What is INI-CET, and why it's different from NEET PG

INI-CET is the common entrance test for postgraduate (MD/MS/DM/MCh) admission to India's Institutes of National Importance — AIIMS (all campuses), JIPMER, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS, and a few other INI institutions. It is conducted separately from NEET PG by the individual institutes (currently coordinated through AIIMS), which is why candidates aiming for these institutes must register and prepare for INI-CET specifically, in addition to NEET PG if they also want to be considered for other government and private medical colleges.

The exam is held twice a year, feeding into the January and July PG admission cycles at these institutes. Because seat numbers at AIIMS and INI institutions are relatively limited compared to the national NEET PG seat pool, competition per seat tends to be intense, and cutoff scores are usually reported separately by institute and by branch rather than as one combined figure.

How to use this hub effectively

If you're preparing for both INI-CET and NEET PG together, it's worth comparing syllabus overlap and past-year question patterns side by side, since both draw from the same core MBBS subjects but weight topics differently. The previous year papers and high-yield topics sections above are built specifically around INI-CET's own question trends rather than reused NEET PG content.