National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Established in 1975 and registered as a society in 1982 under the Delhi Societies Registration Act, its core mandate is to standardise postgraduate medical education and conduct national-level examinations for medical specialists.

Quick Facts

A quick overview of NBEMS before going into governance and exam details:

Feature	Details
Full Form	National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences
Established	1975 (registered as a society in 1982)
Type	Autonomous body
Parent Ministry	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India
President	Dr. Abhijat Sheth
Vice-President & Hon. Executive Director	Prof. Minu Bajpai
Headquarters	Ansari Nagar, New Delhi – 110029
Official Website	natboard.edu.in
Major Exams	NEET PG, NEET SS, NEET MDS, FMGE, PDCET, DNB CET SS, FET
Degrees Awarded	DNB, DrNB, FNB, PG Diplomas
Institutions Accredited for DNB	700+
Specialties Offered	50+

History and Evolution of NBEMS

NBEMS was originally set up as the “National Board of Examinations” (NBE) in 1975, with a mandate limited to conducting postgraduate medical examinations independent of individual university systems. The objective was to improve the quality of medical education by establishing high, uniform postgraduate examination standards on an all-India basis while utilising existing hospital infrastructure for capacity building.

Over the following decades, as its role expanded to cover super-specialty programs, fellowships, screening tests for foreign graduates, and national entrance exams, the organisation was formally renamed to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences to reflect its broader academic scope. It remains registered as a society, giving it a distinct legal identity separate from both the National Medical Commission (NMC) and individual state medical universities.

Key milestones:

• 1975 – National Board of Examinations (NBE) established to standardise postgraduate medical examinations.
• 1982 – Formally registered as a society under the Delhi Societies Registration Act.
• Subsequent years – Mandate expanded to include super-specialty (DrNB) and fellowship (FNB) programmes.
• Renamed to National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to reflect its broader academic role.
• Present day – Conducts 9+ national exams and accredits 700+ training institutions across India.

Vision, Mission and Objective

NBEMS’s founding objective was to raise the quality of postgraduate medical education by setting high, uniform national examination standards, independent of individual university systems, while making full use of existing hospital infrastructure for training capacity.

• Vision: To be a national benchmark for standardised, competency-based postgraduate and post-doctoral medical education in India.
• Mission: To conduct fair, transparent and uniform examinations, and to accredit quality training institutions across the country.
• Objective: To enable intra-country and international comparability of medical specialists through a common evaluation mechanism.

NBEMS Office Locations

NBEMS operates from two locations in Delhi to manage its examination and accreditation functions:

Campus	Address	Function
Ansari Nagar (Main Office)	Medical Enclave, Ansari Nagar, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Ring Road, New Delhi – 110029	Examinations, administration, governing body
Dwarka Campus	Dwarka-Dabri-Gurgaon Road, near District Court, Dwarka Sector 9, PSP Area, New Delhi – 110075	Accreditation and allied functions

NBEMS Departments

NBEMS functions through dedicated departments, each responsible for a specific part of the examination and training ecosystem:

Department	Function
Accreditation	Accredits hospitals/institutions for DNB, DrNB, FNB and Diploma training
Examination Conduct	Organises entrance, exit and screening examinations
Examination Confidential & Results	Manages result processing and confidentiality of exam data
Training & Monitoring	Oversees trainee progress and training-hospital compliance
Administration	General administrative operations
Finance & Accounts	Fee management and financial operations
IT Section	Manages the examination and accreditation web portals

Governing Body of NBEMS

NBEMS is governed by a Governing Body comprising senior medical academics and administrators, with authority over policy, curriculum and examination standards:

Position	Name	Affiliation
President	Dr. Abhijat Sheth	Director of Medical Services, Apollo Hospital, Ahmedabad; also Chairman, NMC
Vice-President & Hon. Executive Director	Prof. Minu Bajpai	Formerly Head, Pediatric Surgery, AIIMS Delhi
Vice President	Prof. Nikhil Tandon	Professor & Head, Endocrinology & Metabolism, AIIMS Delhi
Vice President	Dr. Shiva Kant Misra	Director & CEO, Shivani Hospital and IVF, Kanpur
Vice President	Dr. C Mallikarjuna	Managing Director, Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology, Hyderabad

NBEMS Contact Details

Official contact information for candidate queries, complaints, or exam-related support.

Particulars	Details
Office Address	Ring Road, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Medical Enclave, Ansari Nagar East, New Delhi – 110029
Contact Number	+91-11-45593000
Helpdesk Email	helpdesknbeexam@natboard.edu.in
Working Hours	9:30 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday

Before reaching out, candidates should:

• Check the relevant exam’s official notification/FAQ page first, as many queries are already addressed there.
• Keep their registration/roll number handy when writing to the helpdesk.
• Use the Communication Web Portal for grievances that need to be tracked over time.

