Chennai: Cut-off marks for MBBS seats in Tamil Nadu rose across most reservation categories in the first round of undergraduate medical counselling in 2026, although students with lower ranks (compared to last year) secured allotments in govt medical colleges this year.The 2026 cut-off for BC candidates in govt medical colleges was 536, against 509 in 2025. For BCM candidates, it increased from 504 to 523, while the MBC cut-off rose from 496 to 526. The cut-off for SC candidates moved up from 441 last year to 472 this year. The increase was sharper in SCA and ST categories: the SCA cut-off rose from 397 to 436 marks, while the ST threshold went up from 402 to 433.Experts said candidates with lower ranks secured allotments to govt colleges. “There was a 60-rank difference between last year and this year in the open category. The addition of 150 seats may be one of the reasons,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam.He said the trend could indicate that more students were considering seats under the All-India quota. “But since students are allowed a free exit in Round 1, we must wait and see how many join the colleges allotted to them in the first round of counselling conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee,” he said.ESIC MBBS seats recorded an OC cut-off of 588 this year, followed by 574 for BC, 569 for BCM, 565 for MBC/DNC, 504 for SC, 472 for SCA and 462 for ST candidates. Among self-financing medical colleges, the general-quota MBBS cut-off was 521 marks for OC candidates, 500 for BC, 494 for BCM and MBC/DNC, 441 for SC, 403 for SCA and 392 for ST candidates. The comparable OC cut-off for state private medical universities was 497. The cut-offs hovered between 490 and 390 in other categories of private universities. In 2025, the OC cut-offs were 497 for self-financing MBBS colleges and 478 for private medical colleges.Officials said the closing marks may change in later counselling rounds as candidates accept seats, seek upgrades or surrender allotments. “Students can participate in subsequent rounds to see if they have a chance of getting a seat in the college of their choice,” an official said.
