The NBEMS Information Bulletin for NEET-PG 2026 sets out the paper. Two things about it are different from the exam of the last three years, and one of them changes how you spend your time in the hall.
The pattern
| NEET-PG 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Questions | 180 multiple-choice questions |
| Maximum | 720 marks |
| Duration | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Time per question | 70 seconds, on average |
| Language | English only |
| Syllabus | The MBBS curriculum, as issued by the NMC |
The paper was 200 questions for 800 marks in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It is now 180 for 720. The clock did not shrink with it, so each question carries about 70 seconds rather than the 63 it would have on a 200-question paper of this length.
Marking
- Correct answer: +4
- Wrong answer: −1
- Unattempted: 0
A wrong answer and a blank are not the same thing. The gap between them is 5 marks — 4 you did not earn, plus 1 taken away. That is the arithmetic behind every decision to guess or leave it.
How ties are broken
If two candidates finish on the same score, the bulletin resolves it in this order:
- Fewer wrong answers across the whole paper
- Fewer wrong answers in Section A, then B, then C, then D, then E
- Higher aggregate percentage across all MBBS professional examinations
Worth reading twice: the tie-breaker rewards restraint, not volume. Two candidates on the same score are separated by who guessed less.
The five timed sections
The paper is divided into 5 time-bound sections — Group A, B, C, D and E. Each holds 36 questions and runs for 42 minutes. Three consequences follow, and they are the reason this pattern is worth reading before the exam rather than during it:
- Time does not carry forward. Finishing Group A in 30 minutes does not buy you 12 extra minutes later. The next section opens when its 42 minutes arrive, not when you are ready.
- You cannot go back. Once a section's 42 minutes end, its questions are closed. No review, no changing an answer.
- "Mark for review" expires with its section. The flag only helps you inside those 42 minutes. Anything still flagged when the clock runs out is scored exactly as it stands.
The next section begins automatically. Nothing waits.
NBEMS notes that the number of time-restricted sections may vary with the final question count, so treat 5 as what the bulletin states rather than a guarantee.
What to check yourself
This page reports what the NEET-PG 2026 Information Bulletin says about the paper. It is not the whole bulletin — eligibility, the internship cut-off date, fees and the counselling timeline are separate matters with their own conditions. Read the bulletin on the NBEMS website before acting on any of them.