MBBS students stuck in first year get a fifth chance: one extra attempt for batches from 2019-20, the conditions and what to do next

Medical students who have not passed first-year MBBS after four attempts will get one more try. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided that eligible students who joined the course in 2019-20 or any later year may take one 'mercy attempt' at the First Professional MBBS examination, on top of the regular four. The decision applies to medical colleges across the country. In Maharashtra, the Nashik-based Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) says it pursued the matter with the commission.

The decision at a glance

• Who: students admitted to MBBS in the 2019-20 academic year or later
• Which exam: the First Professional MBBS (first year)
• How many attempts: the regular 4 plus 1 extra, a maximum of 5
• When decided: the NMC's 18th meeting, 23 September 2026
• Official notice: public notice of the NMC's Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), 15 October 2026
• Nature: a one-off, transitional concession; later batches cannot cite it

Conditions

• Running past the four-year window for clearing first year does not rule a student out.
• But the admission has to be valid still; if the university or college has cancelled it, the student does not qualify.
• Anyone who has already had a fifth, mercy attempt, whether through an earlier commission decision or a court's direction, gets nothing more. No one gets a sixth attempt.
• The whole MBBS course, including the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI), must still be finished within 10 years of admission. The extra attempt does not extend that limit.

Why the NMC decided this

According to the NMC notice, the commission had received requests for another attempt from students, universities and others. They pointed to studies disrupted during COVID-19, illness and personal hardship. The commission also took into account its earlier one-time mercy attempts for students admitted in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

MUHS vice-chancellor Dr Venkat Gite said many students could not pass because of health problems, personal difficulties and exceptional circumstances, and the university had therefore asked the commission for an extra chance, eSakal and Prahaar reported. He said the decision would save students an academic setback and ease their mental stress and the financial burden on them. Registrar Dr Rajendra Bangal said the university had consistently followed the matter up with the NMC.

Exam dates, forms and fees

The NMC notice does not say when the extra examination will be held, when forms must be filled or what the fee will be. The reports on the university's announcement so far also give no timetable, application dates or result schedule. The commission has told all universities and medical colleges to handle eligible cases in line with its decision, so students will need to wait for the university's official notice for dates.

What students should do now

• Check with your college's examination section which academic year you were admitted in and how many first-year attempts you have used.
• If you already received a fifth attempt under the COVID-era relaxation or a court order, this new relief does not apply to you.
• Work out how much of the 10-year limit from your admission is left, and plan your studies accordingly.
• Watch your college notice board and the university website, muhs.ac.in, for the exam form, fee and timetable.
• Read the NMC's original public notice (No. N-U013(21)/1/2026-UGMEB-NMC) to understand the conditions fully.

Sources: National Medical Commission, public notice, 15 October 2026 (copy hosted by Medical Dialogues, PDF); eSakal (Nashik); eSakal (Pune); Prahaar; Medical Dialogues; The Tribune