Everything a doctor needs for NEET-PG — eligibility, the new 180-question pattern, official 2026 cut-offs, branch popularity, PG seats, NIRF medical rankings, exam-day rules and preparation.
- NBEMS — Conducting body
- natboard.edu.in — Official portal
- 180 questions — 5 timed sections
- 720 marks — +4 / −1
- 63,177 — PG seats (NMC 2026-27)
Disclaimer: Pattern, cut-offs, closing ranks, seats, fees and dates change every year. Figures on this page are compiled from NBEMS, NMC, MCC, NIRF and other public sources and are indicative only. Always verify on natboard.edu.in, mcc.nic.in and nmc.org.in and in the current Information Bulletin before taking any decision. Page compiled October 2026.
Introduction & official website
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduates, or NEET-PG, is the single entrance test for MD, MS, PG Diploma and DNB courses (and the six-year MCh Neurosurgery entry) in India. It is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
| Official website | natboard.edu.in and nbe.edu.in (information bulletin, application, admit card, result) |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) |
| Frequency | Once a year |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT), single shift; English only |
| NEET-PG 2026 | Exam on 30 August 2026 (re-exam on 5 September 2026 for affected Jaipur centres); result on 24 September 2026 |
| Counselling | MCC (mcc.nic.in) for 50% All India Quota, central and deemed universities and DNB; state authorities for state-quota seats |
| Not covered | AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS and SCTIMST admit to PG courses through INI-CET, not NEET-PG |
Purpose of the exam
One national merit list decides admission to almost every postgraduate medical seat in government, private and deemed colleges, and to NBEMS DNB seats in accredited hospitals.
↑ Back to topEligibility criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Degree | MBBS degree, or provisional MBBS pass certificate, recognised under the NMC Act |
| Registration | Permanent or provisional registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council |
| Internship | One-year rotating internship completed on or before the cut-off date (30 September 2026 for NEET-PG 2026) |
| Foreign medical graduates | Must have passed the FMGE and completed internship in India by the cut-off date, with NMC / SMC registration |
| Age | No age limit |
| Number of attempts | No limit |
Candidates who do not meet the internship deadline cannot be considered for counselling, even after qualifying.
↑ Back to topExam pattern
From 2026 the paper has 180 questions instead of 200; the total time is unchanged, so candidates get more time per question.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Questions | 180 multiple-choice questions (one correct answer out of four) |
| Sections | 5 sections of 36 questions each |
| Time per section | 42 minutes, time-bound — a section closes when its time ends |
| Total duration | 3 hours 30 minutes (210 minutes); 2026 exam: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Maximum marks | 720 |
| Language | English |
Marking scheme
| Response | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +4 |
| Incorrect answer | −1 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
Old vs. revised pattern
| Item | Till 2025 | From 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 200 | 180 |
| Maximum marks | 800 | 720 |
| Sections | 5 × 40 questions | 5 × 36 questions |
| Time per section | 42 minutes | 42 minutes |
| Total time | 3 h 30 min | 3 h 30 min |
Tie-breaking
If candidates score the same marks, NBEMS first uses higher aggregate marks in the MBBS professional examinations, followed by the other criteria listed in the 2026 Information Bulletin.
Selection process
- NEET-PGRaw score and All India Rank
- Counselling registrationMCC for AIQ / central / deemed / DNB; state for state quota
- Choice fillingRounds 1, 2, 3 and stray vacancy round
- Seat allotmentReport with documents, pay fees, join the course
| Seat type | Share | Counselling |
|---|---|---|
| Government colleges — All India Quota | 50% | MCC |
| Government colleges — State Quota | 50% | State counselling authority |
| Central institutions and central universities (BHU, AMU, DU, ESIC) | 100% as notified | MCC |
| Deemed universities | 100% | MCC |
| Private colleges | State quota / management / NRI | State counselling authority |
| DNB / DrNB (post-MBBS) seats | 100% | MCC |
| Armed Forces Medical Services institutions | As notified | MCC (AFMS) |
Cutoffs
NEET-PG 2026 qualifying cut-off (official)
| Category | Percentile | Cut-off score |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 50th | 262 |
| General – PwBD | 45th | 244 |
| SC / ST / OBC (including their PwBD) | 40th | 226 |
Announced by NBEMS with the result on 24 September 2026. Qualifying only makes you eligible for counselling; the score needed for a particular branch and college is much higher.
