The National Medical Commission (NMC) decided to give eligible MBBS students a further one additional attempt to clear the First Professional MBBS Examination on October 15, 2026, and give eligible students a total of five attempts instead of the four they have been given before now. This is a short-term measure and does not constitute a permanent change in the examination rules for each MBBS student, but only a transition, and is a temporary change to the guidelines for them.
According to the NMC notification, the additional attempt for students who are admitted to MBBS from the 2019-20 academic year onwards will be made in line with the Commission. The Commission considered the issue at its 18th meeting on September 23, 2026, before its decision to relax the qualification was made.
The First Professional MBBS Examination is an important stage in medical education. It covers Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry and is the beginning of students going on to other medical education or medical careers. Under the present framework, students would be allowed four attempts to pass the first professional exam, and the first professional course will be completed in four years. Students who exhaust the number of attempts can be in serious trouble and face challenges in their medical school and medical career.
With the latest decision, eligible students can now have one additional chance to clear the examination and, hence, the number of legitimate attempts will be five. The relief can even be available to those students who have been waiting four years after graduation for their first professional course to be completed. But there is a catch: the admission must still be valid and not cancelled by the university/medical college. Students should therefore contact their school and determine whether they are eligible or not to make the extra attempt.
The decision is particularly important for students whose academic journey was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic disrupted classroom teaching, practical training, examinations, and the normal functioning of schools. Medical students also faced more challenges because of the need for theoretical learning as well as practical preparation. Health problems and exceptional personal circumstances also made it difficult for some candidates to cope. It gives eligible students another opportunity to continue their medical education after exhausting the standard attempts for medical students.
At the same time, the NMC has made it clear that the relaxation does not allow for an unlimited number of examination attempts. Students who have already used an additional mercy attempt and exhausted all five opportunities under an earlier Commission decision or court direction will not qualify for another attempt under the latest notification. In other words, the decision does not open the door to a sixth attempt for students who have already used all five chances.
Another key condition concerns the overall duration of the MBBS course. The NMC has retained ten years from the day of admission for the whole course and the required Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI). This extra attempt does not extend or relax that deadline. Students who are given the extra opportunity should still have to complete it as a student and meet the overall completion date and academic requirements.
The Commission described the decision as an exceptional one-time transitional step and only to resolve eligible pending cases. The concession needs to be seen not as a permanent amendment to the examination-attempt regulations or as a precedent for subsequent batches of students. Universities, medical colleges, and other relevant authorities should consider eligible cases in accordance with the notification.
🚨 MBBS first-year students to get five attempts to clear exams. https://t.co/MKYPG469dO
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) October 23, 2026
For students and families, the announcement is a new hope, but we need to know for sure. For medical students who are eligible for examination, they should see their university examination department (i.e., medical college administration) and check if their admission is valid. The decision taken today by the NMC is another chance to improve their medical career as a result of being able to retain the same academic and time limit requirements.
On balance, the additional mercy attempt is a necessary relief for eligible MBBS students who have had a very difficult ride. The maximum number of attempts for those eligible would be increased from four to five, but the scope of the mercy attempt is limited. There is still a ten-year deadline for MBBS (and internship), and it is important for students to plan their remaining exams carefully.
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