New Delhi: In a major change to the postgraduate medical entrance test for this academic year, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS, NBE) has reduced the number of questions in NEET PG 2026 from 200 to 180, according to the official information bulletin released for the examination.

The NEET PG revised pattern states that the examination will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions, each carrying four response options. Candidates will be required to choose the correct, best, or most appropriate answer for each question. The paper will be conducted in English only.

Despite the reduction in the number of questions, the exam duration remains unchanged at 3 hours and 30 minutes (210 minutes), giving candidates comparatively more time per question than in previous editions of the exam.

The relevant section of the NEET PG 2026 information bulletin mentions,

"The examination shall comprise of 180 Multiple Choice Questions with each question having 4 response options / distractors in English language only. Candidates are required to select the correct / best / most appropriate response / answer out of the 4 response options provided in each question. Time allotted for the examination is 03 hrs 30 minutes."

The move marks the first major change in the NEET PG question count in recent years. Earlier editions of the examination featured 200 questions to be answered within the same time limit.

NBE has announced that NEET-PG 2026 shall be conducted on 30-08-2026 through a computer-based examination in a single day. The exam will be held on 30-08-2026 in a Single Shift. During the examination, candidates are given an option to mark any question, whether attempted or not, for review, which means that the candidate has been given an option to go through these questions again before the examination time ends. Candidates may note that such questions, which are marked for review, shall be evaluated as per the marking scheme.

Source: Medical Dialogues - July 2,2026