Cut-off can be lowered later
In past years the qualifying percentile was reduced after counselling rounds to fill vacant seats — to zero percentile for all categories in NEET-PG 2023, and to the 5th percentile in NEET-PG 2024 — so watch MCC notices.
Branch-wise cutoffs (MD / MS)
Typical All India Quota closing-rank range for government-college seats, General category, by branch. A lower rank is needed for the most popular branches.
How to read this table
All figures are rounded estimates built from recent MCC final-round results and are only a guide to branch popularity; closing ranks vary widely between colleges in the same branch. Check MCC’s round-wise allotment and closing-rank reports at mcc.nic.in.
| Branch | Closing AIR range |
|---|---|
| MD Radio-Diagnosis | ≈1 – 3,000 |
| MD Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy | ≈1 – 3,500 |
| MD General Medicine | ≈1 – 6,000 |
| MS Orthopaedics | ≈1 – 8,000 |
| MD Paediatrics | ≈1 – 9,000 |
| MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology | ≈1 – 10,000 |
| MS General Surgery | ≈1 – 12,000 |
| MS Ophthalmology | ≈1 – 12,000 |
| MD Psychiatry | ≈1 – 14,000 |
| MS ENT | ≈1 – 16,000 |
| MD Respiratory Medicine | ≈1 – 18,000 |
| MD Anaesthesiology | ≈1 – 22,000 |
| MD Emergency Medicine | ≈1 – 25,000 |
| MD Pathology | ≈1 – 30,000 |
| MD Community Medicine | ≈1 – 45,000 |
| MD Pharmacology / Microbiology | ≈1 – 55,000 |
| MD Anatomy / Physiology / Biochemistry | ≈1 – 70,000 |
Total PG seats (MD / MS / Diploma)
PG seat matrix 2026-27 (NMC)
| Institution type | PG seats |
|---|---|
| Government | 33,088 |
| Private | 21,892 |
| Deemed universities | 8,197 |
| Total | 63,177 |
MD, MS, Diploma, DM and MCh seats approved by the Medical Assessment & Rating Board of NMC. The matrix does not yet include pending applications for new courses or increased intake. DNB seats of NBEMS are additional; the Health Ministry told Parliament in August 2026 that India has about 86,360 PG medical seats in all.
Seats in the largest branches
| Branch | Seats |
|---|---|
| MD General Medicine | Largest branch |
| MD Anaesthesiology | 5,581 |
| MS General Surgery | 5,502 |
| MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 4,601 |
| MD Paediatrics | 4,125 |
| MS Orthopaedics | 3,596 |
| MD Pathology | 3,277 |
| MS Ophthalmology | 2,417 |
| MS ENT | 2,030 |
| MD Dermatology | 1,844 |
States with the most PG seats
| State | Government | Private | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | 2,805 | 7,287 | 10,092 |
| Maharashtra | 4,277 | 4,939 | 9,216 |
| Tamil Nadu | 3,030 | 4,993 | 8,023 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 3,568 | 3,869 | 7,437 |
| Delhi | 3,448 | 1,281 | 4,729 |
| West Bengal | 2,283 | 1,202 | 3,485 |
Andhra Pradesh has 4,782 PG seats (split not reported here). State figures include seats of all institution types as given in the reply.
↑ Back to topLatest college rankings (NIRF)
NIRF Medical ranking 2025 — top 50, with official scores. NIRF 2026 had not been released when this page was compiled (October 2026). AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, NIMHANS and Sree Chitra admit PG students through INI-CET, not NEET-PG.
