{
  "id": 18719,
  "title": "More choices for test centres among key changes for NEET (PG) 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/more-choices-for-test-centres-among-key-changes-for-neet-pg-2026",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-01T20:34:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/more-choices-for-test-centres-among-key-changes-for-neet-pg-2026/article71295915.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) 2026, scheduled for August 30, will see several key changes aimed at making the process more convenient for candidates. The Centre is set to expand the choice of test locations, offer candidates more time to plan travel to their examination cities, and provide more time per question in the test. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda reviewed the preparedness for the exam and directed all agencies to ensure its smooth, secure, transparent, and technology-enabled execution. The end-to-end question paper preparation and delivery process has been strengthened with multiple layers of encryption, secure offline preparation, time-bound finalization, and controlled digital decryption only at the start of the test. Aadhaar-based authentication has been introduced for both application and examination day, with iris-based biometric verification as an alternative. Candidates will be allowed to choose three State preferences for their examination centre, with their correspondence State being the mandatory first choice. They will also receive their allotted test city nearly three weeks before the exam, enabling better travel planning. The NBEMS has rationalized the examination pattern to 180 questions to be answered in 210 minutes, up from 200 questions in 210 minutes. This change, along with other modifications, aims to reduce stress and provide a fairer assessment environment for candidates. In total, 2,73,183 candidates have registered for NEET (PG) 2026, a 12.5% increase from the previous year. The exam will be held in around 340 cities and more than 1,300 centers, with comprehensive security measures including CCTV surveillance, biometric authentication, frisking, and the deployment of over 60,000 examination functionaries.",
  "summary": "The reforms are aimed at making the process more convenient for the candidates, according to the Union Health Ministry; a total of 2,73,183 candidates have registered for NEET (PG) 2026 which will be conducted in a single shift across around 340 cities and more than 1,300 examination centres",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}