Hello, my dear aspirants!, Welcome back to another exclusive information session by Careermudhra, My name is Dr. Pratiksha Gupta, and I am a Senior Quality and Research Expert at Careermudhra. 

In this session I will guide you through everything about MDS Admissio 2025— We will be discussing, what the MDS course is, how the exam is conducted, what the exam pattern is, what the syllabus includes, how to attend the counseling—everything will be covered in this guide.

We at CareerMudhra are experts in NEET MDS counseling guidance. If you are appearing for the NEET MDS examination and looking for a clinical or non-clinical seat in a reputed dental institution, feel free to contact me by filling out the form or calling me directly.

What is MDS?

MDS full form is Master of Dental Surgery, which can only be pursued after completing your BDS. Dental professionals who wish to specialize in various branches of dentistry.

Talking about the different specializations you can opt for in MDS—most of the subjects you study in your fourth year of BDS become the major specializations you can pursue in MDS.

MDS Specializations

MDS specializations clinical branches in India:

Sl. No.	Clinical Branch	Short Form
1	Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery	OMFS
2	Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics	Ortho
3	Prosthodontics & Crown & Bridge	Prostho
4	Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics	Endo

If we talk about clinical fields, then you have the following top four most sought-after branches in dentistry:

1. Oral Surgery
2. Orthodontics
3. Prosthodontics
4. Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics

Apart from these, you also opt for:

• Pedodontics
• Periodontology

MDS specializations Non-clinical branches in India:

Sl. No.	Non-Clinical Branch	Short Form
1	Oral Medicine & Radiology	OMR
2	Oral Pathology & Microbiology	OP
3	Public Health Dentistry	PhD

Moving forward, there are three non-clinical branches in MDS:

1. Oral Medicine & Radiology
2. Oral Pathology (OP)
3. Public Health Dentistry (PhD)

Each of these specialties deals with different aspects of dentistry and forms the core subjects studied in the fourth year of BDS.

How can I get admission in MDS?

To get admission to MDS in India, you have to:

• NEET MDS: Qualify NEET MDS by securing the required NEET MDS cutoff of 2025.
  
• NEET MDS COUNSELLING: Apply for centralized counselling through MCC (for All India Quota) or state-specific counselling portals.
  
• Complete document verification as per the guidelines of the counselling authority.
  
• Make the online fee payment or submit a demand draft as required.
  
• Participate in round one counselling and choose your preferred college and specialization.
  
• Attend round two counselling if you wish to upgrade your seat or did not get a seat in round one.
  
• Take part in the MOP-UP round for any vacant seats left after the first two rounds.
  
• Follow the admission process of the allotted college to secure your seat.

MDS Admission eligibility

Here are some key details about the MDS admission eligibility criteria in India as of 2025:

• Educational Qualification: To be eligible for MDS admission, candidates must have a BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) degree recognized by the Dental Council of India.
• Minimum Marks: Candidates must have secured at least 50% aggregate marks in BDS to be eligible for MDS admission. For reserved category students, the minimum required percentage is 40%.
• Entrance Exams: Most MDS colleges accept candidates on the basis of their performance in a national or state-level postgraduate dental entrance exam. Common exams include NEET-MDS, AIIMS PG, and state exams.
• Qualifying Entrance Exam Score: In addition to passing the entrance test, candidates have to secure the minimum percentile score set by different colleges/universities to be eligible for MDS admission. The cutoff score varies for different colleges and courses.
• Internship: Completing a 1-year rotatory internship is mandatory before MDS admission. The internship must be done in an approved college or hospital after completing the BDS degree.
• Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for MDS admission eligibility. However, some institutes may have their own criteria.
• Number of Attempts: There is no restriction on the number of attempts for MDS entrance exams in most colleges.

Must Read:

NEET MDS Cut-off & Revised Cut-off Trend Analysis

MDS Admission Process 2025-2026

This is the most important part of this post. I want you to know the complete counselling procedures for taking MDS admission.

After you have qualified for the NEET-MDS entrance exam, the next step is to register for counselling in different states and of MCC.

Think you want to opt for a dental college in Karnataka, then you must register on the KEA or Karnataka Examination Authority website. If you want to opt for dental colleges in Uttar Pradesh, then you have to apply through UPDGME.

In short, the areas of the MDS Admission procedure are listed below.

• NEET Qualification.
• Apply for centralized counselling of your preferred state.
• Document verification of candidates.
• Online Fee payment /Demand draft.
• Round one counselling.
• Round two counselling.
• MOP-UP Round.

I will tell you about each step in depth.

MDS Entrance Examination

Now, you might be wondering whether you have to appear for an entrance exam again for MDS. Yes, you do! Just like NEET UG, you have to appear for NEET MDS.

