The NEET MDS 2026 exam is expected to be conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) in April 2026. NBEMS is expected to announce the NEET MDS 2026 exam date, along with the application form and information bulletin in February 2026.
NEET MDS 2026
The NEET MDS 2026 exam is expected to be conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) in the third week of April 2026. The NEET MDS or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Master of Dental Surgery is the entrance exam for admissions to all the postgraduate dental courses offered by India's medical and dental institutions. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is the exam conducting authority for NEET MDS, which is likely to announce the NEET MDS 2026 date by the second week of February 2026.
NEET MDS 2026 will be conducted in a computer-based mode (CBT) for three hours, from 2 PM to 5 PM. There will be two time-bound sections of 75 minutes and 105 minutes. The exam syllabus will be in the lines of the BDS course as directed by the Dental Council of India (DCI). Approximately 30,000 candidates are expected to appear for the exam.
While all dental colleges across India accept NEET MDS scores, AIIMS Delhi, or other AIIMS campuses offering MDS course do not accept NEET MDS scores. Hence, MDS aspirants planning to take admission to AIIMS colleges have to appear for INI CET (MDS) exam. On the other hand, candidates are advised to prepare and appear for NEET MDS entrance exam to amplify their chances of admission.
The selection process for MDS is simple you need to apply for undergraduate medical counseling through your NEET mark.The NEET MDS cutoff 2025 score for general category students is 261, while for SC/ ST/ OBC category aspirants, the cutoff is 227.
NBE is likely to release the NEET MDS 2026 application form and information bulletin along with the notification. This article of Shiksha brings the details of the NEET MDS 2026 exam in terms of important dates, eligibility criteria, registration process, exam pattern, syllabus, result, and other aspects of the test.
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- NEET MDS 2026 Overview
- NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NEET MDS 2026 Important Dates
- NEET MDS 2026 Exam Pattern
- NEET MDS 2026 Syllabus
- NEET MDS 2026 Application Process
- NEET MDS 2026 Exam Cities
- NEET MDS 2026 Admit Card
- NEET MDS 2026 Result
- NEET MDS 2026 Cutoff
- NEET MDS 2026 Counselling
NEET MDS 2026 Overview
The following table brings an overview or the highlights of the NEET MDS 2026 exam.
| Event |
Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam name |
National Eligibility Entrance Test for Master's of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS) |
| Conducting body |
NBE (National Board of Examinations) |
| Exam level |
Postgraduate Exam at National level |
| Exam frequency |
Once a year |
| Mode of exam |
Computer-based test |
| Courses offered |
MDS/PG Diploma (Dental) |
| Exam fees |
· INR 3,500 (for General, OBC, EWS) · INR 2,500 (for SC, ST, PWD) |
| Exam duration |
3 hours |
| Exam timing |
2 PM to 5 PM |
| Total marks |
960 |
| Total questions |
240 |
| Marking scheme |
· 4 for each correct response · -1 for each incorrect response · No mark for unattempted questions |
| Language |
English |
| Participating colleges |
274 |
| Test cities |
59 (As per NEET MDS 2025) |
| Total seats |
6,501 |
| Official website |
Nbe.edu.in |
| Contact details |
Helpline Number - 799 6165 3333 Email - mail@natboard.edu.in |
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NEET MDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The NEET MDS 2026 eligibility criteria will be announced by NBE along with the information bulletin. Based on last year, the eligibility criteria are given below.
- Candidates must possess a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from a University/Institute recognised by the DCI
- They must be registered with the Dental Council of India (DCI) or the State Dental Council (SDC) (permanent/provisional)
- They must have completed 12 months of compulsory rotatory internship on or before the date specified by NBE.
Last year, the cutoff date for eligibility completion was originally March 31, 2025, but was later revised to June 30, 2025. It is expected that this year also the internship cutoff date will also be June 30, 2026.
NEET MDS 2026 Important Dates
The complete schedule or the NEET MDS 2026 important dates will be announced by NBE along with the application form and information bulletin. The following table brings the tentative NEET MDS dates for 2025.
| Events |
Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Registrations open |
Second week of February 2026 |
| Last date to submit the application form |
Fourth week of February 2026 |
| Edit window |
First week of March 2026 |
| Final correction window to rectify images |
Third week of March 2026 |
| Admit card to be issued |
First week of April 2026 |
| Exam date |
Third week of April 2026 |
| Result |
Third week of May 2026 |
The date of completing the BDS internship as per the NEET MDS 2025 eligibility criteria was June 30, 2025. It is expected that the internship deadline for NEET MDS 2026 will be June 30, 2026. In case a candidate does not complete the BDS internship within the said date, he or she will not be eligible to appear for the exam. However, if he or she is issued the NEET MDS admit card, then the candidate will be able to appear for the exam, but during the further checking of candidature, or during the document verification, he or she will be considered non-qualified.
