Complete paper
240 questions in 180 minutes
The computer-based examination contains 240 multiple-choice questions in English. The maximum score is 960 marks.
NEET-MDS practice
Build accuracy across the complete BDS curriculum.
Understand the two-part NEET-MDS format, revise basic and clinical dental sciences and practise making precise decisions under locked time limits.
About NEET-MDS
The national eligibility-cum-ranking examination for MDS admission.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Master of Dental Surgery, or NEET-MDS, is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. It is the single entrance examination for the MDS seats covered by the applicable information bulletin.
The examination supports admission through the All India 50% quota, state and Union Territory quotas, private dental colleges, institutions and universities, deemed universities, and applicable Armed Forces Medical Services seats. Admission still depends on counselling, eligibility, reservation rules and the requirements of the relevant institution or authority.
Use the official NBEMS NEET-MDS page for the current information bulletin, notices, application link and results.
NEET-MDS exam pattern
Two time-bound parts completed in three hours.
Part A
100 questions in 75 minutes
Part A covers seven groups of basic, para-clinical, medical, surgical and foundational dental subjects.
Part B
140 questions in 105 minutes
Part B contains ten clinical and applied dental subject groups, with 14 questions assigned to each group.
Locked progression
Part A cannot be reopened
Candidates cannot proceed before the allotted time ends. Once Part A closes, its questions and responses cannot be reviewed or modified.
Correct response
+4 marks
Every correct answer receives four marks. Questions marked for review are evaluated according to the response saved.
Incorrect response
−1 mark
One mark is deducted for an incorrect answer, while an unattempted question receives zero.
This pattern follows the NEET-MDS 2026 information bulletin. Candidates should verify the scheme and qualifying criterion in the bulletin for their admission session.
Eligibility
Complete the recognised dental qualification and training requirements.
Dental degree
Recognised BDS qualification
Candidates must hold a recognised Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree awarded by an eligible university or institution. Separate provisions apply to recognised foreign dental qualifications.
Registration
Provisional or permanent registration
Registration with the State Dental Council and the provisional or permanent registration required by the applicable regulations must be completed by the prescribed deadline.
Practical training
Compulsory rotatory internship
Candidates must complete the required 12-month compulsory rotatory internship or practical training by the session-specific cut-off date.
Eligibility dates and documentary requirements change by admission cycle. Check the current bulletin before applying and retain the original internship-completion and registration documents required during counselling.
Admission scope
One examination, followed by the applicable counselling route.
All India seats
All India 50% quota
Eligible candidates compete for All India quota seats through the counselling process and rules specified by the designated national authority.
State and institutional seats
Multiple counselling authorities
State quota, private-college, university and deemed-university seats follow the counselling and eligibility framework applicable to the particular seat pool.
Qualification and rank
Admission is not automatic
Qualifying NEET-MDS permits participation in the relevant admission process. Seat allocation depends on rank, choices, eligibility, reservation and seat availability.
AIIMS New Delhi was outside the centralized NEET-MDS admission scope described in the 2026 bulletin. Always verify the current institutional coverage before making application or counselling decisions.
NEET-MDS syllabus
Seventeen subject groups drawn from the current BDS curriculum.
The official subject distribution follows the latest BDS-course regulations notified by the Dental Council of India with prior government approval. Part A connects basic sciences and general clinical knowledge with dental foundations; Part B concentrates on applied and clinical dentistry.
Part A · 100 questions
Basic sciences and general clinical foundations
Five subject groups carry 14 questions each, while General Medicine and General Surgery carry 15 questions each.
General Anatomy, Embryology and Histology
Revise body structure with emphasis on head and neck anatomy, cranial nerves, blood supply, facial development, palate formation and clinically relevant microscopic anatomy.
General Human Physiology and Biochemistry
Connect normal organ function, homeostasis, blood, endocrine and neuromuscular physiology with metabolism, molecular biology, nutrition and laboratory interpretation.
Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Histology
Cover tooth morphology, dentition, occlusion, odontogenesis, eruption and the microscopic structure of enamel, dentin, cementum, pulp, periodontal tissues and oral mucosa.
General Pathology and Microbiology
Integrate cell injury, inflammation, healing, neoplasia and hematology with bacteriology, virology, mycology, immunology, sterilisation and infection control.
General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Revise mechanisms, kinetics, adverse effects and interactions, with particular attention to local anaesthetics, antimicrobials, analgesics, emergency drugs and safe dental prescribing.
General Medicine
Recognise systemic disease, medical emergencies and treatment implications relevant to dental care, including cardiovascular, endocrine, hematologic and infectious conditions.
General Surgery
Cover wound healing, shock, fluid management, hemorrhage, infection and common head-and-neck surgical problems, including perioperative assessment and complication management.
Part B · 140 questions
Applied and clinical dental sciences
Each of the ten Part B subject groups contributes 14 questions to the official distribution.
Dental Materials
Understand the physical, chemical, mechanical and biological properties, manipulation and failure of restorative, impression, luting, prosthetic, ceramic, alloy and implant materials.
Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
Connect clinical and microscopic features with the diagnosis of developmental lesions, cysts, tumors, potentially malignant disorders, oral cancer and microbial disease.
Oral Medicine and Radiology
Revise oral diagnosis, mucosal and systemic manifestations, facial pain, TMJ disorders, radiation physics and protection, and interpretation across dental imaging modalities.
Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry
Cover growth, behavior guidance, preventive care, pulp therapy, space management, dental trauma and treatment planning for infants, children and adolescents.
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Integrate craniofacial growth, diagnosis, cephalometrics, biomechanics, appliances, growth modification, retention and management of dentofacial discrepancies.
Periodontology
Study periodontal anatomy, biofilm and host response, diagnosis, non-surgical therapy, instruments, surgery, regeneration, mucogingival procedures and peri-implant disease.
Prosthodontics and Crown and Bridge
Cover complete and removable partial dentures, fixed prosthodontics, occlusion, implant principles, impressions, jaw relations, treatment planning and maxillofacial prosthetics.
Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
Revise caries and pulp diagnosis, cavity preparation, adhesive restoration, esthetic dentistry, root-canal anatomy, instrumentation, obturation and endodontic complications.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Integrate local anaesthesia, exodontia, impactions, infection, trauma, orthognathic and TMJ surgery, cleft care, oral oncology and management of surgical emergencies.
Public Health Dentistry
Apply epidemiology, biostatistics, indices, research methods, prevention, health programmes, ethics, jurisprudence and community-based oral healthcare planning.
Use the official distribution to balance revision, but study each subject according to the current BDS curriculum rather than an unofficial list of predicted questions.
Preparation tips for NEET-MDS
Balance recall, interpretation and clinical decision-making.
Use the official distribution
Plan revision around all 17 subject groups and their published question counts. Protect time for both foundational subjects and the larger clinical dental section.
Connect Part A with dental practice
Relate anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, medicine and surgery to oral findings, patient risk and treatment modification.
Practise images and clinical findings
Interpret radiographs, histopathology, photographs, instruments, materials and clinical descriptions before deciding on the diagnosis or next step.
Train with the locked timings
Complete 100 questions in 75 minutes and 140 questions in 105 minutes. Learn to review Part A before it closes permanently.
Analyse negative-marking errors
Separate knowledge gaps from rushed reading and unnecessary guessing. Use the error pattern to decide what to revise and when to leave a question unanswered.
Rehearse the full examination
Complete both parts consecutively under computer-based conditions. Full simulations reveal pacing and concentration problems that isolated subject sets may hide.
Before applying
Use current NBEMS and counselling documents for final decisions.
Dates, eligibility cut-offs, qualifying percentiles, institutional coverage, reservation and counselling rules can change between sessions. Verify every application and admission decision against the current NBEMS information bulletin, subsequent notices and the website of the relevant counselling authority.
NEET-MDS FAQ
Frequently asked questions about NEET-MDS applications and admission.
Schedule information checked on 1 October 2026. Use the current NBEMS information bulletin, subsequent notices and the relevant counselling authority for final application and admission decisions.
For the next cycle, NEET-MDS 2027, an official examination date could not be verified in the sources checked on 1 October 2026. Monitor the official NBEMS NEET-MDS page for the calendar and subsequent notices. Treat predicted months on third-party websites as unconfirmed.
An official 2027 registration window could not be verified as of 1 October 2026. Follow the application notice and information bulletin on the official NBEMS NEET-MDS page for opening and closing dates. Previous-session dates should not be reused as the next session's schedule.
Follow the correct session's application link on the official NBEMS NEET-MDS page. Create an account, complete the form and image uploads, choose a test city, pay the fee and submit. Save the confirmation and check the application status.
Keep BDS qualification, internship and dental registration details, identification and contact information ready. Prepare the photograph, signature and thumb impression in the current prescribed formats, along with any requested supporting documents.
An intern may be eligible if the compulsory internship will be completed by the session's prescribed cut-off. Verify the current eligibility and registration conditions; the previous session's internship deadline does not automatically apply.
Only permitted fields can be changed within notified edit windows. The 2026 bulletin excluded name, nationality, email, mobile number, Aadhaar number and test city from editing. Check the new session's rules before submitting.
Download it through the official portal when released. Follow its reporting instructions and check the date, venue and required identification. The release schedule is session-specific; an admit card does not establish final eligibility.
Use the result and scorecard links on the official NBEMS NEET-MDS page. Follow the session's result notice for release dates and access instructions. A result announcement and the availability of an individual scorecard may have separate schedules.
Yes. Examination registration does not register you for counselling. Use the MCC MDS Counselling page for seats handled by MCC, and the relevant state or union-territory authority for seats under its jurisdiction. Follow each authority's registration, payment and choice-filling deadlines.
No. Admission depends on rank, eligibility, category, available seats, choices and document verification under the relevant counselling rules. Review the seat matrix, fees and reporting requirements before filling choices and accepting an allotment.
Turn the BDS curriculum into a focused practice plan.
Build accuracy across basic and clinical dental sciences, master the locked timings and learn from every response.