NEET PG 2026 Answer Key Expected Soon: Check Marking Scheme, Tie-Breaking Rules and Jaipur Re-Exam Details

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducted the NEET PG 2026 examination on August 30, 2026. Around 2.66 lakh candidates appeared for the postgraduate medical entrance examination, and candidates are now waiting for the official NEET PG 2026 answer key.

According to the examination update, NBEMS is expected to release the official answer key on its official website soon. Once available, the answer key will allow candidates to compare the responses they marked in the examination with the answers accepted by the examination authority.

In the meantime, candidates can refer to memory-based question papers and unofficial answer keys prepared by subject experts and coaching institutes. These resources can help candidates make an initial estimate of their performance before the official answer key is released.

NEET PG 2026 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

The NEET PG 2026 question paper contained 180 multiple-choice questions. The paper carried a maximum of 720 marks.

As per the prescribed marking scheme, candidates receive 4 marks for every correct answer. For each incorrect response, 1 mark is deducted. Questions that are left unanswered do not carry any marks.

This year, NBEMS reduced the number of questions in the examination from 200 to 180. Candidates therefore had to attempt a paper with fewer questions while the total marks remained 720.

The marking system means that candidates should account for both correct and incorrect responses when estimating their probable scores. Unanswered questions, meanwhile, do not result in either positive or negative marks.

NEET PG 2026 Tie-Breaking Rules

Candidates who obtain identical marks in NEET PG 2026 may not necessarily receive the same rank. NBEMS has laid down specific tie-breaking criteria to determine the order of candidates when two or more candidates have equal scores.

The criteria will be applied in a specified sequence.

First, the candidate with fewer incorrect answers overall will be given preference. If the tie continues, the number of incorrect answers in Section A will be considered.

If candidates still remain tied, the number of incorrect answers in Sections B, C, D and E will be considered in that order.

The next criterion is the candidate's higher aggregate marks in MBBS professional examinations. If the tie remains unresolved even after these criteria are applied, the older candidate will be given preference.

Therefore, an identical NEET PG score does not automatically mean that two candidates will receive the same rank. The prescribed tie-breaking sequence can determine the final order of candidates with equal marks.

NEET PG 2026 Examination Conducted Across 338 Cities

According to the examination update, NEET PG 2026 was scheduled for 2,65,980 candidates. The examination was conducted at 1,111 examination centres across 338 cities.

Of the candidates scheduled to appear, 2,63,535 candidates completed the examination. The remaining candidates include those affected by a technical disruption at examination centres in Jaipur.

The figures indicate the scale of the national-level postgraduate medical entrance examination, which was conducted across a large number of centres and cities.

2,445 Jaipur Candidates to Appear for Re-Examination

A total of 2,445 candidates in Jaipur will have to take the NEET PG 2026 examination again. The re-examination has been scheduled for September 5 at 3 pm in Jaipur.

The re-examination was necessitated after a technical disruption interrupted the examination for candidates at two centres in Jaipur's Sitapura area. According to the examination update, the disruption occurred because of an internal power failure.

The affected candidates will therefore be required to appear for the examination again on the scheduled date and time.

What Candidates Should Check Next

Candidates who appeared for NEET PG 2026 can use unofficial answer keys and memory-based questions to make a preliminary assessment of their performance. However, the official answer key from NBEMS will provide the relevant answers accepted by the examination authority.

Candidates should also keep track of updates concerning the official answer key and other examination-related announcements. Those appearing in the Jaipur re-examination should take note of the September 5 schedule and the specified examination timing.

The NEET PG 2026 marking scheme, including the four marks awarded for a correct response, one-mark deduction for an incorrect response and no marks for an unanswered question, should be considered while calculating any expected score. The prescribed tie-breaking rules will also be relevant when candidates have identical scores.