NEET MDS for Admission to PG Dental Courses

The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test or NEET-MDS is conducted for admission to various Post Graduate Dental Courses. It is to be noted that no other entrance examination, either at institution or state level, shall be valid for entry to MDS Courses as per Dentists Act, 1948. However, AIIMS, New Delhi is not covered by centralized admissions for MDS seats through NEET-MDS. The National Board of Examination is administering authority for NEED MDS Entrance Test.

Institutes and Seat Allotment Criteria through NEET MDS

NEET MDS includes the following institutions offering Post Graduate Dental programs:

a) All India 50% quota seats for MDS courses (except the state of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Telangana)

b) State quota seats for all States/Union territories MDS courses of India (it also includes Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Telangana)

c) MDS courses at all Private Dental Colleges, Institutions & Universities all across India

d) Post graduate dental courses at Armed Forces Medical Services Institutions.

NEET MDS Important Dates

Availability of Information Bulletin: October
Online submission of application form October through November
Examination Date December
Declaration of Results By January

For latest updates about NTA NEET MDS exact dates see EducationNews.Shiksha

Eligibility Criteria for NEET- MDS

Candidate should have successfully completed their Bachelor in Dental Surgery from a recognized institute or university in India. They should be registered with the State Dental Council and also obtain a permanent or provisional registration and must have successfully undergone a compulsory rotatory internship of one year in a recognized dental college.
Candidate who are currently undergoing their 1 year compulsory rotatory internship/ practical training and is likely to complete the same by 31st March are also eligible to take up the NEET MDS examination. However, they will be not be eligible for admission until completing their compulsory internship and obtain their permanent or provisional registration on or before 31st March.

Eligibility Criteria for All India 50% Quota Seats

Candidates who have completed their BDS from the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are not eligible for the 50% All India Quota seats. However, those candidates who were nominated by the Govt. of India (under central pool seats) to do their Bachelor of Dental Science from Dental Colleges in Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Telangana shall be considered to apply for admission.
Candidates must submit an affidavit duly signed, declaring that he/she was nominated by the Govt. of India (under central pool seats) to pursue their BDS courses from Dental Colleges in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir to the following address along with the print out of the acknowledgement of submission of online application for NEET-MDS well within as specified by National Board of Examination (NBE)

Deputy Director (Examinations)
National Board of Examinations,
Medical Enclave, Ansari Nagar,
Mahatma Gandhi Marg, (Ring Road), New Delhi – 110029

Candidates who fail to submit their affidavit will not be considered for participation in All India 50% quota counseling.

Note: The restriction on candidates from the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana is not applicable to the categories pertaining to Armed Forces for ‘Grant of Short Service Commission in Army Dental Corps’ and for MDS admissions in Armed Forces Institutes.

Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Nationals in NEET-MDS

As per MDS course Regulations the Foreign Nationals can write NEET-MDS without DCI registration. For them it is not mandatory to have the temporary registration with DCI at the time of writing NEET-MDS. However, certain procedure shall be followed in the case of a foreign national, such as:

On payment of the prescribed fee for registration, the Council may grant them a temporary registration for the duration of the post-graduate training. The registration will only be restricted to the dental college/institution to which the candidate is admitted for post-graduate studies. The temporary registration further shall be subject to the condition that the foreign national is duly registered as a medical practitioner in his/her own country from which he/she has obtained his/her basics dental qualification and that his/her their degree is recognized by the corresponding state dental council or concerned authority.
With regard to the 1 year Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship, the dates indicated by the candidates i.e. the starting and the completion date, shall be treated as final and they are required to submit their original Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship completion certificate at the time of counseling.

Eligibility Criteria for admission to MDS course

General Category: 50th Percentile
SC/ST/OBC (including PWD of SC/ST/OBC): 40th Percentile
UR PWD 45th Percentile

PERCENTILE Vs PERCENTAGE

A percentile rank is about how well a candidate scored in comparison to other candidates, while a percentage speaks about how well a candidate did in the test itself.
The detail of the marks that you have scored is never given in percentile, instead it only tells about the merit position among the number of candidates who have appeared in the test along with you. Eg: a candidate might have answered 85% of questions correctly and his rank is 99th percentile which means that percentile is not related to the percent of correct answers a student gets on a test.
Percentile are commonly used for marks interpretation on standardized tests. Eg: a test marks that is greater than or equal to 80% of the marks of candidates taking the test is said to be at the 80th percentile, where the percentile rank is 80. On the other hand, percentage is simply calculated based on the marks obtained by the candidate in the test out of the maximum marks. Eg: test marks of 75% in a test with a maximum marks of 1000 indicates a marks of 750.
The percentage of marks is not affected by the candidate’s merit position in comparison to other candidates who took the test.

