BDS Admission Process 2025: Entrance Exams, Eligibility Criteria in India

• Updated on  Jul 28, 2025, by Anusmita Bhatta

Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is an undergraduate course in Dental sciences and oral health care. It equips students with the knowledge to become competent dentists to give diagnosis and treatment of dental ailments. To seek admission in BDS, there is a competitive entrance examination, generally at national or state level, which evaluates the knowledge of the candidates in biology, chemistry and physics.

 

Admission eligibility normally needs higher secondary school-level studies in science groups. The term of the course is usually five years with one year internship. The process of admissions is based on merit and some institutes also have management quotas or equivalents in admissions. A degree in BDS leads to a career in the field of dentistry through practice, research, and other sectors of health, which makes it an attractive career choice among people who are ardent about dental health.

 

Table of Contents

  1. BDS Eligibility Criteria
  2. BDS Entrance Exams
  3. BDS Admission Process 2025
  4. FAQs

 

BDS Eligibility Criteria

The applicants of Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India, need to fulfill the following eligibility requirements for admission:

  • Applicants must complete 10+2 in the science stream with physics, chemistry and biology as subjects from a recognized board.
  • The minimum of 50% marks is required in PCB subjects. (45% for SC/ST/OBC reserved categories)
  • The candidate's age must be 17 on or before December 31 of the admission year.
  • It is mandatory to qualify the national level NEET UG (National Eligibility Entrance Test) which is mandatory for all the dental colleges (government and private).
  • Earliest admission to any dental college is given based on NEET UG score.

 

BDS Entrance Exams

The national level entrance examination is followed for Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India for admission. Check the details below for BDS entrance:

Exam Name

Application Date (Tentative)

Exam Date (Tentative)

Application Fee

NEET UG 2026

Feb – Mar 2026

May 2026

INR 1,700 (General)

 

INR 1,000 (OBC/EWS)

 

INR 850 (SC/ST/PwD)

 

BDS Admission Process 2025

The admission process for BDS at SRM University is given below in six steps:

 

Step 1: Applicants must qualify NEET UG, with the required percentage.

 

Step 2: The candidates should register online at mcc.nic.in and pay the registration fee and the refundable security deposit, and attend AIQ counselling rounds. Choose SRM University as your preferred option or other colleges.

 

Step 3: Select your preferences during Round‑1 (and later rounds if needed): and you can select SRM as first preference.

 

Step 4: The seat allotment is released as per MCC merit rank. If you are allotted, download the allotment letter.

 

Step 5: Report to SRM University with original documents as per the allotment schedule. Pay the first-year fee as per the requirement.

 

Step 6: Complete the process of document verification, complete hostel (if applicable) and medical formalities, and begin classes as per academic calendar.

 

FAQs

Do Bachelor of Dental Surgery admissions have seat quotas?

Yes, 15 % of the seats are under All India Quota and other 85 % of seats are under State Quota counselling. There is reservation policy as per government regulations in respect of SC / ST / OBC / EWS / PwD categories.

Are students allowed to apply to various states to obtain BDS admission?

Yes, security seats under state quota are generally reserved for domicile candidates. Non-domicile candidates may be admitted to some other quotas such as management or private seats.

Are counselling sessions done in several rounds for Bachelor of Dental Surgery admissions?

Yes, normally there are various rounds that are held to fill up the Bachelor of Dental Surgery admissions seats, namely - first round, second round, mop-up round, and stray vacancy round.

Does the BDS program have any special provision or quota schemes on NRI or foreign candidates for admissions?

The supernumerary seats are allocated in some institutes to the NRIs or foreign nationals who are admitted with some higher fees and also slightly different admission process.

Is it competitive to get admission in Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India?

Yes, it is very competitive because seats are limited and NEET candidates are huge; the best candidates stand a better chance of getting a place in a reputable college for Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India.

Is it possible to bypass state counselling by applying under the All India quota for Bachelor of Dental Surgery admission?

There are only fifteen percent seats under All India quota, to secure majority seats (eighty five percent), the candidates will need to attend respective state counselling for Bachelor of Dental Surgery admission.

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