Legal Status and Autonomy

NBEMS operates as a registered society under its own Memorandum of Association and By-laws, giving it functional autonomy to design curricula, conduct exams, and accredit training institutions – while remaining under the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

• Registered as an autonomous society, distinct from NMC and state universities.
• Functions under the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Has independent authority to design curricula, conduct exams and grant accreditation.
• A proposal to merge NBEMS into NMC as a new “Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS)” has faced opposition from medical bodies and remains under consultation as of the latest available update.

NBEMS vs NMC vs MCC: Key Differences

Candidates often confuse NBEMS with the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), since all three appear at different stages of the medical education and admission journey:

Aspect	NBEMS	NMC	MCC
Full Form	National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences	National Medical Commission	Medical Counselling Committee
Type	Autonomous examination-conducting society	Statutory regulatory body	Counselling body under DGHS
Primary Role	Conducts PG/exit exams (NEET PG, NEET SS, FMGE, GPAT) and awards DNB/DrNB/FNB	Regulates medical education, colleges, and practitioner registration	Conducts All India Quota seat counselling for MBBS/BDS/PG seats
Parent Ministry	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
Legal Basis	Registered society (Delhi Societies Registration Act)	Statutory body under the NMC Act, 2019	Functions under DGHS, not a separate statutory body
Relationship to Each Other	Coordinates with NMC on curriculum and recognition; not under NMC’s direct control	Approves NBEMS-conducted qualifications for registration	Uses NBEMS/NEET results to allot seats

NBEMS Coordination with Other Regulatory Bodies

NBEMS does not function in isolation – it coordinates regularly with other national regulatory bodies on curriculum, recognition and counselling matters:

Body	Area of Coordination
National Medical Commission (NMC)	Curriculum alignment, recognition of MBBS/PG qualifications
Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)	All India Quota seat counselling for NEET PG/SS admissions
Dental Council of India (DCI)	Recognition of dental qualifications (NEET MDS, FDG ST)
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)	Verification for foreign medical/dental graduates (FMGE, FDG ST)
Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)	Coordination on pharmacy exit examinations

Scope of Functions of NBEMS

NBEMS carries out four core functions across India’s postgraduate medical education ecosystem:

• Conducting Examinations – entrance tests (NEET PG, NEET SS, NEET MDS), licensing/screening tests (FMGE, FDG ST), and exit exams for DNB/DrNB/FNB trainees.
• Accreditation of Institutions – hospitals and medical colleges are accredited to run DNB/DrNB/FNB training programs, including under the Joint Accreditation Programme, which pairs primary and secondary hospitals to expand training capacity.
• Curriculum Development – competency-based curricula for DNB and fellowship courses are designed and periodically revised in consultation with subject experts.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) – NBEMS promotes structured CME activity for practising specialists to support lifelong learning.

Exams Conducted by NBEMS

NBEMS conducts nine major national-level medical and dental examinations, grouped by purpose:

Exam	Purpose
NEET PG	Admission to MD/MS/PG Diploma courses
NEET MDS	Admission to MDS postgraduate dental courses
NEET SS	Admission to DM/MCh super-speciality courses
FMGE	Licensing exam for Indian/OCI candidates with a foreign medical degree
PDCET	Entry for diploma holders into DNB Broad Speciality courses
DNB CET (SS)	Entrance for DNB Super Speciality courses
DNB Dental Speciality	Entrance for DNB postgraduate dental programs
FET	Entrance for FNB post-doctoral fellowship programs
FDG ST	Licensing exam for Indian/OCI candidates with a foreign dental degree

NEET PG and DNB admissions ultimately lead candidates into specialty training – for related specialty-wise seat and admission details, see the guides for Pediatrics, Radiology, General Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dermatology, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, General Surgery, ENT, Orthopedics, and Ophthalmology.