If you are looking for MDS admissions, two entrance examinations are conducted every year across India:

INI-CET (Institute of National Importance Common Entrance Test)

• Conducted by AIIMS, JIPMER, and PGI
• Held twice a year (every six months)
• Seats are very limited, making it quite difficult to secure admission
• Only for government institutions

NEET MDS (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for MDS)

• Conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE)
• Covers a large number of colleges under its counselling
• A total of 281 colleges participate in NEET MDS counselling
• 956 government MDS seats are available
• The total MDS seats in India is approximately 7175

Eligibility Criteria for NEET MDS

The eligibility criteria are quite simple:

1. You must complete your BDS degree.
2. You must complete your internship before the specified deadline

There is often confusion among students regarding eligibility. Every year, when the information bulletin for the exam is released, the internship completion date criteria are clearly mentioned.

For example, if the exam is to be conducted in May, then your internship should be completed by March or April at the latest.

Another common concern is regarding supplementary exams (backlogs).

• If you have failed in certain subjects during BDS, you are still eligible to sit for the exam as long as you complete your BDS and internship successfully.
• There is no age limit and no attempt limit for NEET MDS, meaning you can appear for the exam even after a gap of 5–10 years after completing BDS.

NEET MDS 2025 Exam Pattern (Updated)

The NEET MDS exam is structured to assess your knowledge across all five years of BDS. Recent changes have introduced mandatory time-bound sections, making time management more crucial.

• Mode of Exam: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
• Total Questions: 200
• Exam Duration: 3.5 hours (210 minutes)
• Sections: 5 sections, each containing 40 questions
• Time Per Section: 42 minutes per section
• Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
• Negative Marking: Applicable

Key Changes in the NEET MDS 2025 Exam Format:

1. Division of Questions into Sections
   • The exam is now divided into five sections, each containing 40 questions.
   • Each section is allotted 42 minutes, making a total exam duration of 3.5 hours.
2. No Going Back
   • Once you complete a section, it gets locked, and you cannot revisit it.
   • This change makes time management within each section critical.
3. Section-wise Focus
   • Candidates must focus on one section at a time, as they cannot rely on completing easier sections quickly to save time for tougher ones.

Section-Wise Time Allocation:

Section	Number of Questions	Time Allotted
A	40	42 minutes
B	40	42 minutes
C	40	42 minutes
D	40	42 minutes
E	40	42 minutes

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Official NBE Notices on Time-Bound Sections:

• Mandatory time-bound sections in NEET-SS 2024 Question Papers (Dated: 19.03.2025)
  👉 View Notice
• Introduction of mandatory time-bound sections in MCQ-based examinations (Dated: 4th May 2024)
  👉 View Notice

After the exam, results are declared in the form of rank and merit lists.

Minimum Qualifying Marks for NEET MDS 2025

• Looking at the last 10 years of trends, the qualifying marks have generally been in the range of 250–300.
• Even if you score low, you still have a chance to get a seat, as the cutoff changes every year.
• To qualify, you need to have strong knowledge of all 19 subjects of dentistry along with medical subjects.

MDS syllabus for 2025

Sl. No.	SUBJECT	NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
Part – A (Total 100)
1	General Anatomy including embryology and histology	14
2	General Human Physiology and Biochemistry	14
3	Dental Anatomy, Embryology & Oral Histology	14
4	General Pathology and Microbiology	14
5	General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics	14
6	General Medicine	15
7	General Surgery	15
Part – B (Total 140)
1	Dental Materials	14
2	Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology	14
3	Oral Medicine and Radiology	14
4	Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry	14
5	Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics	14
6	Periodontology	14
7	Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge	14
8	Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics	14
9	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	14
10	Public Health Dentistry	14
Total (Part A + Part B)		240

NEET MDS Registration Process

• Application Procedure: NBE releases the application form online. The applicants have to register online at the NBE website and fill in the form before the due date.
• Documents Required: It is required to upload scanned copies of the passport photo, signature, ID proof, internship completion certificate etc. through online application.
• Fee: In 2025, the NEET MDS registration fee was Rs 3750 for the general category and Rs 2750 for the reserved category. In 2024, the same fee structure is likely to be in place.

NEET MDS 2025: Recent updates

The NEET-MDS 2025 online application form is open for registration and the exam will be conducted on April 19th, 2025. NEET-MDS counselling dates will be announced soon after the results.

Particulars	Dates
Online Appilication Form	February 18th, 2025
Online Application Form	March 14th – 17th, 2025
The edit window will be open for all payment successful applicationsAny information documents can be edited name, nationality, email, mobile number and test city can’t be edited	March 27th – 31st, 2025
Release of Admit Card	April 15th, 2025
Exam Date	April 19th, 2025
Result declaration date	By May 19th, 2025
Cut-off date for completion of internship to be eligible for NEET- MDS 2025	March 31st, 2025

NEET MDS Counselling 2025

Once the exam is completed, the results and merit list are published. Within 10–15 days, you will receive your scorecard, and then the counselling process begins.

