Medical · Entrance Exams

INI-CET 2026 Exam Date, Result, Exam Pattern, Cut-off Percentile, Eligibility and Free INI-CET Mock Tests

INI-CET is the combined entrance test for postgraduate seats at the Institutes of National Importance — the AIIMS network, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram. It is a separate examination from NEET PG, held twice a year, for a small number of highly sought seats.

Its reputation is for being harder than NEET PG, and the reputation is deserved but often misdescribed. The syllabus is the same MBBS curriculum; what differs is the depth and the framing. INI-CET questions probe further into detail and reasoning, and its marking scheme deducts a third of a mark rather than a full one, which changes the guessing calculus in a direction most candidates do not adjust for.

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INI-CET · checked 19 September 2026

INI-CET at a glance, from the official notices

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

Free INI-CET mock testINI-CET syllabusToday’s current affairs
13Oct 2026

Next deadline

INI-CET: the facts that matter now

  1. 01

    January 2027 session: online registration open on aiimsexams.ac.in from 16 September to 13 October 2026 (5 p.m.); registration status 17–19…

    Next session

  2. 02

    AIIMS New Delhi, twice a year, computer-based, for MD, MS, six-year DM and M.Ch., MDS and MD (Hospital Administration) seats at all AIIMS, JIPMER…

    Conducted by

  3. 03

    July 2026 session: admission notice 19 March, prospectus and registration 28 March – 25 April, admit cards 9 May, examination 16 May 2026, result…

    Last session

  4. 04

    200 questions, 3 hours, in four sequential parts of 50 questions and 45 minutes; single-correct and multiple-correct types; +1 for a correct…

    Pattern

Notification

INI-CET notification and key dates

Checked 18 September 2026 on aiimsexams.ac.in, where the notice that online registration for the January 2027 session has started is the current banner: registration runs from 16 September to 13 October 2026 (5 p.m.), the registration status is displayed on 17–19 October, and the final status with the admit card follows on 26 October for the examination on 1 November. The July 2026 session of INI-CET was held on 16 May 2026 and its result — Result Notification 175/2026 — was published on 23 May; the online seat allocation ran through a mock round, two regular rounds and an open round whose result is on the portal. The AIIMS entrance calendar for 2026 places the January 2027 session examination on Sunday 1 November 2026 with the result on 7 November; the admission notice and prospectus for that session had not been uploaded at the time of checking.

INI-CET sessions — the 2026 calendar on aiimsexams.ac.in.
SessionRegistrationExaminationResult
July 2026Admission notice 19 March; prospectus and registration 28 March – 25 April 2026; image and detail corrections 30 April – 2 May; admit cards 9 May16 May 2026 (Saturday)23 May 2026; seat allocation mock, round 1, round 2 and open round through the summer
January 202716 September – 13 October 2026 (5 p.m.); status 17–19 October; admit card 26 October1 November 2026 (Sunday)7 November 2026 (Saturday); counselling rounds to be announced
INI-CET July 2026 result, from Result Notification 175/2026.
ItemDetail
ListsMD, MS, M.Ch. (6 years), DM (6 years) group and a separate MDS list, each with roll number, category, category applied under, PwBD status, rank and percentile
QualifiedAbout 48,400 ranks in the medical list — every candidate at or above the 50th percentile (UR, EWS, sponsored, foreign) or 45th percentile (OBC, SC, ST, PwBD)
Seat allocationMock round, first round, second round and open round results published as PDFs on the July 2026 session page

INI-CET and NEET PG in the same season

The January 2027 INI-CET on 1 November 2026 falls five weeks after the NEET PG 2026 result and before MCC counselling closes, so most NEET PG candidates also sit it; the syllabus is the same MBBS course, but the paper is shorter per question (one mark, a third deducted) and includes multiple-correct questions, which changes the guessing arithmetic.

Overview

What INI-CET is, and who it suits

INI-CET selects for postgraduate programmes at institutions designated as Institutes of National Importance. The seats are few and the institutions among the most sought after in Indian medicine, which produces a candidate field concentrated at the top end of the NEET PG distribution.

It is held twice a year, for the January and July admission sessions, which means a candidate has more opportunities within a year than NEET PG offers — though each cycle has its own registration, counselling and seat-acceptance process, and the two sessions do not pool seats.

