NEET PG 2026 — National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate Medical Admissions (MD / MS / PG Diploma / DNB / DrNB)
NEET PG 2026 is the single national entrance examination for admission to MD, MS, PG Diploma, Post MBBS DNB, Direct 6-Year DrNB, and NBEMS 2-year Diploma courses across India for the 2026-27 academic session. Conducted by NBEMS, the exam is scheduled for 30 August 2026 in CBT mode. Registration opened 1 July 2026 and closes 21 July 2026 at natboard.edu.in. Application fee is Rs 3,500 for General/OBC/EWS and Rs 2,500 for SC/ST/PwBD. Eligible candidates must hold an MBBS degree from an NMC-recognized college and complete their compulsory rotatory internship by 30 September 2026. The exam covers 180 MCQs in 5 time-locked sections of 36 questions each (42 minutes per section). Over 40,000 PG medical seats are available through NEET PG 2026. No age limit; no restriction on number of attempts.
Admission exam — no salary. Leads to MD/MS/DNB/PG Diploma admission in government/private medical colleges across India.
Salary
All India
Location
About This Notification
NEET PG 2026
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test — Postgraduate Medical Admissions 2026-27
Application Window Closing Soon!
Registration closes on 21 July 2026 at 11:55 PM. The correction window opens 25–28 July 2026. Apply at natboard.edu.in — do not wait for the last date as portal may slow down.
📋 Quick Reference
| Conducting Body | National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) |
| Official Website | natboard.edu.in |
| Courses Covered | MD · MS · PG Diploma · Post MBBS DNB · Direct 6-Year DrNB · NBEMS 2-Year Diploma |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) · English Medium Only · Single Day · Single Shift |
| Age Limit | No Age Limit |
| Attempt Limit | No Limit on Attempts |
| Internship Deadline | Must complete by 30 September 2026 |
📅 Important Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Information Bulletin Released | 1 July 2026 | ✅ DONE |
| Online Application Opens | 1 July 2026 | ✅ OPEN |
| 🔴 Last Date to Apply Online | 21 July 2026 | ⏳ URGENT |
| Application Correction Window | 25–28 July 2026 | 🔜 UPCOMING |
| City Intimation Slip Release | 11 August 2026 | 🔜 UPCOMING |
| Admit Card Download | 27 August 2026 | 🔜 UPCOMING |
| ⭐ NEET PG 2026 Written Exam | 30 August 2026 | 📌 CONFIRMED |
| Result Declaration | ~30 September 2026 | 🕐 AWAITED |
💳 Application Fee
General / OBC / EWS
₹3,500
+ payment gateway charges
SC / ST / PwBD
₹2,500
+ payment gateway charges
⚠️ Fee is strictly non-refundable under any circumstances. Payment via Debit Card / Credit Card / Net Banking / UPI only.
📊 Exam Pattern 2026
🔔 Key Change in 2026: Questions reduced from 200 to 180. New 5-section time-locked format — once a section ends, you CANNOT go back.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 180 MCQs (4 options each) |
| Total Marks | 720 Marks |
| Duration | 3 Hours 30 Minutes |
| Sections | 5 Sections × 36 Questions each |
| Time Per Section | 42 Minutes (STRICTLY TIME-LOCKED) |
| Marking Scheme | +4 Correct | −1 Wrong | 0 Unanswered |
| Language | English Only |
| Subjects | All 19 MBBS Subjects — Mixed across all 5 sections |
✅ Eligibility Criteria
- 🎓
MBBS Degree
Valid MBBS degree or Provisional MBBS Pass Certificate from an NMC-recognized institution. Final-year students are NOT eligible.
- 🏥
Internship Completion
Compulsory 1-year rotatory internship must be completed on or before 30 September 2026.
- 📜
Medical Council Registration
Permanent or provisional NMC or State Medical Council (SMC) registration. Must be carried to the exam centre.
- 🌍
Foreign Medical Graduates
Must have qualified FMGE before applying. FMGE Pass Certificate must be carried to exam centre.
- 🚫
Existing PG Students
Candidates enrolled in MD/MS/DNB are NOT ELIGIBLE unless they have completed or officially resigned from their current programme.
