Exam reference
NEET-PG: one exam, every MD, MS, and DNB seat.
Exam pattern, subjects, marking, eligibility, how to prep, and what counselling looks like after your result.
At a glance
What is NEET-PG?
NEET-PG is the only entrance exam for MD, MS, PG Diploma, and DNB seats in India. Every medical college uses this one score.
Run by NBEMS once a year, it's a computer-based test taken by over 200,000 medical graduates. Your score feeds into All India 50% Quota, state quota, deemed university, and DNB admissions.
The exam pulls from all 19 MBBS subjects: pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical. That makes it one of the broadest PG entrance exams anywhere. It tests clinical reasoning and applied knowledge, not just recall.
NBEMS
Computer Based Test (CBT)
Once a year
3 hours 30 min (210 min)
All 19 MBBS subjects
No limit
Exam structure
200 questions. 800 marks. 210 minutes.
Unlike NEET-UG, NEET-PG has no sectional division. All 200 questions are presented in a single block covering all MBBS subjects in randomised order.
200
Multiple-choice questions with a single correct answer. No sectional time limits: candidates manage their own pace across all 200 questions.
800 marks
Each question carries 4 marks. Negative marking of 1 mark per incorrect answer. No marks deducted for unattempted questions. There is no sectional or overall qualifying cutoff score.
210 minutes
3 hours and 30 minutes for the full exam. Approximately 1 minute per question. Time management is critical: clinical questions often require more reading and reasoning time.
Marking Scheme
- Correct: +4 marks
- ✕ Incorrect: –1 mark
- - Unattempted: 0 marks
Subjects covered
All 19 MBBS subjects. No exceptions.
Every subject from your MBBS is fair game. NBEMS doesn't publish the question distribution in advance, and it shifts year to year.
Pre-clinical
Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry
Para-clinical
Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM)
Clinical
General Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, ENT (Otorhinolaryngology), Anaesthesiology, Radiology, Dermatology, Psychiatry
Clinical emphasis
This isn't a recall test. NEET-PG asks clinical scenario questions: a patient presents with X, what's the next step? What's the most likely diagnosis? Which investigation first? Recent exams have leaned hard on Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics, and Radiology.
Who can apply
Three eligibility requirements.
NBEMS spells these out in the information bulletin. You need all three by the cutoff date. Miss one and you're out for that session.
MBBS qualification
A recognised MBBS degree or provisional pass certificate from an NMC-recognised institution. Finished your MBBS abroad? You'll need to have cleared the FMGE or NExT screening test first.
Internship completed
Your 1-year compulsory rotatory internship must be finished by the cut-off date in the current NBEMS bulletin. Finish after that date? You're ineligible for that session. No exceptions.
Registration
Permanent or provisional registration with the NMC or your State Medical Council. The certificate needs to be valid at the time you apply and when you go through counselling.
Preparation strategy
Broad exam, focused prep.
Most people prep while wrapping up their internship. This timeline assumes 6-8 months of studying alongside clinical duties, not instead of them.
Take a baseline mock. Find your weak subjects. Build a study schedule you'll actually stick to. Get your textbooks and question banks. Join a test series.
Hit the high-yield clinical subjects first: Medicine, Surgery, Obs-Gyn, Paediatrics. Then para-clinical: Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, PSM. Finish one subject before jumping to the next.
Cover Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry. Start subject-wise tests alongside revision. One full-length mock every 2 weeks. Aim for 45-50 seconds per question.
Two full-length mocks a week. Drill your weak areas. Review image-based questions (Radiology, Dermatology, Pathology slides, ECGs, instruments). Go through previous year papers.
After the exam
Your NEET-PG score is step one. Counselling is the rest.
Getting from your score to a confirmed seat takes multiple rounds. Know the sequence so you don't miss a window.
NBEMS releases results ~3-4 weeks after the exam. Your scorecard shows your overall score (out of 800) and All India Rank (AIR). This rank feeds into both AIQ and state counselling.
Register on the MCC portal for All India 50% Quota, deemed, and central institute seats. Register on your state portal for state quota seats. These run in parallel, on different calendars. Track both.
This is the decision that shapes everything. Order specialties and colleges by what you actually want, not by what your rank says you'll get. Think about clinical exposure, faculty, hospital load, location, bond terms, and where you want your career to go.
MCC runs 4 rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-up, and Stray Vacancy. State counselling follows a similar structure. You can upgrade in later rounds if a higher-preference seat opens up. But know the rules about holding vs. surrendering seats.
Report to your allotted institution within the window. Bring original documents and fees. If you don't show up, you lose the seat. Hold a Round 2 seat and skip reporting? You could be barred from further rounds and face a penalty.
Common questions
Questions people ask about NEET-PG.
These answers give you a starting point. Always check the current NBEMS bulletin and MCC notices: rules change.
How many times is NEET-PG conducted in a year?
Once a year, by NBEMS. No second attempt, no supplementary exam. If you miss it or don't qualify, you wait for the next annual cycle. There's no way around that.
Is there negative marking in NEET-PG?
Yes. +4 for a correct answer, –1 for a wrong one. Unattempted questions don't cost you anything. There's no sectional cutoff: your overall score decides your rank. So guess when you can eliminate options, skip when you can't.
What is the qualifying cutoff for NEET-PG?
General/EWS: 50th percentile. SC/ST/OBC: 40th percentile. General-PwD: 45th percentile. The actual marks these percentiles translate to change every year depending on how hard the exam was and how the cohort performed.
Is NEET-PG mandatory for DNB admissions?
Yes. NEET-PG is the only entrance exam for MD, MS, PG Diploma, and DNB courses across India. DNB seats are allotted through MCC counselling using your NEET-PG rank, same as MD and MS.
How should I prepare for NEET-PG during internship?
Most people prep alongside their internship. Start with a baseline mock early so you know where you stand. Build a subject schedule. Hit the high-yield clinical subjects first (Medicine, Surgery, Obs-Gyn, Paediatrics). Use a test series for regular check-ins. Save the last couple of months for full-length mocks and revision. 4-6 hours a day during internship is common, ramping up near the end.
How does counselling work after NEET-PG?
After results, register on the MCC portal (for All India 50% Quota, deemed, and central institutes) and your state counselling portal (for state quota). Then it's choice filling (specialty + college preferences) and multiple rounds of allotment. Typically: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-up, and Stray Vacancy. You can upgrade in later rounds if a higher preference opens up.
What specialties can I get with my rank?
There's no fixed rank-to-specialty chart. Closing ranks bounce around every year because of candidate numbers, exam difficulty, seat matrix changes, demand trends, and reservation policy. Last year's cutoffs give you a reference point, but they're not a promise. Counselling helps you read your rank in the context of this cycle, not last year's.
Can I get admission without NEET-PG?
No. NEET-PG is mandatory for every MD, MS, PG Diploma, and DNB seat in India: government, private, deemed, all of it. There are no alternative exams. If you did your MBBS abroad and want PG admission in India, you still need to qualify NEET-PG.
Planning your PG specialty?
Bring us your NEET-PG score and what you're interested in. We'll map the programmes that fit.
PG admission counselling that covers specialty choice, programme comparisons, bond analysis, and round-by-round decisions: one student at a time.