Institute PG entrance - India
What is INI-CET?
Preparation for the AIIMS, PGI, JIPMER and NIMHANS combined entrance: 200 MCQs at the highest difficulty, with the study modes and question bank to match.
- MCQs in 3 hours
- 200
- marking scheme
- +1 / -1/3
- institutes, highest difficulty
- Elite
What is INI-CET?
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 and 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.
Exam Pattern and Syllabus
- Format
- 200 MCQs in 3 hours (4 parts x 50, time-bound)
- Frequency
- Twice yearly (May and Nov sittings)
- Eligibility
- MBBS with internship completion
- Pass Mark
- Institute-specific cutoff
- Difficulty
- Very High
- Conducted By
- AIIMS, New Delhi
Subject Weightage (Approximate)
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 and Ethics (5%): Bioethics, research methodology, clinical trial design, and informed consent scenarios, unique to INI-CET and often ignored by underprepared candidates.
How MedNext Academy Prepares You
MedNext delivers every topic across 15 study modes: notes, MCQs, flashcards, clinical cases, mnemonics, mind maps, viva practice, and more. Plus clinical calculators, an ECG atlas with 105 annotated strips, an X-ray atlas, and a drug formulary with 1,800+ drugs.
50,000+ MCQ bank
INI-CET-level questions with detailed explanations, timed practice, subject-wise breakdown, and performance analytics.
AI Clinical Reasoning
Our AI DDx engine presents clinical scenarios and guides you through differential diagnosis, mirroring the case-based format of INI-CET questions.
Drug Formulary
1,800+ drugs with adult and paediatric monographs and an interactions checker for mastering the pharmacology INI-CET tests at depth.
Clinical Calculators
105 clinical calculators including SOFA, NEWS2, GCS and CHA2DS2-VASc, essential for the Medicine-heavy INI-CET paper.
ECG Atlas
105 annotated ECG strips with difficulty grading, a recurring high-yield question type for INI-CET Medicine.
Viva Coach
AI-powered viva practice that builds confidence for clinical discussions and interview rounds.
Recommended Study Plan
12-Month Plan
- Months 1-3: Deep study of Medicine and Surgery with recent advances
- Months 4-5: ObGyn, Paediatrics, PSM with journal updates
- Months 6-7: Para-clinical subjects, mechanisms not just facts
- Month 8: Bioethics and research methodology (often neglected)
- Months 9-10: Index cases, landmark trials for all specialties
- Months 11-12: Full mocks and aggressive weak-area revision
6-Month Intensive
- Month 1: Medicine and clinical calculators mastery
- Month 2: Surgery, Ortho and specialties
- Month 3: ObGyn, Paeds, PSM, Pharmacology
- Month 4: Para-clinical and Bioethics
- Month 5: Recent advances and landmark trials across all subjects
- Month 6: Daily INI-level mocks and error analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
How is INI-CET different from NEET-PG?
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.
What is the marking scheme for INI-CET?
INI-CET has 200 MCQs in 3 hours, awarding +1 for each correct answer and deducting 1/3 mark for each wrong answer; unanswered questions score zero. The paper runs in four time-bound parts of 50 questions each. Always verify the current year's official AIIMS notification, as rules can change.
Which institutes does INI-CET cover?
All AIIMS campuses (Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, Rishikesh), JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal, PGI Chandigarh, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum.
What is the role of bioethics in INI-CET?
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.
How does MedNext help with INI-CET preparation?
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 (ECG strips) and clinical calculators are essential for Medicine questions.
MedNext Academy
What is INI-CET?
Aiming for AIIMS PG?
Prepare for INI-CET with the depth and clinical focus it demands, against a 50,000+ MCQ bank and clinician-reviewed notes across all 19 subjects.
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