NEET PG 2026 answer key expected soon; check marking scheme and tie-breaking rules
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducted the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2026 on August 30, with around 2.63 lakh candidates appearing for the examination.Now, candidates are waiting for the official NEET PG 2026 answer key. NBEMS is expected to publish the answer key on its official website soon.In the meantime, memory-based question papers and unofficial answer keys prepared by subject experts and coaching institutes are available. Candidates can use these to check their responses and get an estimate of their scores before the official key is released.
Official answer key to be published soon
NBEMS will publish the NEET PG 2026 answer key in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated April 29, 2025, issued in Special Leave Petition (SLP) No. 9298 of 2018.The official answer key will allow candidates to compare their responses with the answers accepted by NBEMS.Until then, candidates can refer to unofficial answer keys and memory-based question paper PDFs released by subject experts and coaching institutes. These can help candidates calculate their expected scores, although the unofficial keys should not be treated as the final answer key.
NEET PG 2026 marking scheme
The NEET PG 2026 question paper had 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) carrying a total of 720 marks.The marking scheme is:
- 4 marks for every correct answer
- 1 mark deducted for every incorrect answer
- No marks for questions left unanswered
NBEMS has reduced the number of questions this year from 200 to 180.Candidates can use the same marking scheme while calculating their estimated scores from an unofficial answer key.
Tie-breaking rules for NEET PG 2026
NBEMS has also specified how ranks will be decided if two or more candidates obtain the same marks.The tie-breaking criteria will be applied in the following order:
- Candidate with fewer incorrect answers overall
- Candidate with fewer incorrect answers in Section A
- Candidate with fewer incorrect answers in Sections B, C, D and E, in that order
- Candidate with higher aggregate marks in MBBS professional examinations
- Older candidate
This means that candidates with identical scores will not automatically receive the same rank. Their performance across the different tie-breaking criteria will be considered.
NEET PG 2026 exam details
NBEMS conducted the examination for 2,65,980 candidates at 1,111 examination centres across 338 cities in the country, according to the information in the update.The examination was completed for 2,63,535 candidates.However, the exam could not be completed at two examination centres in Jaipur’s Sitapura area because of an internal power failure. NBEMS has scheduled a re-examination for the affected 2,445 candidates on September 5, 2026, at 3 pm in Jaipur.Read More: NEET PG 2026: NBEMS announces September 5 re-exam for 2,445 candidates affected at Jaipur’s Sitapura centresFor candidates who appeared for the examination on August 30, the next key update will be the release of the official answer key. Until then, unofficial keys can give them an early idea of their likely score, but the final calculation should be based on the answers released by NBEMS.
