NEET PG 2026: Exam Date, Registration, Eligibility, Admit Card, Pattern, Result etc.

NEET PG 2026 is the entrance test for MBBS graduates who want admission to MD, MS and PG Diploma courses. NBEMS held the exam on 30 August 2026 as a computer-based test, in a single shift from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. A re-exam was held on 5 September 2026 in Jaipur for candidates affected by a power failure at two centres. NBEMS declared the result along with the official qualifying cutoff on 24 September 2026. The answer key and individual scorecard will be released on or after 1 October 2026.

This year the paper has 180 questions instead of 200, and the maximum score is now 720 marks. NBEMS has said the result will be declared by 30 September 2026. This guide covers the exam dates, application process, fee, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, admit card, answer key, result, qualifying cutoff and counselling.

Quick Facts

Before going to the complete description of the entrance examination, let’s look at a summary of the exam:

Event	Details
Exam Name	National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduate courses (NEET PG)
Conducting Body	National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Mode of Examination	Computer-based test (CBT), single shift
Official Website	natboard.edu.in
Courses Offered	MD, MS, PG Diploma, Post-MBBS DNB, Direct 6-year DrNB and NBEMS Diploma
Exam Date	30 August 2026 (Sunday)
Re-exam (affected Jaipur centres)	5 September 2026, 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Exam Timing	9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Exam Duration	3 hours 30 minutes (210 minutes)
Total Questions	180 multiple-choice questions
Total Marks	720
Marking Scheme	+4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong answer, 0 for an unattempted question
Language/Medium	English only
Exam Fees	₹3,500 (General, OBC, EWS) and ₹2,500 (SC, ST, PwBD)
Result	Declared on 24 September 2026
AIR 1 Score	641 out of 720
Answer Key	On or after 1 October 2026
Counselling	MCC (50% All India Quota, Central and Deemed universities) and state authorities (50% State Quota)

NEET PG 2026 Information Bulletin PDF

Scope of NEET PG

NEET PG is the single eligibility cum entrance examination for admission to postgraduate medical courses. It covers the following:

• MD, MS and PG Diploma courses
• Post-MBBS DNB, Direct 6-year DrNB and NBEMS Diploma courses
• All India 50% quota seats of all States and Union Territories
• State quota seats of all States and Union Territories
• Seats in private medical colleges, institutions and Deemed universities across the country
• Seats in Central universities and Armed Forces Medical Services institutions

No other state or institutional entrance test is accepted for these courses. The number of PG seats across the country is roughly 50,000, shared between the All India Quota and state quotas.

NEET PG Courses Offered

Admission to the following postgraduate medical courses is based on the NEET PG score:

Course	About the Course
MD (Doctor of Medicine)	Postgraduate degree in medical and non-surgical specialities
MS (Master of Surgery)	Postgraduate degree in surgical specialities
PG Diploma	Postgraduate diploma courses in various specialities
Post-MBBS DNB	Postgraduate DNB courses offered by NBEMS-accredited hospitals
Direct 6-year DrNB	Six-year DrNB courses after MBBS
NBEMS Diploma	Post-MBBS diploma courses offered through NBEMS

NEET PG 2026 Important Dates

The table below lists the key events of the NEET PG 2026 cycle:

Event	Date
Registration begins	1 July 2026 (5:00 PM)
Last date to submit the form	21 July 2026 (11:55 PM)
Application correction window	25 to 28 July 2026
Image scrutiny and deficiency resolution	31 July to 10 August 2026 (only for candidates individually notified by NBEMS)
City intimation slip	11 August 2026
Admit card	26 August 2026 (originally scheduled for 27 August)
NEET PG 2026 exam	30 August 2026
Re-exam for affected candidates	5 September 2026
Result declaration	24 September 2026
Answer Key	On or after 1 October 2026
MCC counselling	To be announced

NEET PG Eligibility Criteria

Aspirants should read the eligibility conditions carefully before applying. NBEMS checks eligibility again at the time of counselling, so a candidate found ineligible at that stage can lose the seat even after qualifying the exam.

• Degree: An MBBS degree or provisional MBBS pass certificate recognised under the NMC Act, 2019 and the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023.
• Registration: A permanent or provisional registration certificate for the MBBS qualification issued by the NMC or a State Medical Council.
• Internship: The cut-off date is 30 September 2026. Candidates must have completed the one-year rotatory internship or be likely to complete it on or before that date.
• Foreign medical graduates: Candidates with a foreign medical degree need a valid FMGE qualification.
• Age limit: There is no upper age limit.
• Attempts: There is no limit on the number of attempts.

Documents Required for the Application

Keep the following ready before filling in the NEET PG application form. Documents must be uploaded in the size and format given in the information bulletin, or the application can be rejected.

• Recent passport-size photograph
• Signature
• Thumb impression
• MBBS degree or provisional MBBS pass certificate
• Permanent or provisional registration certificate of the NMC or State Medical Council
• Internship completion certificate, or proof that the internship will be completed on or before 30 September 2026
• Category or PwBD certificate, if applicable

Candidates should also keep these documents ready for verification during counselling.

