FAIMA urges NBEMS to conduct NEET PG 2025 in single shift to ensure transparency ahead of SC hearing

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has again written to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test postgraduate (NEET PG 2025) in a single shift instead of two shifts. The doctors’ group highlighted the inconsistencies and potential biases in using the normalisation method for a national-level entrance exam for PG medical courses.

Addressing the executive director of the NBE, the group said that the decision to hold NEET PG 2025 exam in two shifts raises several concerns regarding the integrity of the exam.

“The primary issue is the process of normalization of marks, which has historically been associated with inconsistencies and potential biases. Different question papers in different shifts inherently introduce variations in difficulty levels, making it challenging to establish a truly fair normalization process,” the FAIMA said in a letter to NBEMS. Conducting the exam in multiple shifts with varying difficulty levels will compromise the credibility of exam results.

Also read NEET PG 2025: SC directs NBE to publish raw scores, answer key; Aadhaar tracking, penalties for seat blocking

Explaining why they are advocating for a single shift for NEET PG 2025, FAIMA said: “A single-shift exam ensures uniformity in difficulty level, eliminates the need for normalization, and upholds the transparency and fairness of the selection process. Conducting the exam in multiple shifts could also lead to legal challenges and unnecessary disputes, ultimately delaying the admission process and causing distress.”

It urged the board to hold the exam in the traditional method to uphold the principles of “fairness, transparency, and meritocracy”.

The Supreme Court is likely to hear the petitions against NEET PG in two shifts next week, as per reports. Recently, the top court issued a 10-point directive to NBEMS for smooth conduct of the exam. This includes publishing the NEET PG raw scores and answer key.