How INI-CET differs from NEET PG

  • Depth of questioning — the same curriculum probed further, with more emphasis on detail and reasoning than on recognition.
  • A gentler deduction — one third of a mark rather than one full mark, which makes informed guessing more worthwhile.
  • Twice yearly — two cycles a year, each with its own counselling.
  • A smaller, stronger field — few seats, and a candidate pool concentrated at the top.

The marking scheme is the most commonly mishandled detail

INI-CET awards one mark for a correct answer and deducts one third for a wrong one. That is markedly gentler than NEET PG’s four-and-minus-one. A candidate who carries NEET PG guessing discipline into INI-CET will leave marks on the table, because here a guess narrowed to three options is already worth taking.

Eligibility

Who can apply for INI-CET

INI-CET eligibility, from Section IV of the July 2026 Prospectus Part A. Each INI applies further conditions in its Part B prospectus at seat allocation.

Who may appear (Indian nationals).
ConditionRule
DegreeMBBS for MD, MS, six-year DM and M.Ch. and MD (Hospital Administration); BDS for MDS; from a university recognised by the NMC or DCI
InternshipTwelve months of compulsory rotating internship completed on or before the session cut-off — 31 July 2026 for the July 2026 session; candidates completing it later are not eligible to register
Marks in MBBS or BDSAggregate of all professional examinations: 55 per cent for General, OBC and EWS; 50 per cent for SC and ST; PwBD as for their category
RegistrationRegistration with the NMC, the erstwhile MCI or a State Medical or Dental Council, as the Part B prospectus requires
Sponsored and foreign nationalsSeparate seats and conditions; sponsored candidates need the sponsoring authority’s certificate; foreign nationals and OCIs qualify at the 50th percentile
AgeNo upper age limit in the common prospectus; institute rules apply to sponsored seats

Other points from the prospectus

  • One registration per session — the registration is a one-time process for the session; the fee is ₹4,000 (General, OBC-NCL, OCI, foreign, sponsored), ₹3,200 (SC, ST, EWS) and nil for PwBD, paid online.
  • Choice of examination state — the list of states is shown during completion of the application; cities are allotted within the state chosen.
  • PwBD candidates — a scribe and compensatory time under the 2018 Office Memorandum, with the certificate in the prospectus format.
  • Bhutanese nationals — a separate quota at PGIMER Chandigarh at the 45th percentile.

Selection process

How INI-CET selection works

Each stage in order, and what it actually tests.

Stages change between cycles. Confirm the structure in the notification for the cycle you are sitting.
StageFormatWhat it involves
The INI-CET paperComputer-based, 200 questions, 3 hours, four locked partsFour parts of 50 questions opened one at a time for 45 minutes each; a part closes and submits automatically when its time ends. Questions are single-correct and multiple-correct; +1 for a correct answer, −1/3 for a wrong one, 0 for a blank or a question left marked for review.
Result by percentile and rankRoll-number list of provisionally qualified candidates with rank and percentileThe result notification lists every qualifying candidate with rank and percentile, separately for the MD/MS/DM/M.Ch. group and for MDS, about a week after the examination (23 May for the 16 May 2026 paper). Ties are broken on fewer negative marks, then the higher qualifying-degree percentage, then age, then name.
Online seat allocationMock round, first and second rounds, open roundQualified candidates fill institute and course choices in order of preference on the AIIMS portal; allocation results are published as PDFs after each round. Eligibility for a particular INI or course is checked against that institute’s Part B prospectus at allocation.

Application to seat allocation

How INI-CET runs, from the AIIMS portal to the four-part paper, the percentile result and online seat allocation

The steps follow the July 2026 Prospectus Part A and the AIIMS examination-section notices.

The INI-CET process

  1. Register on aiimsexams.ac.in Academic Courses → INI-CET → Login to Apply. Registration is a one-time process for the session: basic details, then the application with qualifications, category, the examination state and image uploads (photograph, signature, thumb impression). The prospectus Part A (common) and Part B (each INI’s eligibility and seats) are uploaded with the admission notice.
  2. Pay the fee ₹4,000 or ₹3,200 by debit card, credit card or net banking; PwBD candidates are exempt. Applications without payment are summarily rejected.
  3. Status and correction window The registration status is displayed about a week after closing with a short window (30 April – 2 May 2026) to correct rejected images or wrong details; final status and admit cards follow a week before the examination (9 May 2026).
  4. Examination day A single computer-based session of three hours in four parts of 45 minutes; the next part opens only when the previous one closes. Biometric and photo verification at the centre; no re-evaluation afterwards.
  5. Result A roll-number list with rank and percentile, separately for the medical and dental groups, about a week after the examination — 23 May 2026 for the July session.
  6. Online seat allocation Qualified candidates register choices of institute and course; AIIMS runs a mock round, then two regular rounds and an open round, publishing each result as a PDF on the session page. Joining is at the allotted INI within its deadline; eligibility under that INI’s Part B is verified at admission.

