NBEMS Latest News: NEET PG Cut-off Hits Zero & New 2026 Exam Dates

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has released a flurry of updates that affect virtually every medical aspirant in the country—from MBBS graduates to postgraduate doctors. Whether you are preparing for the upcoming FMGE exam this Saturday, planning your 2026 schedule, or waiting for a miracle in NEET PG 2025 counselling, there is major news for you.

As of January 15, 2026, the board has released the official 2026 exam calendar, sparked a debate by drastically lowering NEET PG cut-offs, and issued admit cards for FMGE with a side of technical confusion.

Here is the complete, simplified breakdown of every official update you need to know.

1. NBEMS Exam Calendar 2026: The Official Timeline

The board has finally published the tentative schedule for the first half of 2026. If you are planning your study leave or travel, this is the most important document you need.

According to the official notice, the exams will follow this timeline:

Examination Name	Exam Date
FMGE (Dec 2025 Session)	January 17, 2026 (Saturday)
FDST-MDS 2025	February 21, 2026
GPAT 2026	March 7, 2026
Fellowship Entrance Test (FET) 2026	March 14, 2026
DNB-PDCET 2026	April 12, 2026
NBEMS Diploma Final (June Session)	May 14–16, 2026
FMGE (June 2026 Session)	June 28, 2026

Missing Exams: You will notice that NEET PG 2026 and NEET MDS 2026 are NOT in this list. NBEMS has stated these will be notified separately, likely pushing NEET PG 2026 to July or August.

2. FMGE Dec 2025: Admit Card Errors & “City Mismatch”

For thousands of foreign medical graduates, the focus is on this Saturday, January 17, 2026. NBEMS released the admit cards on January 14, but it came with panic.

The “SMS vs. Admit Card” Confusion

Many candidates received an SMS from NBEMS mentioning one exam city (e.g., Delhi), while their downloaded admit card showed a different city (e.g., Noida).

• Official Clarification: The venue printed on your final downloaded Admit Card from natboard.edu.in is the final one. Ignore any conflicting SMS or Email alerts.
• Action Required: Download your hall ticket immediately. Check the reporting time carefully. Entry gates will close exactly on time, and biometric verification will be strict.

3. NEET PG 2025: The Cut-off “Zero” Controversy

In a move that has shocked the medical fraternity, NBEMS issued a notice on January 13, 2026, drastically reducing the qualifying percentile for NEET PG 2025 to fill over 18,000 vacant seats.

This is a massive opportunity for candidates who were previously disqualified. The new cut-offs are:

• General/EWS: Reduced to 7th Percentile (Cut-off Score: 103/800).
• Reserved Categories (SC/ST/OBC): Reduced to 0th Percentile (Cut-off Score: -40/800).

Why is this controversial?

Medical associations like FAIMA and FORDA have condemned this decision, calling it a “mockery of merit.” They argue that allowing candidates with negative scores to become specialists compromises healthcare quality. However, for students, this opens the door to participate in the ongoing Round-3 and Stray Vacancy Counselling.

4. GPAT 2026 Application Status

For pharmacy graduates, the registration for the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) 2026 closed on January 12.

• Edit Window: If you made a mistake in your form, the edit window opens tomorrow, January 16, 2026.
• What You Can Change: You can correct your payment status and document uploads. However, you cannot change your Name, Mobile Number, or Email ID.

What Should You Do Now?

• FMGE Aspirants: Stop reading news and focus on revision. Ensure you have two color printouts of your admit card and your original Passport/voter ID.
• NEET PG 2025 Candidates: If you have a low score, log in to the MCC website immediately. You are likely eligible for the remaining seats.
• NEET PG 2026 Aspirants: Do not expect the exam before July. Use this extra time to strengthen your clinical subjects.

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