Complete Outline of the NEET PG Computer-based Test

The NEET PG exam is held every year by the National Board of Examination. In 2022, it is scheduled to be held in the month of April. The exam is going to be conducted at various selected locations across the country through online mode. The NEET PG is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admissions in medical Institutions in India. In 2022, it is going to offer 10,821 MS seats, 19,953 MD seats, and 1979 PG Diploma seats in various medical colleges. The entrance exam is compulsory for getting admission to the courses mentioned above. In this article, candidates can get an idea of how to attempt the NEET PG Computer-Based Test.

What is a Computer-Based Test?

The computer-based test is an online examination that is conducted over the Internet. Thus, to attempt the exam, students are allotted systems on which they are required to answer questions.

How is NEET PG Online Exam conducted?

The NEET PG exam is conducted online. Before starting with the exam, the candidates are provided with a list of instructions. Candidates have to read the instructions carefully and follow them. It carries complete details regarding the process to attempt the exam, navigation to the questions, and sections.

Answer status for questions in NEET PG Computer-Based Test

Button Colour	Details
Red	You have not answered the question
Gray	You have not visited the question yet
Green	You have answered the question
Purple with a green circle	You have answered the question but marked it for review.
Purple	You have not answered the question, but have marked it for review

Benefits of attempting NEET PG Online Exam

The major benefits of attempting the computer-based test is as follows-

• It saves time 
  While attempting offline exams, candidates are required to fill out the OMR sheet which is time-consuming, while in online exams, candidates just have to select the right option and proceed towards the next question.
• Errors can be rectified
  Candidates appearing in the exam online can change their answers anytime while attempting the paper, whereas in the offline paper, answers once marked cannot be changed.
• Chances of missing out on any question are less 
  There is a panel on the computer screen displaying all the questions in different colors indicating the questions answered, left un-answered, or marked for review. Therefore, the chances of missing out on any question are less.

Online Application Form Submission

The NEET PG application form will be made available online on the official portal of the NBE i.e., nbe.edu.in The application form can only be filled online and no offline submissions are allowed. Students who are eligible for this exam can only apply for the entrance test. So, one must check the eligibility criteria before filling the form to identify their admissibility.

Eligibility criteria for the NEET PG

The basic eligibility criteria for students for the NEET PG exam is as follows:

1. Candidates must have a provisional pass certificate or an MBBS degree from a reputed medical college in India
2. Candidates must have a permanent or provisional registration certificate that is issued by the State Medical Council (SMC) or the Medical Council of India (MCI)
3. As already mentioned above, the candidates must have done a 12-month rotary practicum or internship or if not completed, is going to be complete before a given date.

While filling the form, it’s compulsory to upload the scanned image of the candidate’s photograph and signature in the required format. Once the form is filled and submitted, students are requested to keep the hard copy of the form with them for future reference.

How to fill the NEET PG form online- a step-by-step guide

The application form of NEET PG can be filled in the given six steps. NBE has specified that the candidates must upload the left-hand thumb impression, signature, and passport size photo in the prescribed format while submitting the application form. Also, the application fee for the exam has to be paid via online mode in which debit/credit cards and internet banking are accepted modes. No offline payments are accepted. 

Please see below the steps to fill in the application form:

Online registration on the NEET PG 2021 official portal

Candidates can get registered on the official portal by filling in basic details. One must read all the instructions carefully that are displayed for candidates before proceeding with form filling. In the next step, candidates will have to fill in their basic details, personal information like address, father’s & mother’s name, Aadhaar card details, and contact details like address, mobile no., email ID, etc. then they have to select the ‘save and proceed’ option.

NEET PG application form filling

Once they do this, a candidate ID is created that is sent to the registered mobile no and email ID, both. For security reasons, one must change the password while they log in for the first time. Then, they need to log in with the ID and password and fill in the captcha code. After successful login, the candidate needs to fill in the remaining details like date of birth, gender, nationality, qualification details, academic details, internship details, and medical registration information. Once these details are filled in, select the ‘save and proceed’ option to move further to the next step.

Selecting the city for the NEET PG exam

Candidates can choose their preferred exam centre. They can check whether the seats are available in their preferred cities. The availability is based on who selects the option first. There is a list of cities available on the information brochure. The number of exam centers has been increased from 162 to 255. One can select the exam centre only after he has paid the application fee. After final payment, an option of the city will appear on the screen with seat availability. You can select the city for confirming the option.

Photo Requirements

Scanned images of photograph/signature/left-hand thumbprint Uploading on the portal

The scanned images are to be uploaded of the following size:

1. Passport size photograph-50-100 kb
2. Signature- 10-50 kb
3. Left-hand thumb impression- 10-50 kb
4. All the images should be in PNG/JPG/JPEG/GIF format.
5. After uploading all these, a message of confirmation will be shown on the screen.

NEET PG application fee Payment via online mode

Select the online payment option to pay the application fee. Both credit and debit cards are accepted along with internet banking options. The application fee for NEET PG 2021 was Rs 5015/- for General and OBC and Rs 3835/- for SC/ST/PWD categories simultaneously. Once payment is successful, a payment receipt is displayed on the screen. One can keep the printout for future reference.

Printing the hard copy of the confirmation page

After completing the form filling, the NEET PG form will appear on the screen. You can save the form or take the printout for future reference.

