INI-CET Exam Guide: AIIMS, PGIMER & JIPMER PG Admission

What INI-CET is (and why it is separate from NEET-PG)

The Institutes of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI-CET) is a computer-based entrance exam conducted by AIIMS New Delhi to fill postgraduate medical and dental seats at the Institutes of National Importance (INIs). It is a completely separate exam from NEET-PG — a candidate who wants an MD/MS/MDS/DM/MCh seat at an INI must appear in INI-CET, not rely on a NEET-PG score.

INI-CET is held twice a year, for the January and July admission sessions. Because the INIs admit their PG students through this exam rather than the common NEET-PG counselling, INI-CET has its own registration, its own exam, and its own AIIMS-run counselling. If your target is one of these institutes, plan for INI-CET as a distinct track.

Which institutes participate

INI-CET covers the country's Institutes of National Importance that offer PG medical (and some dental) programmes. The participating institutes include the multiple AIIMS across India, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram.

The exact list of participating institutes, the seat matrix, and the courses on offer are published fresh for each session in the AIIMS INI-CET prospectus. Seat numbers and which departments are open change between sessions, so treat any figure you see elsewhere as indicative and verify the current seat matrix on the official AIIMS exams portal.

• AIIMS campuses across India
• PGIMER, Chandigarh
• JIPMER, Puducherry
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru
• SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram
• Participating list + seat matrix — confirm per session on the official prospectus

Courses you can enter through INI-CET

INI-CET is used to admit candidates to postgraduate degree programmes at the INIs: MD and MS (broad specialities), MDS (for dental graduates), and the super-speciality DM and MCh programmes offered at some institutes.

Which degrees and departments are available depends on the institute and the session. If you are a BDS graduate, note that MDS seats at the INIs are also routed through this test. Always read the current prospectus for the institute you want, as the courses and departments on offer are set session by session.

Eligibility at a glance

Broadly, INI-CET is open to candidates holding a recognised MBBS degree (or BDS, for MDS seats) who have completed — or will complete by the session's cut-off date — the compulsory rotating internship. There are minimum-qualifying-marks bands in the primary degree that differ for reserved categories, and category-based eligibility applies.

The exact qualifying-mark percentages, the internship completion cut-off date, registration requirements and category rules are set out in the AIIMS INI-CET prospectus for each session. These are the make-or-break details, so read them directly from the official prospectus rather than relying on summaries — do not assume last session's cut-off date carries over.

• Recognised MBBS (or BDS for MDS) degree
• Compulsory rotating internship completed by the session cut-off date
• Minimum qualifying marks vary by category
• Exact percentages + internship date — verify in the current AIIMS prospectus

Exam pattern

INI-CET is a computer-based test (CBT). It is a single objective-type paper made up of multiple-choice questions covering the MBBS subjects, with negative marking for wrong answers.

Because it selects for some of the most competitive PG seats in the country, the paper rewards depth across pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects. The duration, the number of questions, the marking scheme and the subject weightage are stated in the AIIMS INI-CET information bulletin for the session — confirm the current numbers there before you build your prep plan.

• Mode: computer-based test (CBT)
• Format: objective-type MCQs across MBBS subjects
• Negative marking applies
• Duration, question count + marking scheme — verify in the official bulletin

How to prepare and apply

Preparation is essentially a rigorous, whole-syllabus revision of the MBBS course with heavy MCQ practice — the same core knowledge as other PG entrances, but with a premium on accuracy under negative marking. There is no shortcut and no coaching can guarantee a seat; consistent revision and honest self-testing are what move your rank.

Application is entirely online through the official AIIMS exams portal. Registration windows, the fee, the exam date and the admit-card and result timeline are announced session-by-session. Bookmark the official portal, watch for the notification, and complete each step within the stated window.