Candidates seeking admission to DY Patil MDS course must have a valid score in NEET MDS. The final admission to the university is based on NEET MDS Counselling results. Candidates with 10108 rank and above can get the following specialisations for General category All India Quota:
| Course | Round 1 (Closing Rank) | Last Round (Closing Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| MDS in Oral Medicine and Radiology | 8808 | 21388 |
| MDS in Periodontology | 13098 | 17234 |
| MDS in Public Health Dentistry | 10710 | 10710 |
No, the NEET MDS tie-breaking criteria have remained the same over the past few years. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has not made any changes in the NEET MDS tie-breaking criteria over the years, proving the efficacy of the system. The highest weightage is provided to the overall accuracy, followed by sectional accuracy and lastly, age criterion.
NEET MDS 2026 Exam Pattern
The NEET MDS 2026 exam pattern is expected to remain the same as last year. Last year, NBE introduced time-bound sections. The computer-based test (CBT) will be conducted for three hours’ duration and carry 240 multiple-choice objective-type questions (MCQs). There are two sections, Part A and Part B, of 75 minutes and 105 minutes’ duration, respectively. The number of questions in Part A and Part B is 100 and 140, respectively. The detailed structure of the exam is given in the table below.
| S. No. |
Subjects |
Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Part A |
100 |
| 1. |
General Anatomy, including embryology and histology |
14 |
| 2. |
General Human Physiology and Biochemistry |
14 |
| 3. |
Dental Anatomy, Embryology & Oral Histology |
14 |
| 4. |
General Pathology and Microbiology |
14 |
| 5. |
General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics |
14 |
| 6. |
General Medicine |
15 |
| 7. |
General Surgery |
15 |
|
|
Part B |
140 |
| 1. |
Dental Materials |
14 |
| 2. |
Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology |
14 |
| 3. |
Oral Medicine and Radiology |
14 |
| 4. |
Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry |
14 |
| 5. |
Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics |
14 |
| 6. |
Periodontology |
14 |
| 7. |
Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge |
14 |
| 8. |
Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics |
14 |
| 9. |
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery |
14 |
| 10. |
Public Health Dentistry |
14 |
|
|
Grand Total (Part A + Part B) |
240 |
NEET MDS 2026 Exam Structure
The following table brings the NEET MDS 2026 exam structure as per the time-bound sections.
| Section |
Number of Questions |
Duration (in minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| Part A |
100 |
75 |
| Part B |
140 |
105 |
NEET MDS 2026 Marking Scheme
The NEET MDS marking scheme is given in the table below.
| Type of response |
Marks awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct response |
+4 |
| Incorrect response |
-1 |
| Unanswered |
0 |
NEET MDS 2026 Syllabus
The NEET MDS syllabus is in line with the BDS curriculum, which is set by DCI. The NEET MDS 2026 syllabus will comprise subjects from Anatomy, Surgery, to Pathology. There will be a total of 17 subjects, as stated in the above table.
NEET MDS 2026 Application Process
The NEET MDS application form will be released by NBE in online mode on the official website. The registration and application process, including the application fee payment, has to be done in online mode. The step-by-step process to register and apply for NEET MDS 2026 is given below.
How to Register for NEET MDS 2026
Candidates will have to follow the steps given below to register for NEET MDS 2026.
- Go to the official website of NBE - www.nbe.edu.in
- Click on "NEET-MDS"
- In the Links section, click on "New Registration"
- Enter the following details
- Name of Candidate
- Date of Birth
- Gender (Male/Female)
- Nationality (Indian/Others)
- Mobile Number
- Email Address
- Captcha
- Check the details for errors
- Click on "Submit"
- User ID and password will be sent to the registered email ID and mobile number.
How to fill NEET MDS 2026 Application Form
The NEET MDS 2025 application form has to be filled by following the steps given below:
- Log in using the "Applicant Login" section
- Enter the user ID and password
- Click on "Go to application form"
- Candidate’s Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Nationality, Mobile number, and Email address will be pre-filled in the application form.