Exam pattern

INI-CET exam pattern and marking

The INI-CET exam pattern below is Section X of the July 2026 Prospectus Part A: a three-hour computer-based test of 200 questions in four sequential parts, with one mark for a correct answer and a third deducted for a wrong one. Unlike NEET PG, the paper includes multiple-correct-choice questions.

INI-CET paper.
ItemDetail
Questions200, objective, of varying types including single-correct and multiple-correct choice
Duration180 minutes
PartsFour parts of 50 questions, 45 minutes each, opened in sequence; a part submits automatically when its time ends and cannot be reopened
Marking+1 correct, −1/3 wrong, 0 unanswered or left marked for review
Qualifying50th percentile — UR, EWS, OCI, sponsored and foreign nationals; 45th percentile — OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and Bhutanese nationals (PGIMER)
Tie-breakFewer negative marks; higher percentage in the qualifying degree; older candidate; alphabetical order
ContentThe MBBS curriculum — pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects — at the standard of the INIs’ own papers

The guessing arithmetic

At +1 and −1/3 a random guess among four options breaks even, and a guess after eliminating one option gains; at NEET PG’s +4 and −1 the same is true. What differs is the multiple-correct question, where a partly right answer is wrong — treat those as attempt-only-when-sure. The four locked parts mean the review has to happen inside each 45-minute window.

Study plan

How to prepare for INI-CET

INI-CET is prepared together with NEET PG — the syllabus is the same MBBS course — but the paper is more conceptual and image-heavy, the questions are worth one mark each, and the January 2027 session on 1 November 2026 comes five weeks after the NEET PG result. Candidates who sat NEET PG on 30 August have two months to adapt.

Eight-week plan for INI-CET on 1 November 2026, after NEET PG.
WeeksWorkOutput
1–2Previous INI-CET papers (July 2026, January 2026, July 2025) in the four-part format; error log by subject and question typeA list of weak subjects and of multiple-correct question patterns
3–5Concept revision of the weak subjects from standard texts; image-based questions in Pathology, Anatomy, Radiology and DermatologyImage bank reviewed twice
6–7Two full mocks a week with 50-question, 45-minute parts and the −1/3 deductionAttempt rule for multiple-correct questions settled
8Revision of the error log; one final mock; admit card and centre travelReady for 1 November

What INI-CET toppers do differently from NEET PG toppers

  • They read the question type before answering — a multiple-correct question with one option missed scores −1/3, not partial credit.
  • They pace each part to 45 minutes — there is no return, so a difficult run of questions in one part cannot be recovered in the next.
  • They prepare images — AIIMS papers lean on clinical images, instruments and specimens more than NEET PG does.
  • They know the Part B rules of the institutes they want — eligibility for a course at a particular INI is decided at allocation, not at the examination.

Practice on this site

INI-CET syllabus INI-CET previous year papers INI-CET mock tests INI-CET study material NEET PG guide

Sources

Official notifications and sources

Checked 15 September 2026 against the AIIMS examination-section portal aiimsexams.ac.in: the July 2026 admission notice, Prospectus Part A, Result Notification 175/2026 and the 2026 entrance calendar. The portal serves its PDFs through expiring signed links, so the entries below point to the session pages rather than the files.

Official sources

AIIMS examination section — portal AIIMS entrance examination calendar 2026 (key dates) INI-CET July 2026 session — advertisement, prospectus and results AIIMS examination section — notices AIIMS New Delhi JIPMER Puducherry PGIMER Chandigarh SCTIMST Trivandrum

Exam resources

Everything for INI-CET

Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.

