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UPSC Combined Medical Services (CMS) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for Medical Officer posts across Central Health Services, Railways, NDMC and MCD. The 2026 exam is on August 2, with two papers covering Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery, OBG and PSM — 240 questions, 480 marks, +2/−0.66 marking. It leads directly to a government job (not just an academic seat), with starting pay around Level-10 (₹56,100–1,77,500) plus NPA. Because the syllabus is limited to five clinical subjects rather than all 19 MBBS subjects, many aspirants find it a faster, more focused exam to prepare for than NEET PG. CMS Prep’s entire question bank (1440+ PYQs, 2020–2025) is built specifically around this exam. Start practising free →

NEET PG, conducted by NBEMS, is the gateway to MD/MS and PG Diploma seats at medical colleges across India — roughly 52,000+ seats nationwide, making it the largest-scale PG entrance exam in the country. The 2026 exam is on August 30, with 200 questions across all 19 MBBS subjects, 800 marks, and +4/−1 marking split into 5 locked 40-question sections. Because Medicine, Surgery, OBG, Paediatrics and PSM are common to UPSC CMS, practising CMS Prep’s question bank builds a meaningful part of your NEET PG foundation as well. See the full NEET PG 2026 hub for dates, syllabus, cutoff and previous year papers.

INICET (INI-CET) is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi for MD/MS/MDS/DM/MCh seats at AIIMS campuses, JIPMER, PGIMER, NIMHANS and SCTIMST — around 815 seats per session, held twice a year. It shares 90–95% syllabus overlap with NEET PG but is widely considered tougher, with more reasoning-based, AIIMS-style questions and a much smaller seat-to-candidate ratio. The January 2027 session exam is on November 1, 2026, with results out just 6 days later on November 7. Dedicated INICET pages on CMS Prep are planned; for now, NEET PG preparation transfers well given the syllabus overlap.

FMGE is a qualifying screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations for Indian citizens (and OCI cardholders) who completed their MBBS-equivalent degree from a foreign medical institution. Clearing FMGE is mandatory before such graduates can register to practise in India or appear for further PG entrance exams like NEET PG. It tests the same broad MBBS syllabus at a qualifying (not competitive-ranking) standard, with no fixed number of seats since it is pass/fail against a minimum score rather than a ranked merit list. Dedicated FMGE pages are planned for CMS Prep.

AFMS recruits MBBS graduates as Short Service Commission (SSC) Medical Officers into the Army, Navy or Air Force, typically through interviews and medical fitness assessments rather than a single written entrance exam in the way CMS or NEET PG operate. Selected officers serve an initial tenure (commonly 5 years, extendable) with military pay, allowances, accommodation and pension benefits alongside the structure and prestige of uniformed service. AFMS recruitment cycles, eligibility windows and selection process details vary by notification; dedicated AFMS pages are planned for CMS Prep as this section develops.