Application Form Correction window

Few details are allowed by NBE to be corrected if they were filled incorrectly in the application form. One can correct the Date of birth, Physical Disability Status, Gender, EWS status, or Category of the candidate. 

NEET PG Admit Cards

Once the form filling process is done, admit cards are released on the official website. NBE does not send the admit cards to the candidates at their address or email. Candidates can download the admit card from their accounts on the portal. After that exam dates are announced. The admit card is also the hall ticket and it has candidate details, the address of the exam center that is allotted to them, reporting time of exam, COVID-19 advisory, COVID e-pass, and other instructions given for candidates. One needs to download the card and stick a passport size photo on it. This card needs to be mandatorily carried to the hall on the day of the exam.

Demo Test (At NBE Website)

NBE has started conducting a demo test for the NEET PG exam on the official website. The purpose of this exam is to make the students understand the layout, navigation, and screen of the NEET PG Computer-based test. Students get familiarized with navigation and get the feel of the functionality of the actual exam. This mock test can be performed from any available user-friendly web browser. The demo test is the exact copy of the actual test, just in a shorter duration. It is accessible to the candidates on their login portals above their actual exam date. 

Apart from the mock test on the official portal of NBE, there are various mock tests, and grand tests available or other websites that could give you a good insight into the actual computer-based test. Check out

To access the demo test, the following steps can be followed-

• Go to the official website of NBE i.e., nbe.edu.in.
• Select the demo test option and you can proceed without a login.
• A series of instructions will be displayed on the screen which you can read and proceed with the test
• The test allows you to understand various features like moving between the questions or screens, selecting or deselecting the answers, etc.
• Once you have attempted the questions, submit the test. 

Reporting at Test Centre on Scheduled Date & Time

The exam is conducted in two sessions for the given exam center. Students must carry these things while they are going for the exam:

1. Admit cards- the printout of the admit card should be clear. Candidates should be ready with extra copies of admit cards to be on the safe side. 
2. Certificate of registration- the original copy of the Certificate of Registration that is issued by the MCI or SMC, should be taken with an extra photocopy to the exam center.
3. Identity proof: any government authorized photo ID proof like driving license, Aadhar card, PAN card, Voter ID with clear photo proof, can be taken for identification.

Candidates can be allocated for the forenoon or afternoon session. One must check the timing on the admit card for that. The reporting time mentioned on the admit card is the time when the candidate should reach and report to the exam center. If one fails to do that, he will not be allowed to proceed with the exam. Ideally, a candidate should reach one hour before the exam time, that is, 9 am for the morning session and 2:45 pm for the afternoon session. This facilitates time for identity verification, security checks, biometric capture and image capture, etc. The reporting counter is closed half an hour before the start time of the exam. 

The following procedure is followed at the reporting counter: 

1. The ID verification is done. The original documents will be checked for confirming the identity. The security guards will also check the candidates.
2. The fingerprints of all the students will be electronically captured as a part of the process and students must cooperate in this with the on-duty staff.
3. After that, digital images will be captured for all the candidates and will be kept for record.
4. The candidates will be guided by the on-duty staff to their assigned places of exam
5. The reporting time is given to allow the smooth running and the timely completion of all the above steps.
6. The late candidates will not be allowed to enter the exam hall after 30 minutes of the reporting time.
7. Also, candidates must check all required original documents to be carried to the exam hall on the day of the exam for identification.

Security Check-in Process

During the NEET PG exam, students are not allowed to use or carry some items. This restricts the candidates from having an unfair advantage in the exam over other candidates. Any candidate found with any of these items will be facing serious consequences and the authorities can cancel his exam. The items that are not allowed in the exam are as follows:

1. Any device for communication or electronic device like Bluetooth headphones, smartphones, microphones, etc.
2. Stationary objects like a plastic pouch, pencil box, bits of paper, eraser, calculator, etc.
3. Any jewelry, wristwatch, metallic item, camera, handbag, goggles, caps, wallets, belts, etc.
4. Any eatable item or drink 

Maintaining proper Dressing 

Candidates should be properly dressed according to the dress code. Formal dress is recommended for candidates. A light-colored dress is suitable. Half shirts are allowed whereas full sleeves shirts are not allowed. In footwear, shoes or boots are not allowed, so one must wear sandals or sleepers. In any case, bright colors and heavy jewelry are not accepted.

Post- exam Guidelines for the NEET PG exam

Once the exam is done, candidates can be relaxed about the study for some time but the entrance exam is just the beginning of a long process. One must keep the admit card carefully since it needs to be submitted during the counseling process afterward. Till the admission process is going on, it might be required anytime.

Also, the official website should be checked regularly for any announcements, notifications, or other important dates. NBE keeps on posting relevant information on the official portal. 

Conclusion

Medical students prepare a lot for the NEET PG exam to get admission in their choice of Institutions. One must study all the subjects thoroughly for getting a good score. One can refer to online portals like E-Gurukul to prepare the for the PG medical entrance exams, and making fundamentals stronger.

Once the exam dates are released, one should properly fill the application form and upload the images of the photograph, signature, and left-hand thumbprint. All the dates related to the NEET PG exam are displayed on the official website of NBE i.e., nbe.edu.in. Before the exam, admit cards should be printed and kept carefully. Exam center details should be properly checked. One should arrive before the reporting time of the exam. Different marking schemes and strategies can be followed to solve the questions of all 3 sections. Post-exam guidelines should be followed to keep track of results and later events.