NEET PG 2026 Has Changed: Here's Everything You Need to Know

For quite some time, NEET PG candidates have prepared with the idea that the exam would provide the conventional experience they are used to. Suppose the paper was going; in that case, candidates had the freedom to move around different questions, go back to the ones they were unsure of, and change their answers till the end of the exam.

But NEET PG 2026 will be a different story.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has just issued a new Information Bulletin stating that the exam will be conducted section-wise and will be time-bound. Keeping the number of questions and exam duration the same, the interaction of candidates with the paper is changing drastically.

This is not simply a change in the administrative process; rather, it is a change in how the exam unfolds that results in a completely new test experience.

Below is a comprehensive explanation of the changes and their impact on NEET PG learners.

What Has Changed?

The most significant piece of news is that the examination paper will no longer be treated as a single, non-stop exam.

The whole paper will be split into five separate and time-limited sections, called:

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E

Each group is allocated 42 minutes for 36 questions.

After the time of a particular section is up, the candidate changes to the next section automatically as per the exam software

There is no option for candidates to go forward early, i.e., even if they finish the section before the time ends.

Likewise, a section that has ended will not be available for the candidate to re-enter.

Download Free NEET PG PYQs PDF – Limited-Time Access

What Remains The Same?

Although the format of the examination has changed quite a bit, the most important elements of the examination have not changed.

It is still the case that the exam comprises 180 multiple-choice questions, those questions being spread all over the contents of the MBBS curriculum.

The full length of the exam is also going to be 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes).

Even the official marking scheme has been kept intact:

Neither the syllabus, nor the question types, nor the marking pattern has been changed through this notification.

The only reason why candidates will change the way they get through the paper is because of the major change in the paper itself.

Understanding The Five Time-Bound Sections

The section-wise format brings in a very significant operational change.

Previously, candidates could move from question to question at will during the exam. Actually, many candidates had a preference for the order of solving as they would go for the simple questions at first and come back to the lengthy clinical scenarios or doubtful questions at the time of passing.

That flexibility with NEET PG 2026 is going to be allowed only within each sectional boundary.

Each section, in fact, will become a separate test of 42 minutes' duration.

When these 42 minutes are over:

• The section is, as a matter of fact, closed automatically
• A new section is then opened
• And the old section is closed, hence, inaccessible forever.

It is the same whether all the questions in the section have been answered or not.

Also Read: NEET PG Exam Pattern 2026 - Marking Scheme, Question Types, Exam Mode

Can Questions Still Be Marked For Review?

Yes. The "Mark for Review" option is still there.

However, the way it can be used has been changed to only the current section.

During the time allocated for a particular section, the candidates can mark questions for review and return to them before the time is up.

However, when the examination moves on to the next section, the candidates cannot access any of the questions of the previous section, including those marked for review.

Besides that, NBEMS has made it clear that the questions marked for review will be counted as per the marking scheme.

Why Is This Change Important?

Despite the total examination time being exactly the same, the candidate's way of using the examination has totally changed.

It is no longer a single, uninterrupted three-and-a-half-hour paper.

The exam, instead, turns into 5 back-to-back timed assessments.

Now each section stands as a complete entity with both a start and a finish.

This means that you have to make all your decisions about which questions you want to answer, which questions you want to review, and which ones you want to change your answers within the time allowed for that section only.

After the time has passed, there will be no chance to look at your unfinished work again.

Also Read: NEET PG Previous Year Question Papers of Last 8 Years

What Does This Mean For Aspirants?

For a lot of candidates, the biggest change will not be on the content side; rather, it will be about the logistics.

Those students who were used to leaving a lot of questions for the last part of the paper will find that this is no longer possible.

Likewise, when you usually spend some extra time going over your answers before finalizing them, you would need to do that review in the same section now.

The revised pattern in

The Official Section Structure

Total: 180 Questions | 210 Minutes

Also Read: Top AIIMS Colleges in India 2026: Ranking, Seats, Cut-Off & Courses

Wrapping Up 

The academic level considered for NEET PG remains the same as that of the previous notification. Neither the syllabus nor the marking scheme has been altered.

The examination pattern is the one that has been changed.

It is a good idea to understand the change very well before the day of the examination so that there is no element of surprise inside the examination hall.

As the date of NEET PG 2026 nears, candidates must be in touch with all the official notifications of NBEMS and read the Information Bulletin very carefully before they take the examination.