NMC gives MBBS students one more attempt at first professional exam

Medical students who have been stuck at the first hurdle of MBBS now have one more chance. The National Medical Commission has allowed an additional "mercy attempt" in the First Professional MBBS Examination for students admitted from the 2019-20 academic year onwards.

The decision came at the commission's 18th meeting on September 23, 2026. Details were later spelt out in a public notice from the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB).

What changes

Under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, a student gets four attempts to clear the First Professional exam. The new relaxation adds a fifth. Students who have already run through their four attempts can now sit the exam once more.

The extra attempt will be available even to those who have gone past the four-year window meant for finishing the first professional course. The student's admission, however, must still be valid and not cancelled by the college or university.

Who is left out

Not everyone benefits. Students who already used a mercy attempt under an earlier NMC decision or a court order, and so have used up five attempts, cannot take another. The notice says plainly that the present relaxation does not give anyone a sixth attempt.

Ten-year cap stays

The overall time limit for completing MBBS is also untouched. A student must finish the course within ten years, a period that includes the compulsory rotating medical internship. The extra attempt does not extend that deadline.

Why now

According to reports, students, universities and other stakeholders had asked for another chance, citing exceptional circumstances such as disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and health problems. The commission also took note of its earlier one-time concessions for students admitted in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The demand has been building for a while. Courts have mostly refused to step in. The Kerala High Court recently rejected a first-year student's plea for a fifth attempt, holding that the four-attempt limit leaves no room for more. The Karnataka High Court also dismissed a similar petition, saying courts cannot grant mercy attempts that go against the rules framed by statutory bodies.

Students, colleges and universities have been asked to read the conditions in the public notice carefully. It is available on the NMC website.