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery through affiliated colleges Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi and Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, MAMC. Tabulated below is NEET MDS cutoff for MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery offered at DU:
| College | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi | 2 |
| Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, MAMC | 12 |
NBE or the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the NEET MDS exam conducting authority, releases the cutoff scores or the qualifying scores along with the result. The NEET MDS 2025 result was released on May 15, 2025. The NEET MDS 2025 cutoff was also released on the same date. However, on August 14, 2025, NBE released a notice stating the reduction of the NEET MDS 2025 cutoff percentile by 19.863 percentile for all categories, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommendation.
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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
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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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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
Have a look at the NEET MDS cutoff 2026 scores below-
Category | Cutoff Scores |
|---|---|
General / EWS | 308 |
OBC | 271 |
SC / ST | 271 |
PwD- Gen | 289 |
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 weeks ago
Hi,
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) does not release the offifical question papers. We cannot provide the NEET MDS question papers.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Candidates can guesstimate the NEET MDS scores after knowing the status of their responses as right or wrong. Know the scores using the given process-
- +4 for each correct answer
- -1 for each incorrect answer
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NEET MDS qualifying percentile remains the same every year. Have a look at the NEET MDS cutoff percentile for General, OBC, SC, ST and PwD categories-
Category | Cutoff Percentile |
|---|---|
General / EWS | 50th Percentile |
OBC | 40th Percentile |
SC / ST | 40th Percentile |
PwD- Gen | 45th Percentile |
U
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Candidates can check NEET MDS result using the process shared below-
- Visit the website.
- Select the MDS exam.
- Click on the result link.
- Download the result PDF.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The NEET MDS result 2026 has been released. The NBE declared the results of NEET MDS on June 2, 2026, on its website- natboard.edu.in.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NBEMS released the NEET MDS cutoff 2026 along with the results. The NEET MDS result 2026 was released on June 2, 2026.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Around 270 to 300 colleges in India accept the NEET MDS cutoff scores. Around 7,000 seats in government, private and deemed colleges are filled through the NEET MDS counselling.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NEET MDS 2026 expected cut off scores are shared below-
Category | Expected Cutoff Scores |
|---|---|
General / EWS | 260 – 275 |
OBC | 240 – 255 |
SC / ST | 240 – 255 |
PwD- Gen | 225 – 240 |
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The toughest sections of NEET MDS 2026 were-
- Oral Pathology
- Oral Microbiology
- Oral Medicine and Radiology
The questions from these topics were trickier and more analytical.
A
Contributor-Level 6
With MA in English, Rupali has more than 15 years of editorial experience. At Shiksha.com, a subsidiary of Info Edge (India) Limited, she creates content and make prep guides for students preparing for competitive e
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