How to Prepare for INI CET 2026 Exam (January Session)

How to Prepare for INI CET 2026 Exam (January Session)

Irshad AnwarUpdated on 14 Oct 2025, 12:57 PM IST

The INI CET is a nationwide entrance test for admission to postgraduate medical courses such as MD, MS, MDS, and DM/MCh in premier institutes like AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, and NIMHANS. This highly competitive exam which tests a candidate's knowledge in pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical subjects. The INI CET exam is conducted twice in a year for January and July sessions.

This Story also Contains

  1. How to prepare for INI CET 2026 January: Understand the Exam Pattern
  2. How to Prepare for INI CET Exam: Know the Syllabus
  3. How to Prepare for INI CET MDS: Create a study plan
  4. How to study for INI CET: Choose the Best Study Material
  5. Prepare for INI CET 2026: Practice Previous Year Papers
  6. How to Study for INI CET: Revision is Mandatory
  7. How to Prepare for INI CET Exam: Stay Positive and Manage Stress
  8. Final Week and Last-Minute Preparation Tips for INI CET 2026 January
How to Prepare for INI CET 2026 Exam (January Session)
How to prepare for INI CET exam

In order to crack the exam, the candidates need to adopt a wise and systematic preparation strategy. A precise knowledge about the syllabus of INI CET, an awareness of the pattern of the exam, and accessing proper study material are important. Systematic revision, practice with mock tests, and solving last year's question papers can improve speed and accuracy. A planned strategy improves performance and raises the chances of attaining a good rank in the exam.

How to prepare for INI CET 2026 January: Understand the Exam Pattern

Understanding the INI CET exam pattern is important for effective preparation. Candidates must familiarise themselves with the total number of questions asked in the exam, the marking scheme, the exam duration and others to manage time effectively during the actual test. The INI CET 2026 exam pattern is given in the table below.

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Particulars

Details

Examination mode

Computer-based test mode

Language of exam

English

Duration of exam

180 minutes

Nature of questions

Multiple-choice questions

Number of questions

200

How to Prepare for INI CET Exam: Know the Syllabus

Before starting the preparation, candidates need to have a deep understanding of the INI CET syllabus. A comprehensive understanding of the syllabus is crucial to developing an effective strategy for INI CET January 2026 preparation. Only when candidates are well-acquainted with the syllabus details. The syllabus contains all the core subjects of Biology. They can accurately allocate their study time to each section. INI CET syllabus is mentioned in the table below.

INI CET Syllabus for January 2026 exam

Subjects

INI CET syllabus

Pre-clinical

Biochemistry, Physiology, Anatomy

Para-clinical

Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic, Medicine, Pharmacology, Community Medicine

Clinical

Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Community Medicine, Paediatrics, Clinical Postings, Surgery & Allied Subjects, Medicine and allied subjects

How to Prepare for INI CET MDS: Create a study plan

When strategising how to prepare for INI CET 2026 January exam, candidates must allocate their time effectively, ensuring each subject receives sufficient attention. It’s mandatory to prioritise important topics and study them in detail. Candidates must develop a well-structured study plan that covers all the topics within the available time while allocating specific time slots for each subject and topic based on their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, it’s important to incorporate short breaks into long study sessions for optional productivity.

How to study for INI CET: Choose the Best Study Material

Choosing the right study material is important for INI CET preparation. Candidates must refer to standard textbooks recommended by experts and teachers, as these provide in-depth knowledge and are reliable sources of information. Aspirants can also utilise online learning platforms that offer interactive video lectures and study materials. Remember, the quality of study material directly impacts the preparation. It’s not about the quantity but the relevance and depth of the content one studies. Choose wisely and focus on understanding concepts thoroughly rather than merely memorising facts.

Prepare for INI CET 2026: Practice Previous Year Papers

Aspirants must practise for the INI CET exam for 2026 January session from the previous year’s question paper as these provide insights into the exam pattern, boost confidence and help in time management. Regular mock tests serve as a benchmark to measure progress. These help in devoting more time to weak areas while maintaining strengths. Practising previous year’s question papers helps in identifying errors a candidate is making. By knowing the mistake, candidates can improve and can focus on revision of the specific areas.

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How to Study for INI CET: Revision is Mandatory

In preparing for INI CET January 2026, revision is not just essential; it is mandatory for success. Regular and thorough revision consolidates the knowledge, reinforces key concepts and helps in retaining information effectively. As the candidates cover a vast syllabus, revisiting topics ensures that aspirants have not missed any crucial details. Through revision, candidates can also identify and work on weak areas, solidify their understanding of complex topics and boost their confidence. It also aids in recalling information during the exam, improving their ability to answer questions accurately and efficiently.

How to Prepare for INI CET Exam: Stay Positive and Manage Stress

In the journey of preparing for the INI CET exam, maintaining a positive mindset and effectively managing stress are paramount. The competitive nature of the exam can create immense pressure, making it crucial to stay optimistic and calm under challenging circumstances. A positive attitude not only improves focus and concentration but also boosts confidence, enabling the candidates to tackle difficult questions with a clear mind. Additionally, managing stress through relaxation techniques, regular exercise, and adequate sleep ensures mental and physical fitness.

Final Week and Last-Minute Preparation Tips for INI CET 2026 January

  • Revise high-yield topics from PYQs and your notes.
  • Concentrate on short subjects: Psychiatry, Dermatology, Radiology, Anaesthesia.
  • Study rapid revision notes.
  • Practice a few full-length mock tests in real-time settings.
  • Don't begin new books or topics—revise what you already know
  • Avoid burnout and sleep 7–8 hours, eat light, and take breaks
  • Meditate or do breathing exercises to remain calm.
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Questions related to INI CET

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to INI CET ?

Hello there!

AIIMS ( All India Institute of Medical Sciences) New Delhi conducts the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET). It is conducted twice a year. The INI CET cut off 2025 for January 2026 session is 50 percentile for unreserved category, and 45 percentile for the reserved category students.

Knowing cut off marks will enable students to know their chances for getting admission in particular category and courses.

Here is the link attached from the official website of Careers360 which will provide you with the cut off marks detail. Kindly go through it.

https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/ini-cet-cutoff

thank you!


Hello,

It's highly unlikely you will get a clinical seat at AIIMS Mangalagiri with an INI CET All India Rank (AIR) of 19600 in the general category based on previous year's cutoff trends. The closing ranks for most competitive clinical branches in the general category at AIIMS Mangalargi typically close much earlier, often within the first few hundred to a couple of thousand ranks.

I hope it will clear your query!!

For the scope of general surgery in any of the INICET institutions after having secured a rank of 2211 in INICET for the specified general category you would have to check the previous cut offs for the General surgery branch for the INICET institutes, follow the link below for the updated cut offs for the general surgery in the specified institutes

https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/ini-cet-cutoff

You would have to get the detailed cut offs for the INICET examination to know whether the specified rank of 3500 and the particular category you are in gets the AIIMS or otherwise.

Follow the link given below to get guided by the article from Careers360

https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/ini-cet-cutoff

Hello,

If you forgot to generate the EUC (Eligibility Unique Code), then you will not be issued the admit card.

The EUC is mandatory for AIIMS INI CET applicants who completed their registration and payment. Without it, your application is considered incomplete , even if payment and submission were successful.

You should immediately visit the AIIMS INI CET portal and check if the option to generate the EUC is still open. If the window is closed, you may have to wait until AIIMS provides a correction or reopening window.

In short:

  • Without EUC → No admit card.

  • If window reopens → Generate EUC right away

Hope it helps !