🏛️ Seats Available Through NEET PG 2026
26,168
MD Seats
13,649
MS Seats
922
PG Diploma
1,338
DNB / DrNB
Total: 40,000+ PG medical seats across 6,100+ government, private, deemed colleges and DNB hospitals. Actual seat matrix released by MCC at the time of counselling.
🎯 Qualifying Cutoff (Percentile-Based)
| Category | Qualifying Percentile | Approx. Score (720 marks) |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 50th Percentile | ~295–320 marks (indicative) |
| General-PwBD | 45th Percentile | Varies by year |
| SC / ST / OBC | 40th Percentile | ~260–280 marks (indicative) |
ℹ️ Cutoff is percentile-based, not a fixed mark. Exact cutoff declared with result in September 2026. In NEET PG 2025, the Ministry revised cutoff to near-zero to fill vacant seats.
⚠️ Must-Know Rules Before Applying
- Aadhaar number CANNOT be changed after submission — not even during the correction window.
- State preferences CANNOT be edited after submission. First preference must match your correspondence address state.
- Fee is NON-REFUNDABLE under any circumstance — no refund, adjustment or carry-forward.
- Test city is NOT allotted on first-come-first-served basis — do not rush just for a better city.
- NEET PG is NOT required for AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, NIMHANS — these have separate entrance exams.
- Admit card and city intimation slip available on natboard.edu.in only — NOT sent by post or email.
Key Details
Organization
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences
Department
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
Exam Name
NEET PG 2026 (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test — Postgraduate)
Job Location
All India
Selection Process
Stage 1: NEET PG Written Exam (CBT, 30 Aug 2026, 180 MCQs, 720 marks) → Stage 2: Result & All India Rank (AIR) Declaration (Sep 2026) → Stage 3: MCC Centralised Counselling (All India Quota) → Stage 4: State Quota Counselling → Stage 5: Reporting & Joinin
Official Website
https://natboard.edu.in
Eligibility Criteria
Nationality
Indian Citizens, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), and Foreign Nationals are all eligible to apply for NEET PG 2026.
MBBS Degree
Must hold a valid MBBS degree or Provisional MBBS Pass Certificate from a medical college recognized under the NMC Act, 2019 and Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023. Final-year MBBS students are NOT eligible.
Compulsory Rotatory Internship
Must have completed (or be due to complete) the 1-year compulsory rotatory internship on or before 30 September 2026. This is a firm deadline for counselling eligibility.
Medical Council Registration
Must hold permanent or provisional registration certificate issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), formerly MCI, or any State Medical Council (SMC). Must be carried to exam centre on exam day.
Foreign Medical Graduates
Candidates with MBBS degree from outside India must have qualified FMGE conducted by NBEMS before applying. FMGE Pass Certificate must be carried to exam centre.
Age Limit
No upper or lower age limit prescribed by NBEMS for NEET PG 2026.
Number of Attempts
No restriction on the number of attempts for NEET PG. Candidates can appear every year as long as they continue to meet all eligibility conditions.
Existing PG Students
Candidates already enrolled in and pursuing an MD/MS/DNB course are NOT eligible unless they have completed the full course or officially resigned and been formally discharged before applying.
Educational Qualification
- MBBS Degree: Must hold a valid MBBS degree or Provisional MBBS Pass Certificate from a medical college recognized under the NMC Act, 2019 and Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023.
- Internship: Must have completed (or be due to complete) the compulsory one-year rotatory internship on or before 30 September 2026. This is a firm cutoff for counselling eligibility.
- Medical Registration: Must hold a permanent or provisional registration certificate issued by the NMC, formerly MCI, or a State Medical Council (SMC).
- Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs): Must have qualified FMGE before applying. Must carry FMGE Pass Certificate to the exam centre.
- Existing PG Students: Candidates already enrolled in MD/MS/DNB are NOT eligible unless they have completed or officially resigned from their current course.
- Nationality: Indian citizens, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and foreign nationals are eligible. Foreign nationals must be registered with their home country medical authority.
Age Limit
There is no upper age limit for NEET PG 2026 as prescribed by NBEMS. There is also no restriction on the number of attempts — candidates can appear every year as long as they meet the eligibility conditions.