NBEMS Exam Calendar 2026

Here is the table of the NBEMS Exam Calendar 2026:

Exam	2026 Date	Status
GPAT 2026	March 7	Completed (Result: April 7)
NEET MDS 2026	May 2	Completed
NEET PG 2026	August 30	Completed (Result expected by Sept 30)
FMGE June 2026	June 28	Completed
NEET SS 2026	December 11–12 (tentative)	Upcoming
FMGE December 2026	January 9, 2027 (tentative)	Upcoming

How to Apply for NBEMS Exams

Since NBEMS conducts multiple exams (NEET PG, NEET MDS, NEET SS, FMGE, GPAT), the application process follows a broadly similar pattern across all of them, with exam-specific eligibility and fee differences:

Steps to Apply:

1. Visit the official NBEMS portal at natboard.edu.in or nbe.edu.in, depending on which exam’s registration window is active
2. Locate the relevant exam’s “New Registration” or “Apply Online” link under the current notifications section
3. Register using a valid email ID and mobile number to generate login credentials
4. Fill in personal, academic, and qualifying exam details as required
5. Upload scanned photograph, signature, and category/eligibility documents in the specified format and size
6. Pay the application fee online via debit card, credit card, net banking, or UPI
7. Review the submitted form and download the confirmation page for future reference
8. Use the correction window (when opened) to fix errors in editable fields – name, nationality, email, mobile number, and test city are typically locked

Documents Commonly Required

• MBBS/BDS/B.Pharm degree certificate or provisional pass certificate
• Internship completion certificate (for NEET PG/MDS)
• State Medical/Dental Council or NMC registration
• Valid photo ID (Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, or driving licence)
• Category certificate, where applicable

Degrees and Qualifications Awarded by NBEMS

NBEMS grants postgraduate and super-specialty qualifications recognised as equivalent to university degrees:

Qualification	Equivalent To	Details
DNB (Diplomate of National Board)	MD/MS	Broad specialty postgraduate qualification, offered across 50+ disciplines
DrNB (Doctorate of National Board)	DM/MCh	Super-specialty qualification, 3-year programme (or integrated 6-year from MBBS in select disciplines)
FNB (Fellow of National Board)	Post-doctoral fellowship	Awarded after FET in select specialties
PG Diplomas	–	Diploma-level postgraduate qualifications in select subjects

DNB Broad Specialty – Course Duration

Course length for DNB Broad Specialty depends on the entry route a candidate takes:

Entry Route	Duration
Post-MBBS (direct entry)	3 years
Post-Diploma (candidates with a recognised 2-year PG Diploma)	2 years
Integrated 6-year programme (select disciplines, direct from MBBS)	6 years

Stipend for DNB Trainees

DNB trainees in accredited institutions receive a monthly stipend for the full duration of training, including eligible leave, as per NBEMS guidelines.

• Stipend is not paid beyond 36 months for a 3-year programme, or beyond 24 months for a 2-year programme, if training is extended due to excess leave.
• Stipend amounts are set by the accredited hospital/institution, not centrally fixed by NBEMS.

NBEMS Joint Accreditation Programme

A flagship NBEMS initiative that pairs a primary training hospital with a nearby secondary institution to jointly offer DNB/Diploma seats, expanding postgraduate training capacity beyond standalone hospitals. Each pairing specifies the accredited specialties, the number of seats, and the geographical distance between the two institutions, and the accredited list is notified afresh for every admission session.

NBEMS by the Numbers

Key figures that reflect the scale of NBEMS’s role in India’s postgraduate medical education system:

Metric	Approx. Figure
Institutions accredited for DNB programs	700+
Broad and super-specialty disciplines offered	50+
DNB qualifications conferred annually	20,000+ candidates
Office locations	2 (Ansari Nagar & Dwarka, New Delhi)

Grievance Redressal at NBEMS

NBEMS maintains separate grievance mechanisms for trainees and for accredited hospitals, to resolve training and examination-related disputes.

• Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) for NBEMS Trainees – handles complaints from candidates undergoing DNB/DrNB/FNB training.
• Grievance Redressal Committee for Accredited Hospitals – handles complaints and compliance issues raised by training institutions.

Legal Recognition of NBEMS Qualifications

DNB, DrNB and FNB qualifications awarded by NBEMS are approved by the Government of India and were included in the First Schedule of the (repealed) Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, giving them legal standing equivalent to corresponding university degrees (MD/MS/DM/MCh) for registration and practice purposes.

Official NBEMS Web Portals

NBEMS operates separate online portals for different candidate and institution needs – always use the correct one for your purpose.

• natboard.edu.in – Main website: notifications, exam schedules, circulars, downloads.
• accr.natboard.edu.in – Accreditation portal for hospitals/institutions applying for DNB/DrNB/FNB/Diploma accreditation.
• nbe.edu.in – Registration and application windows for NEET PG, NEET SS, NEET MDS, FMGE and other exams (linked from the main site during active cycles).
• Communication Web Portal – For candidate queries, grievances and correspondence tracking.

