NEET-PG FAQ
What is the NEET-PG exam pattern?
The NEET-PG exam pattern is a single-shift computer-based test of 180 multiple-choice questions carrying 720 marks, held over 3 hours 30 minutes. Each question has four options with one correct answer, and the paper is set in English only. For 2026, NBEMS split the paper into five time-bound sections named Group A to E, with 36 questions in each section and 42 minutes allotted per section. Candidates cannot move to the next section before its time is over, and once a section closes they cannot go back to review or change those answers. Marking is plus 4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer, and 0 for an unanswered one. The questions are drawn from the full MBBS curriculum across pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects. The main 2026 change was the reduction from 200 to 180 questions, along with the shift to a rigid section-wise structure that removes the free navigation candidates previously had across the whole paper.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS
What is the NEET-PG exam pattern?
The NEET-PG exam pattern is a single-shift computer-based test of 180 multiple-choice questions carrying 720 marks, held over 3 hours 30 minutes. Each question has four options with one correct answer, and the paper is set in English only. For 2026, NBEMS split the paper into five time-bound sections named Group A to E, with 36 questions in each section and 42 minutes allotted per section. Candidates cannot move to the next section before its time is over, and once a section closes they cannot go back to review or change those answers. Marking is plus 4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer, and 0 for an unanswered one. The questions are drawn from the full MBBS curriculum across pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects. The main 2026 change was the reduction from 200 to 180 questions, along with the shift to a rigid section-wise structure that removes the free navigation candidates previously had across the whole paper.
The NEET-PG exam pattern is a single-shift computer-based test of 180 multiple-choice questions carrying 720 marks, held over 3 hours 30 minutes. Each question has four options with one correct answer, and the paper is set in English only. For 2026, NBEMS split the paper into five time-bound sections named Group A to E, with 36 questions in each section and 42 minutes allotted per section. Candidates cannot move to the next section before its time is over, and once a section closes they cannot go back to review or change those answers. Marking is plus 4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer, and 0 for an unanswered one. The questions are drawn from the full MBBS curriculum across pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects. The main 2026 change was the reduction from 200 to 180 questions, along with the shift to a rigid section-wise structure that removes the free navigation candidates previously had across the whole paper.
Key details
- Mode: computer-based test in a single shift, in English only.
- Questions: 180 MCQs, each with four options and one correct answer.
- Maximum marks: 720, from plus 4 per correct and minus 1 per incorrect answer.
- Structure: five time-bound sections, Group A to E, 36 questions each.
- Section timing: 42 minutes per section, no early exit and no return once closed.
- Total duration: 3 hours 30 minutes.
- Syllabus: the full MBBS curriculum, pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical.
Sources
- NBEMS NEET-PG exam page and Information Bulletin 2026 (official): Checked 15 July 2026. https://natboard.edu.in/viewnbeexam?exam=neetpg
- Careers360: NBEMS revises NEET-PG 2026 total questions to 180, exam in a single shift from 9 am: Checked 15 July 2026. https://news.careers360.com/neet-pg-exam-pattern-2026-number-of-questions-revised-total-new-changes-form-price-nbems-registration-date-latest-news-today
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are in NEET-PG 2026?
180 multiple-choice questions, down from 200 in earlier cycles, spread across five sections of 36 questions each.
How long is the NEET-PG exam?
3 hours 30 minutes, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, in a single shift. That works out to an average of about 70 seconds per question.
Does NEET-PG have sectional timing?
Yes, for 2026. Each of the five sections, Group A to E, gets exactly 42 minutes, and you cannot move ahead early or return to a closed section.
Is there negative marking in the NEET-PG pattern?
Yes. Correct answers earn 4 marks, wrong answers lose 1, and unanswered questions score 0.
What subjects does the NEET-PG pattern cover?
The whole MBBS curriculum: pre-clinical subjects like Anatomy and Physiology, para-clinical subjects like Pathology and Pharmacology, and clinical subjects like Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Inside MedNext for this topic
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- 80,000+ MCQ bank
- 15 study modes
- Growing visual cheat sheets
Study modes
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- 3D Anatomy
- Trace
- Flashcards
- Mnemonics
- Image Bank
- Clinical
- Microscopy
- Audio QBank
- Cadaver
- Book Match
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