The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has unveiled a provisional calendar for a host of crucial medical and allied health entrance, screening, and final examinations scheduled for the first half of 2026. This tentative roadmap provides aspiring doctors, pharmacists, and dental surgeons with crucial planning dates, though the board has emphasized that the schedule is subject to change.
Provisional Dates for Major Medical Entrance and Final Exams
The newly released notice, hosted on the official NBEMS website, outlines proposed dates, days, and timings for examinations spanning from January to June 2026. It is critical for candidates to note that this is a tentative and provisional schedule. The NBEMS has explicitly stated that final examination dates will be communicated independently through official information bulletins at a later stage.
Examinations that have not yet been formally notified find a place in this tentative calendar. Furthermore, the schedule for the important NEET-MDS 2026 examination will be declared separately and is not part of this current announcement.
Detailed Tentative Schedule at a Glance
The key examinations and their proposed dates are as follows:
NBEMS Diploma Final Examination – December 2025 Session: Slated for January 6, 7, and 8, 2026 (Tuesday to Thursday), from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day.
Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) – December 2025 Session: Scheduled for January 17, 2026 (Saturday). It will consist of two papers: Paper I from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and Paper II from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
Fellowship Diploma Status Test for MDS (FDST-MDS) 2025: Planned for February 21, 2026 (Saturday) with Paper I (9:00 AM-11:00 AM) and Paper II (2:00 PM-5:00 PM).
Fellowship Diploma Status Test for BDS (FDST-BDS) 2025: Set for March 1, 2026 (Sunday), following the same two-paper timing pattern as FDST-MDS.
Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) 2026: Tentatively scheduled for March 7, 2026 (Saturday), from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Fellowship Entrance Test (FET) 2026: Proposed for March 14, 2026 (Saturday), from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM.
Post Diploma Centralized Entrance Test (PDCET) 2026: Planned for April 12, 2026 (Sunday), from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
DrNB Final Examination – April 2026 Session: Slated for April 24, 25, and 26, 2026 (Friday to Sunday), from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM daily.
NBEMS Diploma Final Examination – June 2026 Session: Proposed for May 14, 15, and 16, 2026 (Thursday to Saturday), from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM each day.
DNB Final Examination – June 2026 Session: A four-day examination planned for June 18, 19, 20, and 21, 2026 (Thursday to Sunday), from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM daily.
Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) – June 2026 Session: Tentatively scheduled for June 28, 2026 (Sunday), with Paper I (9:00 AM-11:30 AM) and Paper II (2:00 PM-4:30 PM).
Critical Advisory for Aspiring Candidates
Given the provisional nature of this calendar, the NBEMS has advised all prospective candidates to maintain vigilance. The board recommends regularly checking the official NBEMS website for any revisions, updates, or the release of final, confirmed schedules through official information bulletins.
This early release of tentative dates allows students and institutions to plan their preparation and academic calendars accordingly, while also setting clear expectations about the examination window for the first half of 2026. However, the onus remains on the individual candidate to stay updated with the latest official communications from the examining body to avoid any last-minute confusion.