| Institute | Rank | Score | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi | 1 | 91.80 | Delhi |
| Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research | 2 | 82.58 | Chandigarh |
| Christian Medical College, Vellore | 3 | 76.48 | Tamil Nadu |
| JIPMER | 4 | 73.30 | Puducherry |
| Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences | 5 | 70.09 | Uttar Pradesh |
| Banaras Hindu University | 6 | 70.05 | Uttar Pradesh |
| NIMHANS, Bengaluru | 7 | 69.77 | Karnataka |
| King George’s Medical University | 8 | 68.77 | Uttar Pradesh |
| Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 9 | 68.52 | Tamil Nadu |
| Kasturba Medical College, Manipal | 10 | 68.05 | Karnataka |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 11 | 66.50 | Tamil Nadu |
| Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | 12 | 65.17 | Maharashtra |
| AIIMS Rishikesh | 13 | 65.02 | Uttarakhand |
| AIIMS Bhubaneswar | 14 | 64.31 | Odisha |
| Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan | 15 | 63.73 | Odisha |
| Madras Medical College & Govt. General Hospital, Chennai | 16 | 63.71 | Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute, Thiruvananthapuram | 17 | 63.36 | Kerala |
| SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 18 | 63.22 | Tamil Nadu |
| AIIMS Jodhpur | 19 | 63.18 | Rajasthan |
| Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research | 20 | 62.37 | Maharashtra |
| Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 21 | 61.54 | Tamil Nadu |
| VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital | 22 | 61.50 | Delhi |
| IPGMER, Kolkata | 23 | 61.07 | West Bengal |
| Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology | 24 | 61.00 | Odisha |
| AIIMS Bhopal | 25 | 60.15 | Madhya Pradesh |
| Maulana Azad Medical College | 26 | 59.47 | Delhi |
| AIIMS Patna | 27 | 59.24 | Bihar |
| Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences | 28 | 59.22 | Delhi |
| Aligarh Muslim University | 29 | 58.82 | Uttar Pradesh |
| St. John’s Medical College | 30 | 58.74 | Karnataka |
| AIIMS Raipur | 31 | 58.44 | Chhattisgarh |
| Lady Hardinge Medical College | 32 | 57.98 | Delhi |
| Maharishi Markandeshwar | 33 | 56.68 | Haryana |
| Govt. Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh | 34 | 56.67 | Chandigarh |
| Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore | 35 | 56.45 | Karnataka |
| Dayanand Medical College | 36 | 55.65 | Punjab |
| JSS Medical College, Mysuru | 37 | 55.51 | Karnataka |
| University College of Medical Sciences | 38 | 54.21 | Delhi |
| Sawai Man Singh Medical College | 39 | 52.69 | Rajasthan |
| Jamia Hamdard | 40 | 52.57 | Delhi |
| Medical College, Kolkata | 41 | 52.54 | West Bengal |
| Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute | 42 | 52.42 | Puducherry |
| PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research | 43 | 52.41 | Tamil Nadu |
| Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute | 44 | 52.15 | Gujarat |
| B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad | 45 | 51.84 | Gujarat |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi | 46 | 51.70 | Karnataka |
| Christian Medical College, Ludhiana | 47 | 51.47 | Punjab |
| Osmania Medical College | 48 | 51.46 | Telangana |
| Chettinad Academy of Research and Education | 49 | 51.41 | Tamil Nadu |
| M. S. Ramaiah Medical College | 50 | 50.91 | Karnataka |
Application process
- RegisterGo to natboard.edu.in, open the NEET-PG link and register with mobile number and e-mail.
- Fill the formPersonal details, MBBS college and university, internship completion date, NMC / SMC registration number and exam-city choices.
- Upload documentsPhotograph, signature, thumb impression, MBBS degree or provisional certificate, internship certificate or undertaking, registration certificate and category / PwBD certificate.
- Pay the feeOnline by card or net banking.
- Check and printUse the edit window, if offered, to correct errors and keep the confirmation page.
Application fee (NEET-PG 2026)
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹3,500 |
| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹2,500 |
Non-refundable; confirm the 2027 fee in the next Information Bulletin.
↑ Back to topImportant dates
| Event | NEET-PG 2026 (actual) |
|---|---|
| Information Bulletin & registration | 1 – 21 July 2026 |
| Internship completion cut-off | 30 September 2026 |
| Exam | 30 August 2026 (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM) |
| Re-examination (affected Jaipur centres) | 5 September 2026 |
| Result (score and rank) | 24 September 2026 |
| NMC PG seat matrix | 29 September 2026 |
| Scorecards and answer key | From 1 October 2026 |
| MCC counselling | After the answer-key process (October 2026 onward) |
NEET-PG 2027 dates will be announced by NBEMS. A National Exit Test (NExT) has been proposed to replace NEET-PG in future, but it has not been notified.
↑ Back to topExam day guidelines — what to carry & what not to bring
NEET-PG is a computer-based test with biometric and photo verification. Read the instructions on your admit card the night before.
✅ Allowed items — carry these
- Admit card printed on A4 paper, with the passport-size photograph pasted as instructed.
- Valid original photo ID: PAN, Driving Licence, Voter ID, Passport or Aadhaar.
- Copy of permanent or provisional NMC / State Medical Council registration, as required on the admit card.
- PwBD certificate and scribe documents, if applicable.
- Rough sheets and a pen are provided at the centre; nothing else is needed.
