The center has announced several changes to the NEET-PG exam, which will take place later this month. These changes include expanding the choice of testing locations, giving candidates more time to plan travel, and increasing the time allocated for each question.
According to the Union Ministry of Health, the reforms aim to enhance the convenience and safety of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate Education (NEET-PG).
Under the updated system, candidates must now specify preferences for three states for their examination center. The preferred choice must be a state corresponding to their place of residence, which will allow centers to be distributed closer to home.
Previously, examination venues were assigned on a 'first come, first served' basis, forcing those who delayed application submissions to seek centers in other states if nearby ones were occupied.
Candidates will now be notified of their assigned testing city approximately three weeks before the exam scheduled for August 30th, providing them with more time to arrange accommodation and travel.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has also adjusted the exam format by reducing the number of questions from 200 to 180, while the total time remains unchanged at 210 minutes. This change will give candidates more time to answer each question.
Previously, the exam consisted of 200 multiple-choice questions totaling a maximum of 800 marks. The Ministry reported that the preparation and delivery process for test materials was strengthened through multi-level encryption, secure offline preparation, finalizing materials within a limited timeframe before the exam, and controlled digital decryption at the start of the test.
To further enhance security during registration and on the day of the exam, Aadhaar-based authentication has been implemented. If fingerprint authentication fails, iris biometric verification will be used.
NBEMS has also created a dedicated email address for reporting fraud, attempts to impose services, and other unethical practices, while simultaneously issuing guidelines for candidates to increase awareness and vigilance.
The NEET-PG 2026 exam will be conducted in a single session to ensure uniformity in difficulty level and assessment. In recent years, the exam has been held in multiple sessions due to emergencies or postponements.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda inspected the readiness for conducting the exam on Saturday and instructed agencies to ensure a seamless, safe, transparent, and technologically equipped process. He assessed the readiness of NBEMS, technology partners, and other stakeholders, emphasizing the need for a fair and candidate-friendly examination.
A total of 273,183 candidates registered for this medical entrance test, which is 12.5% more than last year. The exam will be held in a single session across about 340 cities and over 1300 centers.
Security measures include prior sealing and inspection of centers, video surveillance, biometric authentication, candidate frisking, use of signal jammers, 24-hour monitoring through central and regional command centers, as well as supervision by independent observers and evaluators. The Ministry stated that over 60,000 examination staff members will be deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the exam.