NMC Grants MBBS Students One-Time Mercy Attempt for First Professional Exam
The National Medical Commission granted MBBS students a fifth attempt to clear their first professional exam, raising the limit from four attempts as a one-time measure for recent student batches.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-10-16
- Updated 3:48 PM UTC
The National Medical Commission has given MBBS students a fifth attempt to pass their first professional examination, up from the previous limit of four. The relaxation, adopted at the commission's 18th meeting on September 23, applies to students admitted from the 2019-20 academic year onward.
The commission acted on representations from students and universities. One account of those representations cites disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, health concerns, and personal difficulties; the NMC's decision followed those representations without the commission detailing which factors it weighed.
Eligibility conditions differ depending on the source. One account ties the relaxation to students who have crossed the four-year course period while their admission remains valid. Another ties it to students who have not already used five attempts under earlier NMC decisions or court directions. Both describe admission validity as a baseline requirement.
The commission kept its ten-year cap on completing the full MBBS course, including the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship, unchanged. The extra attempt does not push that overall deadline back.
The NMC labeled the move a "one-time exceptional transitional" measure and said it sets no precedent for future batches. One account adds that the commission specified the change should not be read as retroactive application of amended regulatory provisions.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
