NEET SS 2026: Dates, Eligibility, Seats & Syllabus

NEET SS (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Super Speciality) is the mandatory entrance exam for doctors who already hold an MD, MS, or DNB and want to pursue a DM or MCh super-specialty course, one level above the NEET PG exam that gets them the MD/MS in the first place. Conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the 2026 cycle offers 2,447 DM/MCh seats across 156 institutes nationally. This guide covers eligibility, exam pattern, cutoff, and counselling for the 2026 cycle.

Key Takeaways

• NEET SS 2026 offers 2,447 DM/MCh seats across 156 institutes, per NBE's official notification for the December 2026 cycle.

• Only candidates who already hold an MD, MS, or DNB (or a provisional pass certificate) are eligible — NEET SS sits one level above NEET PG, not in place of it.

• The exam is a computer-based test of 150 MCQs across 2 hours 30 minutes, with +4 for a correct answer and −1 for an incorrect one.

• NBEMS reduced the qualifying cutoff from the 50th percentile to the 20th percentile across all specialty groups in February 2023, a change still in effect, to help fill vacant seats.

• Counselling is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) in coordination with NBEMS, typically across two main rounds plus a mop-up round for vacant seats.

What Is NEET SS?

This exam is the sole entrance test mandated under Section 61(2) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for admission to DM (Doctor of Medicine), MCh (Master of Chirurgiae), and DrNB super-specialty courses in India. It is conducted once a year by NBEMS and tests candidates who have already completed a postgraduate medical degree and want to specialize further into a specific super-specialty field such as Cardiology, Neurosurgery, or Nephrology.

How Is NEET SS Different from NEET PG?

NEET PG and NEET SS sit at different rungs of India's postgraduate medical ladder: NEET PG is the entrance exam MBBS graduates take for an MD, MS, or PG Diploma, while this super-specialty exam is what MD/MS/DNB holders take one level higher, for a DM or MCh. You cannot sit it directly after MBBS — a full postgraduate degree is a prerequisite. For the full explainer on the MD/MS-level exam itself, see our guide to NEET PG; for the broader roadmap of exams after MBBS, see our what-after-MBBS guide.

What Is the Eligibility Criteria for NEET SS?

To appear for this exam, candidates must meet the following requirements:

1. Hold a postgraduate medical degree (MD/MS/DNB) or a provisional pass certificate in the relevant discipline from a recognized institution.

2. Complete the qualifying degree on or before the cutoff date specified by NBEMS for that year's cycle.

3. Hold a valid registration certificate from the NMC, a State Medical Council, or an equivalent body.

4. For foreign nationals: have completed a postgraduate degree in a specialty corresponding to the super-specialty course applied for, or be in the final year of MD/MS/DNB with likely completion by the cutoff date.

How Many Seats Does NEET SS 2026 Offer?

NEET SS 2026 offers 2,447 DM/MCh seats across 156 institutes nationally, per NBE's official notification for the December 2026 cycle. This scale of seats matters for planning, since super-specialty seats remain far scarcer than MD/MS seats, making cutoff percentile and specialty choice especially consequential for candidates deciding which super-specialty to target. For background on how DM and MCh super-specialty degrees fit into India's medical education structure, see Wikipedia's overview of medical education in India.

What Is the NEET SS Cutoff?

NBEMS originally set the qualifying criterion at the 50th percentile across all specialty groups, but in February 2023, it reduced this to the 20th percentile to help fill vacant seats — a change that remains in effect. The exact cutoff score varies by specialty group each cycle, since it depends on that year's difficulty level and candidate distribution, so treat any specific historical score as a reference point rather than a fixed target.

What Is the NEET SS Exam Pattern?

How Does NEET SS Counselling Work?

NEET SS counselling is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), typically across two main rounds followed by a mop-up round if seats remain vacant. Registration requires a non-refundable fee plus a refundable security deposit, which is adjusted against academic fees for allotted candidates or refunded to those who don't receive or don't accept a seat. Candidates fill unlimited college and course preferences, and after each round's seat allotment, they choose to accept and exit, accept and continue, refuse and continue, or refuse and exit the process — a structure closely related to the standard NEET PG counselling process, which covers registration fees and documents in full depth.