NEET PG 2026 candidates seek answer key over score discrepancies

Three days after the NEET PG 2026 results were declared, concerns over alleged score discrepancies have surfaced among medical aspirants, with candidates seeking greater transparency in the examination and evaluation process.

Several candidates have approached the All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA), claiming inconsistencies in their scores and seeking clarity on how their responses were evaluated. Acting on the representations, AIMSA has written to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, requesting the release of the official question paper, answer key and individual recorded responses.

The NEET PG 2026 results were declared on September 24. The concerns emerged soon after the results, with candidates seeking access to the underlying examination and response data so they can independently check their performance.

In its representation to the Health Minister, AIMSA said numerous NEET PG aspirants had raised concerns about “perceived discrepancies and inconsistencies” in their results and sought clarity on the evaluation process.

“On behalf of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), we respectfully wish to bring to your kind attention the concerns being raised by numerous NEET-PG 2026 aspirants regarding perceived discrepancies and inconsistencies in their examination results,” the association said in the letter.

AIMSA said a considerable number of candidates had contacted the association over the marks they received and requested intervention.

“In view of these representations, we respectfully request that the official answer key and recorded responses be released at the earliest, enabling candidates to independently verify their performance,” it said.

What AIMSA wants released

The association has urged the Health Ministry to make the following available to NEET PG 2026 candidates:

• The official NEET PG 2026 question paper
• The official answer key for all questions
• The individual response sheet or recorded responses of each candidate who appeared for the examination

The demand comes as candidates seek greater clarity over their scores and an opportunity to cross-check their responses against the official evaluation.

NEET PG 2026 cut-off falls to six-year low

The concerns over scores come against the backdrop of a sharp fall in the NEET PG 2026 qualifying cut-off, which has dropped to its lowest level in six years across categories.

The qualifying score is 262 marks for General and EWS candidates, 244 for General PwBD candidates and 226 for SC, ST and OBC candidates. The qualifying percentiles, however, remain unchanged.

Experts have cautioned that the lower qualifying score does not necessarily mean that securing a postgraduate medical seat has become easier. Factors such as examination difficulty, score distribution, changing preparation patterns, dependence on coaching and the availability of postgraduate seats can influence the cut-off.

More than 18,000 postgraduate medical seats were reportedly vacant during the previous counselling cycle, adding another factor to the discussion around the lower qualifying threshold.

For candidates who have questioned their results, however, the immediate demand is for access to the examination and response data that would allow them to independently verify how their scores were arrived at.