Union Health Minister JP Nadda reviewed the preparations for the examination, which is scheduled to be held on August 30, 2026. This year, 2,73,183 candidates have registered, marking an increase of more than 12.5 per cent compared to last year.

Candidates to Get More Time and Centres Closer to Home

One of the biggest changes in NEET-PG 2026 is the revised examination pattern. Candidates will now answer 180 questions in 210 minutes, giving them more time for each question while keeping the total duration of the examination unchanged.

The government has also changed the process of examination centre allotment. Candidates will now choose three preferred states, with their home or correspondence state being the mandatory first choice. The aim is to reduce long-distance travel and help candidates get examination centres closer to where they live.

In addition, the test city intimation slip will be issued around three weeks before the examination, giving students more time to make travel and accommodation arrangements.

Government Strengthens Security Measures

To ensure a fair and transparent examination, the Centre has introduced several new security measures. Aadhaar-based authentication will be used during both the application process and on the examination day. If fingerprint verification fails, iris-based biometric authentication will be used as an alternative.

Authorities have also strengthened examination centre security with CCTV surveillance, biometric verification, candidate frisking, signal jammers, advance centre verification, dynamic computer allocation and live monitoring through central and regional command centres.

More than 60,000 examination functionaries will be deployed across approximately 340 cities and over 1,300 examination centres for the smooth conduct of the examination.

Question Paper Security Further Enhanced

The government said the entire question paper preparation and delivery process has been upgraded with multiple layers of encryption and secure offline preparation. The final question paper will be selected shortly before the examination begins and digitally decrypted only at the scheduled start time.

These measures are intended to prevent paper leaks and strengthen the integrity of the examination process.

Candidates Warned Against Rumours and Fraud

During the review meeting, Health Minister JP Nadda urged candidates not to believe rumours or fraudulent claims regarding question paper leaks or advance access.

He said any such claims are completely false and designed to mislead students. Candidates have been advised to rely only on official updates issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) and the Ministry of Health.

The NBEMS has also launched a dedicated email address where candidates can report impersonation, touting or any unfair practices, reinforcing the government's focus on conducting a secure and transparent NEET-PG 2026 examination.