- Enter personal, academic, internship, and registration details
- Choose the desired NEET MDS test centre city
- Upload documents such asa photograph, signature, and thumb impression or other category documents (if applicable)
- Pay the application fee through Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking.
The following table shows the category-wise NEET MDS 2026 application fee.
| Category |
Application fee (In INR) |
|---|---|
| General |
3,500 |
| Other Backward Classes |
3,500 |
| Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe |
2,500 |
| PWD |
2,500 |
Note: The NEET MDS application fee mentioned in the above table is that of last year. The amount may change for NEET MDS 2026.
NEET MDS 2026 Exam Cities
It is expected that the NEET MDS 2026 exam cities will be located in around 60 cities across India. Last year, the total number of exam cities was increased from 56 to 59. The number of cities may increase compared to last year.
NEET MDS 2026 Admit Card
The NEET MDS 2026 admit card will be released tentatively in the first week of April 2026, approximately a week before the exam date. The NEET MDS admit card or the hall ticket must be carried to the exam centre, without which candidates will not be allowed entry.
The NEET MDS admit card 2026 can be accessed after downloading it from the official website in the form of a PDF document. It includes information pertaining to the exam taker such as his/her name, photographs, Roll Number, Application ID, DOB, Category, Exam centre name, address, and code. The admit card also includes information such as the date and timing of the exam along with the exam day instructions.
After downloading the hall ticket, candidates are advised to check for the details printed on the NEET MDS admit card. In case any incorrect information is printed or misprinted, kindly report it immediately to NBE and get it rectified. A valid ID proof is also mandatory to carry along with the admit card to the test centre.
NEET MDS 2026 Result
The NEET MDS 2026 result is expected to be released in the third week of May 2026. The NEET MDS result will be declared in an online mode on the official website of NBE. A merit list will also be released along with the scorecard. While the merit list is accessible for all, the NEET MDS 2026 scorecard has to be downloaded by candidates by logging in to the exam website with their registration credentials. The NEET MDS result 2026 will release information such as candidates’ Roll Number, Application Number, marks obtained, percentile, and All India Rank.
NEET MDS 2026 Cutoff
The NEET MDS 2026 cutoff will be released along with the result. Cutoff refers to the minimum marks or percentile a candidate has to obtain in order to qualify for the exam. The NEET MDS cutoff varies as per the candidate category. The following table brings the category-wise cutoff for NEET MDS, which were announced by NBE for last year.
| Category |
NEET MDS Cutoff Percentile |
|---|---|
| General/EWS |
50th Percentile |
| SC/ST/OBC (Including PwBD of SC/ST/OBC) |
40th Percentile |
| General PWBD |
45th Percentile |
There are various factors that determine the NEET MDS cutoff, and those include the difficulty level of the exam, the number of test takers, number of seats, to name a few. The actual category-wise NEET MDS 2025 cutoff marks will be provided along with the NEET MDS 2026 result.
As per the past years' trends, the NEET MDS cutoff has decreased, as per the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Last year, the NEET MDS 2025 cutoff was reduced by 19.863 percentiles for each category.
NEET MDS 2026 Counselling
The NEET MDS 2026 counselling will be conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The NEET MDS counselling process will begin approximately a month after the result declaration. Hence, it is expected that the NEET MDS counselling 2026 will begin by June 2026.
There will be approximately three to four rounds of counselling. For each round, MCC will release a separate seat matrix and conduct the registration and choice filling processes. Based on candidates’ choices and scores, MCC will allot seats to candidates. The state counselling authorities will conduct separate counselling processes for State Quota seats.
This article has been written based on the existing information and last year's trend of NEET MDS. The information will be updated with the actual details as and when the information bulletin is released.
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NEET MDS Notifications
No, there is no limit in terms of the number of times a candidate can attempt or appear for the NEET MDS exam. Moreover, the eligibility criteria of NEET MDS also does not mention any upper age limit. Hence, eligible candidates can appear for NEET MDS exam as many times as they wish to. However, aspirants must fulfill the eligibility criteria as stated by NBEMS, which is completion of BDS course from a recognised dental institute or university, and completion of one-year compulsory rotatory internship within the stipulated date. NEET MDS is conducted once a year, hence, within a year, an aspirant can only appear for the exam once.