NEET PG Exam Dates 2026: Exam Date, Admit Card, Result, Counselling

NEET PG 2026 is a national-level examination which is used to admit to MD (Doctor of Medicine)/ MS (Master of Surgery) and PG Diploma courses in India. Administered by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), NEET PG is used to allocate admission to close to 50,000 postgraduate medical seats in government medical colleges, deemed universities, state and private institutions, including AIIMS and JIPMER. The competition is very stiff, with approximately 2 lakh MBBS graduates showing up to take the exam each year.

The NEET PG 2026 exam will tentatively be conducted in August 2026. The process of applying normally takes place several months prior to the exam, with the issue of the admit card being published approximately 3-4 weeks before the actual examination day. The results are usually announced in 2-3 weeks after the examination and counselling process begins shortly after it.

To the aspirants intending to prepare, it is important to have an idea of the NEET PG 2026 examination dates, admit card release, NEET PG result declaration and counselling schedule because a missed date may impact their eligibility and admission to college.

What Is the Expected NEET PG 2026 Exam Schedule?

The NEET PG 2026 exam is administered annually by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). The exact date when NEET PG 2026 is still to be announced, but based on the calendar of NBEMS examinations and earlier NEET PG phases, a provisional schedule can be estimated.

The NEET PG eligibility condition of internship completion deadline also falls to around September 2026, as has been the case in past years. The MD/MS/PG Diploma seat counselling will commence around September to October 2026 by the MCC and state authorities.

The applicants must remember that all these dates are approximate and may change. Aspirants are therefore advised to keep updated with the changes in the NBEMS information bulletin.

The table below gives a tentative schedule for the NEET PG 2026 exam.

Also Check: How to Crack NEET PG in First Attempt?

How to Download the NEET PG 2026 Admit Card?

The NEET PG 2026 admit card will be made available online by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). It is not sent by post or email, and it has to be downloaded by the candidates at the official site of the NBEMS. The steps used to download the NEET PG 2026 admit card are as follows-

• Visit the official NBEMS site and move to the NEET PG 2026 section.
• Select the NEET PG 2026 Admit Card link.
• Log in with your User ID and Password, which you created during registration.
• The admit card will be displayed on the screen as a  PDF file.
• Download a copy of the admit card and print 2-3 copies of it for future reference.

Once downloaded, the candidates would then have to read through all the information on the admit card, including name, roll number, exam date, exam city, test centre address and reporting time. In case any inconsistency is revealed, the same should be communicated to NBEMS. During the exam day, the candidates have to carry a printed copy of the admit card with a valid photo ID. Candidates will not be able to get entry to the exam centre without the admit card.

Also Check: NEET PG Preparation Time Table

What Is the NEET PG 2026 Exam Pattern and Duration?

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has not changed the format of the postgraduate medical entrance examination. The pattern of the NEET PG 2026 exam is believed to be the same as in the past years. The exam is done in computer based test (CBT) mode and tests the applicants on the entire MBBS syllabus.

The exam includes pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical topics of the MBBS program. The exam will have 200 questions that need to be answered in 210 minutes. The candidate is allotted approximately 1 minute per question, and time management is a necessity.

Negative marking of -1 is given for incorrect answers.

In general, the NEET PG 2026 pattern tests clinical knowledge, conceptual and application-based learning, and thus, aspirants need to study with a concentration on clinical subjects and review high-yield topics. The table below gives an overview of the NEET PG 2026 exam pattern and duration.

Particulars	Details
Mode of Exam	Computer-Based Test (Online)
Total Questions	200 MCQs
Maximum Marks	800
Duration	3 hours 30 minutes (210 minutes)
Question Type	Multiple Choice Questions
Marking Scheme	+4 for Correct, −1 for Incorrect, 0 for Unanswered
Language	English

How to Download the NEET PG 2026 Results? 

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) will include the results of the NEET PG 2026 online. The results will not be provided to the candidates by way of post or email. The official NBEMS site will be the only place where all information related to the results will be available. After the announcement of the results, NBEMS will put out a merit list in PDF format with roll numbers of qualified candidates. Individual score cards of the candidates can downloaded with their login information on the official website.

To check the NEET PG 2026 results, the candidates will have to use their User ID and Password that had been generated during registration. The scorecard is going to have the following information- marks received (from 800), All India Rank (AIR), percentile mark, qualification category status, and cutoff marks. The result is declared by NBEMS in 2-3 weeks following the exam, depending on the schedule of the exam. The NEET PG 2026 results will be published first, and then the cutoff scores list that determines eligibility for counselling.

For the NEET PG 2026 counselling and admission, candidates are required to download and save several copies of the scorecard. The current scorecard is only valid when the admissions cycle is in progress, it cannot be reused in the next year.