ℹ️ Note
There is no arrangement for safekeeping of barred items at the exam centre. Report at the time on the admit card — entry closes before the exam starts.
Syllabus & preparation resources
The NEET-PG syllabus is the full MBBS curriculum prescribed by the NMC — all 19 pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects.
About these numbers
NBEMS does not publish the subject-wise split for 2026. The counts below are approximate, scaled to 180 questions from NBEMS’s earlier subject-wise distribution, and are a guide to where marks come from.
| Subject | Questions (≈) | Marks (≈) | Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomy | 10 | 40 | 5.6% |
| Physiology | 10 | 40 | 5.6% |
| Biochemistry | 10 | 40 | 5.6% |
| Pathology | 15 | 60 | 8.3% |
| Pharmacology | 12 | 48 | 6.7% |
| Microbiology | 12 | 48 | 6.7% |
| Forensic Medicine | 6 | 24 | 3.3% |
| Community Medicine (PSM) | 15 | 60 | 8.3% |
| ENT | 6 | 24 | 3.3% |
| Ophthalmology | 6 | 24 | 3.3% |
| Medicine | 21 | 84 | 11.7% |
| Dermatology | 3 | 12 | 1.7% |
| Psychiatry | 3 | 12 | 1.7% |
| Surgery | 15 | 60 | 8.3% |
| Orthopaedics | 6 | 24 | 3.3% |
| Anaesthesia | 3 | 12 | 1.7% |
| Radiology | 3 | 12 | 1.7% |
| Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 18 | 72 | 10.0% |
| Paediatrics | 6 | 24 | 3.3% |
| Total | 180 | 720 | 100% |
Recommended books
| Subject | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy | Human Anatomy | B.D. Chaurasia |
| Physiology | Textbook of Medical Physiology | Guyton & Hall |
| Biochemistry | Biochemistry | U. Satyanarayana |
| Pathology | Robbins Basic Pathology | Kumar, Abbas & Aster |
| Pharmacology | Essentials of Medical Pharmacology | K.D. Tripathi |
| Microbiology | Textbook of Microbiology | Ananthanarayan & Paniker |
| Forensic Medicine | The Essentials of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology | K.S. Narayan Reddy |
| Community Medicine | Textbook of Preventive & Social Medicine | K. Park |
| Medicine | Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine | Harrison |
| Surgery | Bailey & Love’s Short Practice of Surgery | Bailey & Love |
| Obstetrics & Gynaecology | Textbook of Obstetrics / Gynaecology | D.C. Dutta |
| Paediatrics | Essential Pediatrics | O.P. Ghai |
| Ophthalmology | Comprehensive Ophthalmology | A.K. Khurana |
| ENT | Diseases of Ear, Nose & Throat | P.L. Dhingra |
Mock tests and revision
- Sectional timing: practise full mocks in five 42-minute blocks of 36 questions — you cannot return to a closed section.
- Image-based questions: revise clinical images, X-rays, specimens and instruments; they form a growing part of the paper.
- Accuracy: with −1 per wrong answer, skip questions where you cannot rule out at least two options.
- High-yield subjects: Medicine, OBG, Pathology, PSM and Surgery together carry nearly half the marks.
FAQs & helpline
Is NEET-PG used for AIIMS PG admission?
No. AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, NIMHANS and SCTIMST use INI-CET, a separate exam.
How many questions are in NEET-PG 2026?
180 questions for 720 marks, in five time-bound sections of 36 questions each.
Is there an age limit or attempt limit?
No, there is neither an age limit nor a limit on attempts.
What is the internship cut-off date?
For NEET-PG 2026, internship had to be completed on or before 30 September 2026.
Can the qualifying cut-off be reduced?
Yes. The government has lowered the percentile in previous years to fill vacant PG seats.
Are DNB seats filled through NEET-PG?
Yes. NBEMS DNB and DrNB (post-MBBS) seats are filled through MCC counselling on the NEET-PG rank.
Can I share the questions after the exam?
No. NEET-PG is a proprietary NBEMS exam and sharing its content in any form is prohibited.
Will NExT replace NEET-PG?
NExT has been proposed but not notified; NEET-PG continues until the government announces otherwise.
Official helpline & links
- NBEMS helpline
- Candidate care numbers and the communication web portal are listed on natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS
- natboard.edu.in
- MCC counselling
- mcc.nic.in
- National Medical Commission
- nmc.org.in
- NIRF rankings
- nirfindia.org