NEET PG 2026 dates absent from NBE tentative exam calendar: Why are aspirants worried?

New Delhi: A section of postgraduate medical aspirants expressed concerns regarding the schedule of the National Eligibility Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2026 exam, as it was absent from the recently released tentative examination calendar by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

NBEMS published the tentative schedule of the upcoming examinations, scheduled to be held between January and June 2026.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the list of examinations, the schedule of which has been released by NBEMS, included NBEMS Diploma Final Examination - December 2025, FMGE - December 2025, FDST -MDS 2025, FDST-BDS 2025, Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT)-2026, Fellowship Entrance Test (FET)-2026, Post Diploma Centralized Entrance Test (PDCET)-2026, DrNB Final Examination April 2026, NBEMS Diploma Final Examination June 2026, DNB Final Examination June 2026, and FMGE June 2026. In the notice, NBEMS also mentioned that the tentative schedule for NEET-MDS 2026 will be notified separately.

Even though the schedule of almost all the major exams held by NBEMS was mentioned in the examination calendar, the aspirants were concerned to note that there was no mention of the upcoming PG entrance exam. Soon, concerned candidates took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their doubts.

The alarm by the aspirants is not shocking, especially when the schedule, postponement, and legal battle surrounding the PG entrance examination are taken into account.

Last year, the PG medical entrance test- NEET PG 2025- was initially scheduled for June 15, 2025. However, the exam was deferred by the NBEMS following directions from the Apex Court, which had issued directions for holding the exam in a single shift.

Earlier, NBEMS had proposed to hold the exam in double shifts. However, this decision was challenged before the Apex Court, which ultimately dismissed NBE's concerns regarding the lack of adequate exam centres and directed NBEMS to make arrangements to hold the exam in a single shift.

NBE's decision to hold NEET PG 2025 exam in two shifts stemmed from a similar decision taken under exceptional circumstances while conducting NEET PG 2024. Even though the NEET PG 2024 exam was scheduled to be held on June 23 and candidates had made all the arrangements, including travel plans, hotel bookings, to reach the examination centre on time, the Union Health Ministry, along with NBEMS, deferred the exam merely hours before the test as a "precautionary measure".

Even though the authorities had assured that no NEET PG-specific breach had been issued, the decision was allegedly taken to maintain the integrity of certain competitive examinations and the need for a robustness assessment of examination processes. Ultimately, the NEET PG 2024 exam was rescheduled for August 11, 2024, and arrangements were made to conduct the exam in two shifts.

Therefore, over the last two years, the official dates for the NEET PG examination were left uncertain for the candidates.

Amid this, NBEMS' decision to maintain silence regarding the NEET PG 2026 exam date has become a matter of concern and uncertainty for the aspirants.

Also Read: No mention of NEET PG 2026 in NBE exam calendar sparks concern