Just like NEET UG, NEET MDS counselling has two types:

1. All India Counseling:
   • Covers Central Universities, Deemed Universities, and some State Private Colleges
2. State Counseling:
   • Covers State Government Colleges and State Private Colleges

Unlike NEET UG, where All India Quota (AIQ) is 15%, in NEET MDS, AIQ is 50%. The remaining 50% seats are allotted under State Quota.

Applying for NEET MDS Counselling 2025-2026

First of all, I would suggest you keep in mind, in which state or college you want to take MDS admission. You can even choose multiple states, but I would advise you to stick with one college or course.

Let us take an example, you decided to take MDS admission in Bangalore Dental College in Karnataka. The dental college seats are filled through KEA or Karnataka Examination Authority counselling.

So, you must register for the counselling conducted by KEA. There will be an application fee of around Rs.2000. Then they will announce the date for document verification.

Document Verification for MDS Admission 2025

It’s for verifying your documents. You must physically be present in the document verification centre with all your original documents.

In a few states like Uttar Pradesh, you must also submit a Demand Draft of Rs.1 lakh towards UPDGME, which will be refunded to you after the counselling.

The general list of documents that must be provided is listed below:

• NEET Admit Card
• NEET Score Card
• 10th mark sheet
• 12th Mark Sheet
• BDS Mark Sheet ( All the four years )
• Internship Completion Certificate
• Provisional Certificate
• Final Degree Certificate
• Migration Certificate
• Dental Council Registration Document
• Aadhar Card
• Pan Card
• Domicile Certificate
• Passport-size photographs.(8-10 minimum)
• Caste Certificate/Reservation Certificate
• Allotment Letter
• Disability certificate, if applicable.
• Community certificate (Optional).
• NRI Documents ( If applying for NRI Category seat)

You should note that the list of documents differs from state to state. Some states in India require different kinds of documents for counselling, such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu. To know more about it, check the articles below. 

Round One and Two Counselling

• After the document verification, there will be two rounds of online counselling. When the dates of counselling are published, you must log in to the official website and give the choice of colleges.
• After selecting the options, you have to lock the choice and submit it. Before locking the choice, please do re-check it. The second round of counselling will also be the same.
• If you have got the choice of your college, you have to download the allotment letter and reach the college or counselling centre with a demand draft of the balance fees to be paid.
• In case, if you have not got any seats in the first and second rounds of counselling, you don’t have to worry. You have got one more chance.

Who is eligible for the second round of online counselling?

Not all candidates are eligible for the second round of counselling. The candidates who have registered for the online counselling and have not been allotted any seats are eligible for the second round of counselling.

MDS Counselling MOP-UP Round

1. In this round, all the vacant seats after the second counselling will be transferred. However, the MOP-UP round will not be online and the candidate must be present at the counselling centre. You must be present in the centre with all the original documents.
2. So after all these rounds of counselling, if any more seats are vacant they can be filled by the college management.
3. Important: Even if you want to take MDS admission to the leftover seats, you must register and attend the counselling procedures. If you have not registered and completed your document verification you cannot take the vacant seats.

MDS Admission – Open vs Closed States

State	Admission Type
MDS Admission in Karnataka	Open State
MDS Admission in Bangalore	Open State
MDS Admission in Punjab	Open State
MDS Admission in Rajasthan	Open State
MDS Admission in Bihar	Open State
MDS Admission in Uttarakhand	Open State
MDS Admission in Madhya Pradesh	Open State
MDS Admission in Haryana	Open State
MDS Admission in West Bengal	Open State
MDS Admission in Pondicherry	Open State
MDS Admission in Gujarat	Closed State
MDS Admission in Andhra Pradesh	Closed State
MDS Admission in Orissa	Closed State
MDS Admission in Chhattisgarh	Closed State
MDS Admission in Telangana	Closed State
MDS Admission in Chandigarh	Closed State
MDS Admission in Jharkhand	Closed State
MDS Admission in Assam	Closed State
MDS Admission in Tamil Nadu	Closed State
MDS Admission in Maharashtra	Closed State
MDS Admission in Himachal Pradesh	Closed State
MDS Admission in Uttar Pradesh	Closed State
MDS Admission in Delhi/NCR	Closed State

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Key Differences:

• Open States: Allow students from other states to apply for private MDS seats.
  
• Closed States: Reserve most or all seats for state-domicile candidates.

MDS Admission Through Management Quota

MDS admission through the management quota, also called MDS direct admission, allows students to secure seats in private dental colleges under management quota seats, even with low marks (typically 10-25% of seats are reserved). 