Also Read: Top 5 Benefits of Practising Previous Year’s NEET PG Question Papers

How Will NEET PG 2026 Counselling Be Conducted?

The last and most important step in the admission process of the postgraduate medical program is NEET PG 2026 counselling. It is carried out in online mode according to the All India Rank (AIR) that is achieved in NEET PG. The counselling process defines whether an individual will be admitted to MD, MS, PG diploma, and DNB seats in government, private, deemed and central universities in India. 

The counselling process takes place in two levels, namely, All India Quota (AIQ) counselling through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) as well as State level counselling through individual state authorities. The procedures of NEET PG 2026 counselling are explained below.

1. Online Registration- The first step that candidates have to take is to register online on the official counselling portals. In the case of AIQ seats, the registration is performed on the MCC site, whereas the state quota seats should be registered separately at the state counselling portals. During registration, students have to enter their personal information, NEET PG roll number, and make the counselling payment.
2. Choice Filling and Locking- Once they have been registered, they are expected to fill in the list of colleges and courses they would prefer, with the order of priority. It is a very important step, because the selection of seats is determined by their rank and the selections provided. After the choice-filling window has closed, the candidates are required to lock up their choices, and thereafter they are not allowed to make any changes.
3. Seat Allotment- Allotment of seats is made as per the NEET PG rank, category, and reservation regulations, as well as availability of seats. The candidates with higher ranks are provided with seats first. The allotment outcomes are posted on the official website, and the applicants have to download their tentative seat allocation letters.
4. Report to the Allotted college- Allotted candidates are required to report to the allotted medical college within the stipulated period. Reporting is done through document verification, and admission formalities are completed. The inability to report on time may result in the loss of the assigned seat.
5. Additional Rounds of Counselling- Applicants not content with their allotted seat or with no assignment are allowed to take further rounds like Round 2, Mop-Up Round, or Stray Vacancy Round, according to the eligibility and counselling regulations. Cutoffs can vary in later rounds according to the availability of seats.
6. Confirmation of Final Admission and Seat- As soon as a candidate accepts a seat and completes all formalities, admission is confirmed. Once the confirmations have been made, the candidates are not, in most cases, permitted to undergo any additional counselling sessions by the exit rules.

Also Check: NEET PG Mistakes you Must Avoid on the Exam Day

What Are the Important Documents Required for NEET PG 2026 Counselling?

Applicants who are enrolled in NEET PG 2026 counselling have to submit a series of documents in order to verify their identity, confirm eligibility, and be approved for admission. These documents must be presented at the time of reporting to the allotted medical college, and these are checked by the counselling authorities.

Failure to submit any document that is required may cause the allotted seat to be cancelled. The following are the important documents for NEET PG 2026 counselling.

1. NEET PG 2026 Admit Card- The admit card issued by NBEMS is needed as a document to show that the candidate attended the examination.
2. NEET PG 2026 Scorecard- The scorecard contains marks received, percentile and All India Rank, which is vital in the counselling and seat allotment.
3. MBBS Degree Certificate or Provisional Certificate- Applicants are required to provide their MBBS degree or provisional certificate from a recognised medical university.
4. MBBS Mark Sheets- Academic verification will require the professional MBBS mark sheets for all the years.
5. Certification of Completion of Compulsory Rotatory Internship- The certificate of completion of the internship has to indicate the date of completion, which should not be of any later date than the eligible deadline of NEET PG 2026.
6. Permanent or Provisional Medical Registration Certificate- Registration should be by the National Medical Commission (NMC) or a State Medical Council.
7. Photo Identity Proof- A valid government-issued photo ID like Aadhaar Card, Passport, Voter ID, or PAN Card.
8. Category Certificate- The applicants who make claims that they have reserved under the category of SC, ST, OBC or EWS will need to provide a category certificate.
9. PwD Certificate- When a candidate is filing as Persons with Disabilities (PwD), they would need to provide a certificate which is granted by a recognised medical board.
10. Allotment Letter- At the reporting stage, the downloaded letter of provision of seats allotment from the counselling portal is needed.
11. Passport-Size Photographs- Recent passport-size pictures, ideally similar to those that are already there on the application form.
12. Receipt of Counselling Fees- During reporting, proof of the counselling registration fee and security deposit payment might be demanded.

Conclusion

NEET PG 2026 will follow a strict time schedule for the exam, the result announcement and counselling. Beginning with the issue of the admit card just before the test and the series of multi-round counselling done by the MCC and the state authorities, every phase has a critical role in determining the seat selection. And with lakhs of candidates applying for a few available PG seats, it is important to be updated with the latest official news and notifications for NEET PG exam dates 2026. 

Also Read: What is a Good Rank in NEET PG?