How to Fill Out the NEET PG Application Form?

The online application for NEET PG 2026 ran from 1 July to 21 July 2026. Candidates followed these steps on the NBEMS website:

1. Visit the official website, natboard.edu.in, and open the NEET PG 2026 registration page.
2. Click on “New Registration” and enter your name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number and captcha.
3. A user ID and password are generated and sent to the registered email ID and mobile number.
4. Log in again and fill in the personal, academic, MBBS and internship details.
5. Select three preferred test states. The first must be the state of your correspondence address, and the second and third must be neighbouring states.
6. Upload the photograph, signature and thumb impression as per the NBEMS guidelines.
7. Pay the application fee online by UPI, debit card or credit card.
8. Submit the form and take a printout of the confirmation page.

Important Rules of the NEET PG 2026 Application

• Fields that cannot be corrected: Name, mobile number, email ID and nationality cannot be changed during the correction window.
• Correction window: Only candidates who had paid the fee successfully could edit their forms, from 25 to 28 July 2026. No new registration or payment was possible in this window.
• Form cannot be withdrawn: A submitted application cannot be withdrawn.

Application Fees

The NEET PG 2026 application fee varies by category. Candidates can check the category-wise fee details below:

Category	Examination Fee
General, OBC and EWS	₹3,500
SC, ST and PwBD	₹2,500

Test States and Exam Centres

NBEMS changed the way exam centres are chosen for NEET PG 2026. Candidates no longer pick an exam city. They select three preferred test states in the application form, and NBEMS allots the final test city within one of those states. City allotment is not on a first come, first served basis:

Preference	Rule
First preference	The state of the correspondence address given in the application form
Second preference	A neighbouring state
Third preference	A neighbouring state

• The correspondence address and the test-state preferences cannot be edited after the form is submitted, even in the correction window.
• The city intimation slip, released on 11 August 2026, shows only the allotted exam city.
• The exact centre address is printed only on the admit card.

NEET PG Exam Pattern

NBEMS revised the NEET PG exam pattern for 2026. The number of questions has come down from 200 to 180, the maximum score is 720 and the paper is divided into five time-bound sections of 36 questions each:

Particulars	Description
Examination Mode	Computer-based test
Exam Shift	Single shift, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Examination Duration	3 hours 30 minutes (210 minutes)
Question Paper Medium	English only
Number of Questions	180
Question Type	Multiple-choice questions with four response options
Sections	Five sections of 36 questions each, with a 42-minute timer for each section
Maximum Marks	720
Marking Pattern	Correct answer: +4 marks; incorrect answer: −1 mark; unattempted question: 0 marks

NEET PG Exam Pattern: 2025 vs 2026

Feature	NEET PG 2025	NEET PG 2026
Total questions	200	180
Maximum marks	800	720
Questions per section	40	36
Average time per question	About 63 seconds	70 seconds
Total duration	210 minutes	210 minutes
Marking scheme	+4 / −1	+4 / −1 (unchanged)

With the same 210 minutes and 20 fewer questions, candidates get about seven extra seconds per question on average.

City Intimation Slip and Admit Card

NBEMS released the NEET PG 2026 city intimation slip on 11 August 2026 and the admit card on 26 August 2026. The city slip shows only the exam city. The exact centre address, reporting time and other exam-day details are printed only on the admit card. NBEMS does not send the admit card by post.

How to Download the NEET PG Admit Card

1. Visit the official website, natboard.edu.in, and select the NEET PG tab.
2. Click on the applicant login link.
3. Enter your user ID and password.
4. View and download the admit card.
5. Take a clear printout and check every detail on it.

Details Printed on the Admit Card

• Candidate name, roll number and application ID
• Date of birth and category
• Person with disability status
• Centre code, name and address of the exam centre
• Date and time of the examination and reporting time

If you find any error, contact NBEMS immediately.

NEET PG Exam Day Guidelines

Follow these guidelines on the day of the NEET PG exam to avoid any last-minute problems:

• Reporting: NBEMS advised reporting by 7 AM, with entry closing at 8:30 AM.
• Documents: A colour printout of the barcoded admit card, an original government photo ID (PAN, Voter ID, Driving Licence, Passport or Aadhaar), and a photocopy of NMC/SMC registration that the centre keeps.
• Prohibited items: Stationery, notes, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, smartwatches, health bands and ornaments; also wallets, goggles, handbags, belts and masks. Violators could be debarred.
• Sections: Each of the five sections had its own 42-minute timer.

NEET PG Dress Code

Due to the large number of applicants, NBEMS follows strict policies to maintain discipline and fairness in the exam. One of the important procedures is the dress code, along with a list of prohibited items in the examination hall. Below are the key pointers:

Dress code for males:

• Try to wear simple pants/shirts.
• Full-sleeved shirts/T-shirts are not allowed.
• Clothes should not have pockets, zips, big buttons, layers etc.
• Avoid layering your clothing.
• Kurtas and pyjamas should be avoided.
• Footwear should be simple. Boots, shoes or any concealing/covered footwear are not permitted.
• You can opt for light slippers/sandals.

