The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced a series of changes for candidates appearing in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2026. Ahead of the August 30 examination, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda reviewed the preparations made by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the body conducting NEET PG. Following the review, the ministry announced measures that it said were aimed at making the examination process more convenient while strengthening security.More than 2.73 lakh candidates have registered for NEET PG this year. According to data released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), 2,73,183 applications have been received, over 12.5 per cent higher than last year.
More test city choices
One of the changes many candidates are likely to notice even before the examination is the revised test city preference system.Until now, candidates had fewer options while selecting their examination city. This year, they will be able to choose three preferred test cities, along with the corresponding states, in the order of their preference.The idea is to improve the chances of candidates getting an examination centre closer to where they want to appear. Every year, many candidates end up travelling long distances after being allotted centres in cities they had not expected.The ministry has also said that the test city intimation slip will be released around three weeks before the examination. The advance notice is expected to give candidates more time to arrange travel and accommodation, particularly those who have to appear outside their home city.
A single shift across the country
NEET PG 2026 will be conducted in a single shift across more than 1,300 examination centres located in nearly 340 cities.The single shift format means all candidates will write the examination at the same time. The move comes after debates in previous years over multiple shifts and score normalisation, issues that had repeatedly become a point of discussion among aspirants.
Fewer questions, same exam duration
The examination pattern has also been revised.The number of questions has been reduced from 200 to 180. However, the total examination duration will remain unchanged at three hours and 30 minutes, or 210 minutes.That changes one important aspect of the examination. Candidates will now have more time available for each question compared with previous years.For aspirants, that could mean slightly more time to read clinical scenarios carefully instead of rushing through the paper. Whether it changes the overall difficulty level will only become clear after the examination.
Aadhaar verification and biometric checks
The ministry has also introduced additional authentication measures.Aadhaar-based authentication will be used during the application process as well as on the day of the examination.If fingerprint authentication cannot be completed successfully, examination centres will use iris-based biometric verification as an alternative.The ministry said the measures are aimed at strengthening candidate authentication and examination security.
