NEET Re-test 2026: Tamil Nadu Students Excel as Cut-off Marks Soar
The National Testing Agency (NTA) released the results of the NEET 2026 re-examination late on July 16, 2026. Twelve students from Tamil Nadu have scored above 390 marks in the re-test, which was conducted on June 21 after the original May 3 exam was cancelled due to an alleged paper leak.
Venkatapathi Velayutham V.A. topped among Tamil Nadu candidates with a percentile of 99.99915, securing the 12th all-India rank. Other high-performing students include Srinika V. (rank 27), Sudar A.M. (rank 45), Vanisha Satish (rank 51), Sabaree G.N. (rank 59), R. Jaikrishna (rank 75), Samvitha P. (rank 82), Navithana V. (rank 88), Nikhil Sivananthan S. (rank 92), Janani Swethaa D.R. (rank 112), Rohith Mathew Rabindrarajan E. (rank 115), and J. Jayakrishna (rank 134). Four of these students belong to the Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) category.
This year's NEET results show a significant increase in cut-off marks, rising by approximately 30 to 35 marks compared to last year. Independent career counsellor Ashwin Ramaswamy attributed this to a higher number of students scoring better marks. For instance, in 2025, 73 candidates scored above 650 marks, while in 2026, 1,390 students achieved that feat. Similarly, the number of students scoring above 600 marks jumped from 1,332 last year to 9,815 this year.
Ramaswamy noted that the increase in performance at the all-India level is likely reflected in Tamil Nadu as well. He predicted that the state would have around 76 students scoring above 650 marks and over 800 students scoring above 600 marks, based on proportional calculations.
In positive news for aspiring medical students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) released a seat matrix on July 13, indicating an additional 950 MBBS seats in Tamil Nadu this year. The state now has 13,999 MBBS seats across 78 colleges. The Tamil Nadu Medical Selection authorities have yet to announce the counselling schedule, but applications for MBBS and BDS courses can be submitted on the official website www.tnmedicalselection.net.
