New Delhi, Aug 2026 : The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG 2026) is set to be conducted across the country on Sunday, with more than 2.73 lakh medical graduates expected to appear for the examination at 1,300 centres spread across 340 cities.
According to an official, a total of 2,73,183 candidates have registered for this year’s examination, marking an increase of more than 12.5 per cent over the previous year. The examination will be conducted in a single shift. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) released the admit cards for registered candidates on August 26.
NEET-PG is the gateway for medical graduates seeking admission to postgraduate medical programmes in government and private medical institutions across the country. Successful candidates can secure seats in advanced courses, including Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS), among other postgraduate medical programmes.
Ahead of the examination, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda reviewed preparations and directed all agencies and stakeholders involved in the process to ensure that the examination is conducted smoothly, securely and transparently.
The authorities have put in place a comprehensive security and monitoring mechanism to safeguard the integrity of the examination. The arrangements include CCTV surveillance, biometric authentication, frisking, signal jammers, dynamic computer allocation and live monitoring through central and regional command centres.
More than 60,000 personnel are expected to be deployed for various examination-related responsibilities. The extensive security measures have been designed to prevent malpractice, ensure candidate authentication and maintain confidentiality throughout the examination process.
During the preparedness review, Nadda also cautioned candidates against rumours and fraudulent claims concerning the question paper. He stressed that the final question paper is selected through a highly secure, encrypted and time-bound process shortly before the examination begins.
According to the minister, multiple layers of technological and operational safeguards are used to ensure that the question paper remains confidential until the scheduled commencement of the test. He said any claim that the question paper had been accessed in advance was completely false and aimed at misleading candidates.
Nadda advised aspirants to rely only on official communications issued by NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Candidates have also been urged to report any suspicious activity or attempts to indulge in unfair practices to the appropriate authorities.
During the high-level meeting, officials briefed the minister on examination logistics, security arrangements, candidate facilitation measures and technology-enabled interventions introduced for NEET-PG 2026. Nadda instructed officials to maintain the highest standards of fairness, integrity and security while also ensuring that candidates have a smooth and candidate-friendly examination experience.
Several student-centric changes have also been introduced this year to make the examination process more convenient for aspirants. Candidates were allowed to indicate three preferences for examination states, with the state corresponding to their address being mandatory as the first preference.
Officials said candidates were informed about their allotted examination cities nearly three weeks ahead of the test, giving them adequate time to make arrangements for travel and accommodation.
The examination pattern has also been revised this year. Candidates will now have to answer 180 questions within 210 minutes. The change is aimed at providing aspirants with more time to address each question during the examination.
Technology-based authentication has been strengthened as part of the examination process. Aadhaar-based authentication has been integrated at both the registration and examination stages to improve identity verification and prevent impersonation.
In addition, iris-based biometric verification will function as a backup mechanism in cases where fingerprint authentication is unsuccessful. The combination of biometric systems, surveillance and other security measures is expected to provide multiple layers of verification at examination centres.
With more than 2.73 lakh candidates scheduled to participate, NEET-PG 2026 represents one of the country's largest medical entrance examinations. Authorities have maintained that close coordination between NBEMS, technology partners, examination personnel and other agencies will be crucial to ensuring that the test is conducted without disruption.
As aspirants prepare to compete for postgraduate medical seats, officials have reiterated that candidates should follow all examination-day instructions carefully and depend only on verified information from official sources.