INI-CET SyllabusINI-CET syllabus — the MBBS curriculum examined at greater depth, with emphasis on reasoning and detail.INI-CET Exam PatternINI-CET exam pattern 2026 — 200 questions in four locked 45-minute parts, +1/−1/3 marking, multiple-correct questions, percentile cut-offs and tie-break.INI-CET Previous PapersINI-CET previous year papers — calibrating the depth of questioning and identifying the recurring detail-level topics.INI-CET Mock TestsINI-CET mock tests — full-length practice with the one-third deduction and attempt-rate analysis.INI-CET PreparationINI-CET preparation — building depth beyond high-yield summaries, keeping current, and using two cycles a year.INI-CET Study MaterialINI-CET study material — guidance on upgrading from summaries to standard texts and keeping current with advances.

Related

More Medical preparation

All Medical examsEvery exam in this categoryPrevious-year papersPast papers with solutionsCurrent affairsDaily, weekly and monthlyExam updatesNotifications and results

Questions

INI-CET — FAQs

Which institutes participate in INI-CET?

The Institutes of National Importance — the AIIMS network, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram. The seats are few and among the most sought after in Indian postgraduate medicine, which concentrates the candidate field at the top of the distribution.

Should I prepare separately for INI-CET and NEET PG?

No — prepare for both together, since the syllabus is shared, and then add depth for INI-CET rather than breadth. Use standard textbooks instead of summaries at least in your stronger subjects, follow recent advances and guideline updates, and recalibrate your guessing threshold for the gentler deduction. Because INI-CET runs twice a year, an early attempt also gives you genuine calibration in a way an annual examination cannot.

When is the next INI-CET exam?

The January 2027 session examination is on Sunday 1 November 2026, with the result on 7 November 2026, according to the AIIMS entrance calendar on aiimsexams.ac.in. The admission notice and prospectus for that session — with the registration window, fee and internship cut-off — follow on the portal; for the July 2026 session the notice came on 19 March and registration ran from 28 March to 25 April for a 16 May examination.

What is the INI-CET exam pattern?

A three-hour computer-based test of 200 objective questions, including multiple-correct-choice questions, in four sequential parts of 50 questions and 45 minutes each; a part closes automatically and cannot be reopened. One mark for a correct answer, a third deducted for a wrong one, nothing for a blank. Qualifying is at the 50th percentile for unreserved, EWS, OCI, sponsored and foreign candidates and the 45th for OBC, SC, ST and PwBD.

What was the INI-CET July 2026 result?

Result Notification 175/2026 of 23 May 2026 listed the provisionally qualified candidates of the 16 May examination by roll number with rank and percentile — about 48,400 ranks in the MD/MS/DM/M.Ch. list and a separate MDS list. Seat allocation then ran through a mock round, two regular rounds and an open round, each result published on the session page.

Who is eligible for INI-CET?

MBBS graduates (BDS for MDS) from an NMC- or DCI-recognised university who have completed the twelve-month internship by the session cut-off — 31 July 2026 for the July 2026 session — with an aggregate of 55 per cent in the professional examinations (50 for SC and ST) and registration with a medical or dental council. Candidates whose internship ends after the cut-off cannot register. Each INI adds its own conditions in its Part B prospectus.

What is the INI-CET fee?

₹4,000 for General, OBC-NCL, OCI, foreign-national and sponsored applicants, ₹3,200 for SC, ST and EWS applicants, and nil for persons with benchmark disabilities, paid online by card or net banking with any transaction charges extra. Applications without payment are rejected.

How is INI-CET different from NEET PG?

INI-CET admits to the Institutes of National Importance only — all AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, NIMHANS and SCTIMST — and is set by AIIMS; NEET PG, set by NBEMS, fills every other MD, MS, DNB and diploma seat. INI-CET has 200 one-mark questions with a third deducted, four 45-minute parts and multiple-correct questions; NEET PG has 200 four-mark questions with one deducted and five 42-minute sections. INI-CET runs twice a year, NEET PG once.

Is there negative marking in INI-CET?

Yes — one third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer against one mark for a correct one, and a question left unanswered or marked for review without an answer scores nothing. A multiple-correct question is wrong unless every correct option is chosen. Fewer negative marks is also the first tie-breaker in the rank.

Are there free INI-CET mock tests?

Yes. The free INI-CET mock tests here follow the July 2026 pattern — 200 questions in four 45-minute parts with +1 and −1/3 marking, including multiple-correct questions — and score the paper by part and subject against the 50th and 45th percentile lines. Take them alongside the NEET PG mocks; the content overlaps, the scoring does not.

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