Tie Breaker Criteria for NEET MDS

In case off two or more candidates obtaining the same score in NEET MDS, the merit position shall be determined using the following tie breaker criteria in descending order:

Candidate who has score more number of correct responses in the paper shall be placed at higher merit position.
Failing to the above criteria, the date of birth of the candidate shall be taken into consideration. The older candidate will be placed at a better merit position.

NEET MDS Application Process

Steps by step registration guide for online submission of application form:

a. Candidates are required to register online for NEET MDS by logging into the official website - www.nbe.edu.in.

b. Create a profile and receive a unique login ID

c. Candidate are required to fill in all appropriate information such as name, father’s name, mother’s name, date of birth, category, contact details, educational qualifications, etc.

d. Payment of fees should be made by the candidate.

e. Candidate chooses the testing city as per availability at the time of online submission of the application form.

f. Upload the scanned copies of the recent passport size photograph, left thumb impression & signature.

The candidate will receive a computer generated acknowledgement form at the end of the online submission of application form. The acknowledgment shall also be sent at the candidate’s registered e-mail ID.

Any applications of the candidates if found false or fabricated information will not be considered and candidates may further be debarred from appearing in the examination in future. It is recommended to keep a hard copy of the application form for future reference.

Photograph Specifications –

a. A photograph should at least be of 35x45 mm in size with 75% face & head coverage of the candidate.

b. A caption indicating the date of capturing photograph and name of candidate should be there at the bottom of the photo.

c. The Background of the Photograph should be white.

d. The photograph are required to display the full front view of the face.

e. Reflection or shadow on the face with red eyes should be avoided.

f. The photograph should be printed on a high quality paper with at least 600 dpi resolutions.

g. The color of the photograph should possess the natural skin tone and appearance.

h. The photograph must not have stains, scratches and kinks.

NEET MDS Examination Fees

For General/OBC candidates: Rs. 4250/-
For SC/ST/PWD (PH) candidates: Rs. 3250/-

The fee mentioned above is inclusive of examination fees and information bulletin. The payment can be made online through Credit Card or a Debit Card only issued by banks in India or through Internet Banking. Payment once made will not be refunded under any circumstances.

P.S.: No information bulletin will be sold separately. Information Bulletin shall be available at website for information.

Note: Fees is a variable and subject to change as, when and if notified by administering authority.

NEET MDS Exam Pattern

NEET MDS shall be held on a single day & single session only.
Exam Timing: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Three hours)

Allow Candidates to enter the examination centre and commence Biometric Registration
Entry closes at Examination Centre 2:30 PM
Grant access for Candidate Login 2:45 PM
Candidates log in to read instructions 2:50 PM
Exam Start Time 3:00 PM
Exam End Time 6:00 PM

Purpose of Examination: Ranking cum Qualifying Examination for admission to Post Graduate Dental courses

Periodicity: Annual

Question Pattern: MCQ based with single correct response

Total No. of Questions: 240

Marking System: 4 marks will be awarded for each correct answers and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. However, no marks will be added or deducted for any unanswered questions.

Mode of exam: Computer based

Subject-wise distribution of questions

Subject: General Anatomy including embryology and histology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: General human physiology and Biochemistry
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Dental Anatomy, Embryology & Oral Histology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: General Pathology and Microbiology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Dental Materials
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: General Medicine
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: General Surgery
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 15
Subject: Oral Medicine and Radiology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 15
Subject: Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Periodontology
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14
Subject: Public Health Dentistry
Weightage in NEET- MDS: 14

NEET – MDS Exam Centres

At the time of online registration, candidate will be required to choose the city in which he/she wants to take the test. The choice of city will depend on availability of the test centres in a particular city and the allotment shall be done on first come first serve basis.

During the submission of online application form, candidate will be able to see only those cities where testing seats are available. While the city will be chosen by the candidate himself / herself at the time of online submission of application form, allotment of test centre/venue in the chosen city shall be done by NBE. Candidates will be informed regarding their test venue in the chosen city approximately 4 days before the examination day through their admit card.

The list of various cities where Examination centres are located is as under:

Ahmedabad
Amritsar
Asansol
Bengaluru
Bhopal
Bhubaneswar
Chandigarh
Chennai
Dehradun
Delhi
Guwahati
Hyderabad
Jaipur
Jammu
Kolkata
Kozhikode
Lucknow
Mohali
Mumbai
Nagpur
Noida
Patna
Pune
Ranchi
Sikar
Thiruvananthapuram
Tiruchirappalli
Udaipur
Visakhapatnam

Candidates must bring to the test centre the following documents:

a. Printed copy of the Admit Card with Photo of the candidate pasted on it.
b. Photocopy of Permanent or Provisional SDC/DCI registration, to be retained by the test center
c. Any one of the authorized photo IDs (must be original, valid and non-expired)
i. PAN Card
ii. Voters' ID card
iii. Driving License
iv. Passport
v. Aadhaar card (with photograph)

“In case, any candidate reports to the test center with e-Aadhaar card with Aadhaar number printed on it as proof of identity, the e-Aadhaar card should be a good quality colour print out with clearly visible photograph.
P.S.: Unfair means case shall be registered against the candidates submitting false/forged documents.