Dress code for females:

• Wear half-sleeved kurtis/shirts.
• Long and fancy sleeves of any design are not allowed.
• Keep it simple. Avoid embroidery, frills, and layering with different pieces.
• Avoid all jewellery, both metallic and non-metallic.
• Fancy footwear is not allowed in the exam hall. Avoid boots, heels, stilettos, and shoes.
• Opt for slippers or open sandals.

NEET PG Syllabus

NBEMS does not publish a detailed topic-wise syllabus for NEET PG. The paper is based on the MBBS curriculum prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), so candidates should prepare all the MBBS subjects given below:

Group	Subjects
Pre-clinical subjects	Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry
Para-clinical subjects	Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Community Medicine
Clinical subjects	General Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Anaesthesiology, Radiodiagnosis

NEET PG Preparation Tips

Here are some practical tips for NEET PG preparation, especially for the revised 180-question pattern:

• Study the exam pattern and the MBBS syllabus first, so you know how the five timed sections work.
• Plan for about 70 seconds per question. Practise finishing each 36-question block within its 42-minute timer.
• Solve full-length mock tests in the computer-based format and analyse every mistake.
• Practise previous years’ question papers to understand the difficulty level and the type of questions. Recent papers lean towards clinical and case-based questions.
• Give more time to high-weightage clinical subjects, but do not skip pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects.
• Every wrong answer costs one mark, so attempt a question only when you can reasonably eliminate the wrong options.
• Make a proper timetable with regular revision cycles.
• Stay healthy and stress-free while preparing for the exam.

Recommended Books

Candidates can use any standard, latest-edition textbook. The following books are commonly used for NEET PG preparation:

Subject	Book Name
Anatomy	BD Chaurasia’s Human Anatomy
Physiology	Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology
Biochemistry	Harper’s Illustrated Biochemistry
Pathology	Pathologic Basis of Disease
Pharmacology	Review of Pharmacology
Microbiology	Self-Assessment & Review Microbiology & Immunology
Forensic Medicine	Self-Assessment & Review of Basic Subjects (Anatomy & Forensic Medicine)
Community Medicine	K. Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine
General Medicine	Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine
General Surgery	Bailey & Love’s Short Practice of Surgery
Obstetrics and Gynaecology	DC Dutta’s Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Paediatrics	OP Ghai Essential Paediatrics
Ophthalmology	AK Khurana Comprehensive Ophthalmology
ENT	PL Dhingra Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat
Orthopaedics	Maheshwari Essential Orthopaedics
Psychiatry	Niraj Ahuja A Short Textbook of Psychiatry

NEET PG Answer Key

The NEET PG answer key contains the correct answers to the questions asked in the exam, and it helps candidates estimate their probable score. NBEMS is expected to release the provisional answer key and the candidates’ response sheets on its website, natboard.edu.in. Media reports say this would be the first time NBEMS publishes a provisional key. The official confirmation is awaited.

• After the release, candidates can raise objections against the provisional answer key.
• The final answer key and the scorecard are expected with the result.
• Candidates should rely on the NBEMS key and not on unofficial keys from coaching institutes, which are based on memory.

To calculate your probable score, compare your responses with the key and apply the marking scheme: 4 marks for each correct answer, minus 1 mark for each wrong answer, and no marks for unattempted questions. Your maximum possible score is 720.

NEET PG 2026 Result and Scorecard

NBEMS will declare the NEET PG 2026 result by 30 September 2026. The result is released in PDF format on the official website, and candidates can download their scorecard by logging in to their registered account. The scorecard shows the marks scored (out of 720) and the rank. The qualifying cutoff for each category is published along with the result.

How to Check the NEET PG 2026 Result

1. Visit the official website, natboard.edu.in.
2. Open the NEET PG section and click on the result or scorecard link.
3. Log in with your registration credentials.
4. View and download your scorecard.
5. Save a hard copy for the counselling process.

The scorecard is valid only for the current academic session.

What to Do After the NEET PG Result

Once NBEMS declares the result, candidates should take these steps:

1. Download the scorecard and save a hard copy and a soft copy.
2. Check the qualifying cutoff for your category and confirm that you have qualified.
3. Note your rank and score, and estimate your options with the NEET PG College Predictor and the NEET PG Branch Predictor.
4. Watch mcc.nic.in for the All India Quota counselling schedule, and read the prospectus of your home state for state counselling.
5. Keep your documents ready for counselling: scorecard, admit card, MBBS degree or provisional certificate, internship completion certificate, NMC or State Medical Council registration certificate, category certificate if applicable, photo ID and photographs.

NEET PG Cutoff 2026

NBEMS declared the following official qualifying cutoff along with the result on 24 September 2026. Qualifying only makes a candidate eligible for counselling – a seat depends on the rank, the category and the seats available:

Category	Percentile	2026 Cutoff Score (Out of 720)
General / EWS	50th	262
General PwBD	45th	244
SC / ST / OBC (incl. PwBD)	40th	226

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)