Combined entrance for AIIMS, JIPMER, PGI Chandigarh and NIMHANS PG programmes — India's most competitive medical exam with the highest question difficulty.
INI-CET (Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test) is a single entrance examination for postgraduate medical admissions at India's premier institutes: AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) across all its campuses, JIPMER Puducherry, PGI Chandigarh, and NIMHANS Bengaluru. Conducted twice a year, it offers entry into India's most prestigious MD/MS/MDS programmes.
INI-CET is widely regarded as India's hardest postgraduate medical entrance exam. Questions test not just recall but clinical reasoning, recent research advances, bioethics, and index case recognition. The competition is fierce — thousands of toppers from NEET PG compete for a few hundred seats at AIIMS Delhi and other flagship institutions.
Clinical Subjects (60%): Medicine (20%), Surgery (15%), ObGyn (10%), Paediatrics (8%), PSM (7%). Emphasis on recent advances, landmark trials, and complex clinical scenarios rather than factual recall.
Para-Clinical Subjects (25%): Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine. Higher difficulty than NEET PG — questions often test mechanisms and recent drug approvals.
Pre-Clinical Subjects (10%): Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry. Fewer questions but frequently test integration with clinical topics.
Research & Ethics (5%): Bioethics, research methodology, clinical trial design, and informed consent scenarios — unique to INI-CET and often ignored by underprepared candidates.
MedNext delivers every topic across 15 study modes — notes, MCQs, flashcards, clinical cases, mnemonics, mind maps, viva practice, and more. Plus 105 clinical calculators, ECG atlas with 105 annotated strips, X-ray atlas, and a drug formulary with 1,853 monographs.
Explore all 15 Study Modes →INI-CET May 2026: Expected in May 2026. AIIMS New Delhi typically releases the official notification 6-8 weeks prior. The exam format (200 MCQs, 3 hours, +3/-1 marking at AIIMS) remains stable. Recent sessions have increased the proportion of clinical vignette questions. Bioethics and research methodology questions have become more frequent — do not neglect these areas.
INI-CET is harder. Questions test clinical reasoning, recent advances, landmark trials, and bioethics — not just textbook recall. It is conducted twice yearly vs NEET PG's once. Getting into AIIMS Delhi typically requires a rank in the top 50-100 across all applicants.
AIIMS uses +3/-1 marking for 200 MCQs in 3 hours. JIPMER uses a slightly different scheme. Always verify the current year's official notification as marking schemes can change.
All AIIMS campuses (Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, Rishikesh), JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal, PGI Chandigarh, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum.
Bioethics and research methodology make up approximately 5% of questions — but these are often unexpected for candidates who focus only on clinical subjects. Common topics include informed consent, clinical trial phases, randomisation, and end-of-life care decisions.
MedNext covers all subjects with clinical case-based study modes, viva practice, and DDx reasoning — all of which mirror the clinical scenario format of INI-CET questions. The ECG atlas (105 strips) and clinical calculators are essential for Medicine questions.
Prepare for INI-CET with the depth and clinical focus it demands.
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