NEET MDS Exam Day Procedures

a. After the successful biometrics and verification of Identity of the candidates, they will be escorted to the designated computer terminal and the invigilator will check in the candidate.

b. Candidates at all times during the conduct of examination should keep their photo identification and admit card at hand.

c. Candidates are required to listen to the instructions given by the invigilator to begin the test.

d. candidate can only use the rough paper which shall be provided at the centre itself to do all the rough work.

e. All the three sides-front, left and right of the workstation will be blocked and candidates are retrictly advised not to look around into the computer monitor screen of the other candidate(s). Hence, it is considered as an use of unfair means and may lead to cancellation of candidature.

P.S.: Candidates will be under CCTV surveillance.

f. Any disruptive or suspicious behavior of the candidate may lead to the cancellation of candidature.

g. For any kind of issues during the test, candidate must raise their hands to notify it to the Invigilator.

h. A registered candidate will get to test again within the examination/ testing window, in case of any disruption.

i. Candidates are required to return all kind of rough paper to the invigilator after the test. Any attempt to take the rough papers will be considered as a disruptive behavior and shall be liable for disqualification.

Security at the Test Centre

No Candidates under any circumstances will be allowed to take the following items inside the examination center. All the candidates will be subjected to compulsory frisking before entering the examination center:

a. Any stationery item like Eraser, Pen Drives, Writing Pad, Pen, Calculator, Plastic Pouch, notes, textual material (printed or written), etc.

b. Any electronic devices such as Electronic Pen/Scanner, Calculator, wrist watch/Health Band, Pager, Microphone, Earphones, Bluetooth, Mobile Phone, etc.

c. Ornaments of any kind such as Brooch, Badge, Necklace with pendants, Pendants, Chain/Necklace, Nose-pin, Earrings, Ring, bracelets, etc.

d. Items like Cap, Belt, Handbags, Goggles, Wallet, etc.

e. Eatable items like water bottle, soft drinks, opened or packed food items, etc.

f. Any type of items which could be used for unfair means, for hiding communication devices like Bluetooth/wireless devices, spy camera etc.

P.S. No arrangement will be made for the candidates at the centres for keeping any articles/items belonging.

Validity of NEET-MDS Result

The NEET-MDS score shall only be valid for the current admission session only and and cannot be carried forward for the next session of admissions for MDS courses. Check your Exam Result.

NEET-MDS Reservation Criteria

For States/Union Territories - 50% State Quota Seats and Private Dental Colleges/Institutes/Universities/Deemed Universities.

a) Reservation policy and guidelines applicable in different States/Union Territories of India will be followed for the respective State /Union territory quota seats.

b) NBE shall be providing only the data of candidates and the marks scored by them in NEET-MDS to the State Governments / Counseling Authority without applying the reservation prevalent in the concerned States/Private Dental Colleges/ Institutes/Universities.

The merit list and category wise merit list for the concerned State shall be generated by the State themselves as per applicable Regulations, qualifying criteria, applicable guidelines and reservation policies.

For Armed Forces Medical Service Institutions

a. Candidates opting for admission to MDS seats in Armed Forces Medical services (AFMS) Institutions shall select the following option in the NEET-MDS online application form:
Are you willing to opt for PG Courses in Armed Forces Medical Services -Yes/ No

b. There is no reservation of seats for SC/ST/OBC/PH candidates in the Armed Forces Medical Institutions.
As per MDS course Regulations 2017:

- The reservation of seats in dental college/institutions for respective categories shall be as per applicable laws prevailing in States/Union territories. An all India merit list as well as State-wise merit list of the eligible candidates shall be prepared on the basis of the marks obtained in NEET Test and candidates shall be admitted to post-graduate courses from the said merit list only:
- Provided that in determining the merit of candidates who are in service of Government/ public authority, weightage in the marks may be given by the Government/ competent authority as an incentive upto 10% of the marks obtained for each year of service in remote and/or difficult areas upto the maximum of 30% of the marks obtained in NEET. The remote and difficult areas shall be as defined by State Government / competent authority from time to time.

c. A candidate who has failed to secure the minimum percentile as prescribed in these regulations, shall not be admitted to any post-graduate courses in any academic year.

Counseling for MDS Courses

The counseling authorities for allotment of various types of seats to eligible and successful candidates is summarized as follows:

Type of seats: All India 50% quota Services, Dental Educational Institutions of Central Govt., Universities established by an Act of Parliament, Deemed Universities
Counseling Authority: Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India
Type of seats: State quota seats in All Dental Institutions in a State and seats in institutions established by State Govt., Universities established by Act of State/Union Territory Legislature, Municipal Bodies Trust, Society, Company or Minority Institutions
Counseling Authority: State Government or authority designated by the State Government

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