While stress is mounting for students preparing for the NEET-UG re-examination, those preparing for the NEET-PG examination, set for August 30, find themselves in a similar position.

Their worry stems from the postponements of the past two years. The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduates (NEET-PG), conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), was delayed repeatedly in both 2024 and 2025.

In 2024, the exam was rescheduled three times before it was held on August 11, the last postponement coming just hours before the June 23 date. In 2025, after one postponement, it was held on August 3.

Already under a cloud of uncertainty, the students got another shock when the NEET-UG was cancelled after paper leaks. “Last year, just when we were all set to write the exam, we got to know that the exam was postponed. The information came at around midnight, a few hours before the exam was to begin,” says Prateek, who completed his MBBS-equivalent course in Kyrgyzstan.

After his internship in May 2024, he spent two years making repeated visits from his hometown in Srikakulam to the A.P. Medical Council (APMC) in Vijayawada for permanent registration, without which a foreign medical graduate cannot practise or pursue further studies. After protests, requests and more visits, he received the registration in May 2026.

“While the previous two attempts were only for practice, I have pinned all hopes on the upcoming exam,” he says, adding that two years had already been wasted by the delays on the part of the APMC, and that he could not afford to lose more time.

Another student, Bhushan, from Vijayawada and now preparing for the exam in Hyderabad, says his anxiety has grown after reports of the NEET-UG paper leaks, making it hard for him to concentrate.

The exam date is near, but the registration date is yet to be announced, which has added to their worry.

“Earlier, the exam used to be held in June-July, and by January-end the admission process would be over. But last year, students who secured seats in the first round of counselling joined classes only by January-end,” Prateek says, hoping the admission process this year is completed without delays.