AP BSc Nursing Qualification 2026: The inclusion of NEET-UG has been made an essential criteria for AP BSc Nursing admission. A fundamental shift in the landscape of Indian healthcare education. The admission criteria for the program have changed multiple times in the last few years. After changing from Intermediate (10+2) marks in 2023 to AP EAMCET ranks in 2024, in 2025 it briefly flowed to the APNCET exam, and now in 2026 the admission will be based on the NEET-UG exam.
The NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted on May 3, 2026. Students who qualify for the NEET will be eligible for admission to the AP BSc Nursing program in 2026. There will no longer be a separate APNCET exam for BSc nursing admissions as indicated in the AP BSc Nursing Notification 2026.
NEET-UG Qualification Mandatory for AP BSc Nursing Admissions
Andhra Pradesh (AP) was the first state to allow students qualifying in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test Under Graduate (NEET-UG) for admission into nursing courses.
- From 2026-27 onwards, students desiring to get admission into the 4-year BSc Nursing course in the state will have to appear for the NEET-UG exam for admission.
- The decision was recommended by the Health & Medical Department, followed by the approval of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
- In some colleges, state-level entrance was based on the APNCET exam for admission. However, students were not participating in this manner, and there are vacant college seats. Thus, administrators recommended allotting students through the national-level exam NEET-UG for uniformity in standards, transparency, and better planning of students.
Since AP BSc Nursing admissions for 2026 will now be based on NEET UG test scores, the entire admission procedure will be handled by AP NEET UG counselling. This means that students barely have 3 months to prepare for the exam. Preparing for NEET-UG in a span of 3 months is very difficult.
This decision has sparked debate among students and educators. The government should look into this matter with urgency, as this shift has placed state-board students at a substantial disadvantage.