However, students must still qualify for NEET-MDS, meet the minimum cutoff, and register and participate in all levels of NEET MDS state counseling or NEET MDS MCC counseling. Additionally, MDS management quota fees are relatively higher than all other quotas.

If you want to know more about the MDS Management Quota Admission here is the must-read article: 

MDS Admission Through Management Quota 2025

Total Number of MDS Seats in India

India has a total of 7,175 MDS seats across 281 dental colleges, which are divided between government and private institutions. There are 956 MDS seats available in Government Dental Colleges (GDCs) and central institutes, while private dental colleges offer 6,363 MDS seats.

Must read article on MDS Seats:

Total Number of MDS Seats in India 2025: State-wise Distribution

Top MDS Colleges in India 2025-2026

Here are Top 40 MDS colleges in India according to NIRF ranking for dental colleges 2024. This table is arranged from the highest ranking to the lowest ranking dental colleges in India. All these colleges are DCI-approved.

College Name	Location
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal	Manipal, Karnataka
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences	Delhi, Delhi
King George’s Medical University	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth	Pune, Maharashtra
A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences	Mangaluru, Karnataka
SRM Dental College	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Jamia Millia Islamia	New Delhi, Delhi
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan	Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore	Mangaluru, Karnataka
JSS Dental College and Hospital	Mysuru, Karnataka
Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Govt. Dental College, Nagpur	Nagpur, Maharashtra
M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Banaras Hindu University	Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Aligarh Muslim University	Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
Government Dental College, Bangalore	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Dr. M. G. R. Educational and Research Institute	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Government Dental College	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology	Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences	Rohtak, Haryana
Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research	Wardha, Maharashtra
Govt. Dental College, Mumbai	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Yenepoya Dental College	Mangaluru, Karnataka
Panjab University	Chandigarh, Chandigarh
Nair Hospital Dental College	Mumbai, Maharashtra
KLE Vishwanath Katti Institute of Dental Sciences	Belgaum, Karnataka
Christian Dental College	Ludhiana, Punjab
SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital	Dharwad, Karnataka
SRM Kattankulathur Dental College	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Chettinad Dental College and Research Institute	Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu
Government Dental College	Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Mahatma Gandhi P.G. Institute of Dental Sciences	Pondicherry, Pondicherry
Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Dental College and Hospital, Pune	Pune, Maharashtra
Bapuji Dental College & Hospital	Davangere, Karnataka
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies	Faridabad, Haryana
Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital, Kancheepuram	Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu
Army College of Dental Sciences	Secunderabad, Telangana

How to choose the right college for MDS?

MDS course fees 2025- 2026

Before the NEET-MDS and centralized counselling came into action, the fees for MDS in private colleges were fixed by the management. They were able to take huge donations, which can surely rip your pockets.

In the current scenario, the fee structure for MDS admission in government and private dental is decided by the state examination authorities. The college has to submit the fee structure that they wish to implement, and the authority has to approve it.

Yes, it is true!

Here I will just give you an approximate fee structure, and I will also mention which states offer MDS seats at the lower fee structure.

The approximate MDS fee structure for each department is listed below:

Course	Fees
Endodontics	22 – 60 Lakhs
Orthodontics	22 – 60 Lakhs
Surgery	22 – 60 Lakhs
Prosthodontics	18 Lakhs
Pedodontics	15 Lakhs
Periodontics	13 Lakhs
Community	5 – 9 Lakhs
Oral Medicine	7 – 15 Lakhs
Oral Pathology	6 – 16 Lakhs

Apart from tuition fees, there are also additional fees for hostel, food, and materials, which can cost you an amount of 1.5 to 2 lakh per annum approximately.

If you are interested in knowing MDS Fees in Bangalore here is the Must Read Article:
MDS Course Fees in Bangalore

Must Read Article:

Stipend for MDS students in private dental colleges

Deemed University MDS Fee Structure 2025

About CareerMudhra

At Careermudhra, we are experts in NEET MDS counselling. Our mission is to help young aspirants navigate the complex landscape of counselling with confidence and clarity. Careermudhra is more than just a Counselling guidance service; it’s a transformative journey designed to help you unlock opportunities.

If you have qualified for NEET MDS and are looking for a clinical or non-clinical seat in a prestigious dental institution, feel free to contact us at the number displayed on the screen.

We regularly post informational content about NEET MDS, different colleges, and counselling updates across India.

You can also read various blogs and articles about different dental colleges across India on our website Careermudhra.

You can subscribe us on YouTube for latest NEET MDS info. 

Conclusion

I believe I have furnished you with all the necessary information regarding MDS. If you found this post helpful, kindly share it with your peers and anyone who might need it.
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