Eligibility Criteria – Key NBEMS Exams

A quick eligibility snapshot for the most-searched NBEMS exams:

Exam	Minimum Eligibility
NEET PG	MBBS from a recognised university + completed internship + State Medical Council registration
NEET MDS	BDS from a recognised university + completed internship + State Dental Council registration
NEET SS	MD/MS/DNB + permanent MBBS registration
FMGE	Indian citizen/OCI with a foreign medical degree recognised by the Indian Embassy in that country
PDCET	MBBS + completed internship + State Medical Council registration

Organizational Structural Design of NBEMS

NBEMS functions as an autonomous organization under the administrative aegis of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. As an independent entity, it operates with substantial self-governance while maintaining policy alignment with broader national health education goals.

1. Governance Framework

NBEMS is governed by a high-level Governing Body, the apex decision-making authority of the organization, comprising:

• President – currently Dr. Abhijat Sheth, associated with Apollo Hospital.
• Executive Director — manages day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives.
• Institutional Representatives – senior members from accredited medical institutions and public health administration, who contribute to policy-making and academic oversight.

The Governing Body holds the authority to formulate, review, and amend the organization’s strategic direction, in alignment with national healthcare education policy.

2. Legal and Structural Autonomy

NBEMS is registered as a society, giving it the flexibility to operate under its Memorandum of Association (MoA) and By-laws, independently developed and approved by its Governing Body. While it functions under the Ministry’s administrative oversight, it retains the autonomy to:

• Design and update academic programs
• Conduct national-level examinations
• Accredit training institutions
• Establish internal administrative procedures

3. Location and Infrastructure

NBEMS is headquartered in New Delhi, from where it administers its academic, regulatory, and examination functions across India.

4. Coordination with Regulatory Bodies

NBEMS works in collaborative alignment with key medical regulatory authorities, especially the National Medical Commission (NMC) – the statutory body that replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI):

• NBEMS follows NMC-approved curricula and academic standards.
• It adheres to NMC regulations for the recognition of qualifications.
• It coordinates with state and central institutions for implementing postgraduate medical education frameworks.
• Despite this coordination, NBEMS remains institutionally distinct from NMC and is not under its direct control.

5. Recent Policy Developments and Structural Proposals

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has proposed legislative reforms aimed at integrating NBEMS into the NMC framework:

• A proposal exists to establish a new entity titled the “Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS)” as the fifth autonomous board within NMC, effectively replacing NBEMS.
• Under this proposed structure, NBEMS’s functions – including conducting the National Exit Test (NEXT) – would become part of NMC’s broader mandate under the NMC Act, 2019.
• The proposal has faced widespread opposition from medical associations and NBEMS-accredited institutions, over concerns of autonomy, academic freedom, and operational efficiency.
• As of the latest available update, the reform remains under consultation, and NBEMS continues to function independently while discussions between stakeholders and the government are ongoing.

6. Summary of Current Status

Aspect	Status
Legal Status	Autonomous Society under MoHFW
Governing Authority	Governing Body led by President and Executive Director
Affiliation with NMC	Not under NMC; operates independently
Key Responsibility	National-level postgraduate medical examinations
Proposed Reform	Integration as BEMS under NMC (pending decision)

This structural design highlights NBEMS’s unique position as a semi-regulatory, examination-conducting authority that balances autonomy with government alignment. While the future structure may evolve depending on legislative decisions, NBEMS remains a critical institution in India’s postgraduate medical education ecosystem.

GPAT – NBEMS’s Pharmacy Examination

Beyond medical and dental exams, NBEMS also administers the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) – a role it has held since 2024, after GPAT moved from the National Testing Agency (NTA) to NBEMS.

Feature	Details
Full Form	Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test
Conducted By	NBEMS, on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)
Purpose	Admission to M.Pharm programmes
Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)
Eligibility	B.Pharm (or equivalent); final-year B.Pharm candidates and lateral entrants are also eligible
Approx. Seats Covered	39,000+ M.Pharm seats across 800+ institutions in India
Score Validity	3 years
Official Website	natboard.edu.in

NBEMS Diploma Courses

Apart from DNB (Broad Specialty) and DrNB (Super Specialty), NBEMS separately administers postgraduate Diploma courses – a distinct, generally shorter track recognised alongside DNB qualifications.

• Diploma courses run for a duration shorter than the standard 3-year DNB Broad Specialty programme.
• Candidates who complete an NBEMS-recognised 2-year PG Diploma can subsequently pursue a 2-year Post-Diploma DNB in the same specialty, instead of the full 3-year route.
• NBEMS conducts a separate NBEMS Diploma Final Examination for candidates completing these diploma programmes.
• Diploma courses are offered at NBEMS-accredited hospitals/institutions, following the same accreditation process used for DNB training.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)