NEET PG 2024: Fewer test cities, ‘credential issue’ leaves students in limbo

NEW DELHI: With just two days left for selecting test city for NEET PG 2024 exam, candidates have been left in limbo as they have not been able to access the facility. Several aspirants have urged the National Board Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to rectify the “credential and tech issues”. The NEET PG test city selection window will remain active till July 22.

The NEET PG 2024 exam date has been revised thrice and is now slated to be held on August 11. The number of test cities has also been reduced from 259 to 185; a total of 74 cities removed from the list. Candidates have also raised concerns about the change in exam city as many students have already booked tickets.

Students have been raising their voices against the sudden change in exam pattern, repeated revision of exam date, shift-wise test, and technical issues. The postgraduate medical entrance exam was advanced to June 23 and postponed a day before the exam as “precautionary measure” in view of the recent UGC NET, NEET UG paper leak allegations.

As per the revised exam pattern, the NEET PG question paper 2024 will have mandatory time-bound sections unlike previous year exams. Every correct answer will fetch 4 marks and 25% of the mark will be deducted for every incorrect response. The last-minute changes in the test pattern has left students worried.

The total number of NEET PG seats have increased from 31,185 before 2014 to 70,645 as of now. However, the Union minister of state for health and family welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, informed Rajya Sabha in December 2023 that 247 PG medical seats were vacant.

NEET PG candidates express concerns

Tagging Air India, Madhushree S Patil, NEET PG candidate, wrote on X: “My NEET PG exam center has been changed. Whole state is changed. My tickets had been booked for late of August. I need it for the beginning of August. I'm traveling with 6month old. Please help.”

Another candidate said: “Still on this page...it's 1 pm already...I don't know when they will rectify....aur itni galti karte hi kyu hai....khud to padhna ni h ... zindagi kharab kr diya h... pehle neet UG fir neet pg....humne ni bola tha 11 August rakho exam ...jab centres ni the to kyu rakha.”

“#neetpg is in huge chaos. 75+ test cities have been deleted by NBE including capital cities like Shimla, Chandigarh . Inconvenient test centres, no clarity regarding normalisation formula, why this hurried forceful exam conduction by NBE instead of postponing?” another candidate questioned.

#neetpg is in huge chaos.
75+ test cities have been deleted by NBE including capital cities like Shimla, Chandigarh . Inconvenient test centres, no clarity regarding normalisation formula, why this hurried forceful exam conduction by NBE instead of postponing? @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/E8Q1JDP6lT

— Prameela (@Praneet67588328) July 20, 2024