INI SS Exam Day Guidelines for January 2027 Session: Reporting Time, Documents & Exam Rules

INI SS Exam Day Guidelines for the January 2027 Session: What to Carry, Wear, and Expect

INI SS (Institute of National Importance Super-Speciality Entrance Test) is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi for admission to DM, M.Ch., and MD (Hospital Administration) seats across AIIMS institutes, JIPMER Puducherry, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum. The selection process runs in two stages. This directly shapes what "exam day" means for you:

• Stage I is a computer-based test open to every applicant, regardless of which institute they're targeting. It consists of 80 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes, with +1 mark for a correct answer and −1/3 mark deducted for an incorrect one. However, unattempted questions are not penalised. A minimum of 50% (40 out of 80 marks) is required to qualify. This stage is mandatory for admission consideration at JIPMER, NIMHANS, SCTIMST, and all other participating institutes, and it also serves as the qualifying gate for Stage II.

• Stage II, a departmental assessment, applies only to candidates seeking seats specifically at AIIMS or PGIMER Chandigarh. It's a clinical/practical evaluation conducted by the relevant speciality department, worth 20 marks, and is held over video conferencing rather than at a physical centre. Only candidates who clear the 50% cut-off in Stage I are shortlisted for it, and a combined 50% across both stages is needed to make the AIIMS merit list.

Because these two stages differ so much in format, the "exam day guidelines" for INI SS really break down into two separate sets of preparation. One for a physical CBT centre, and one for a remote, video-based clinical assessment. Below is what's confirmed for each.

Documents You Must Carry to the INI SS Stage I Exam Centre

Two things are non-negotiable at the gate, confirmed consistently across AIIMS's own admit card process and Careers360's own INI SS coverage:

• Your INI SS January 2027 admit card, downloaded from aiimsexams.ac.in using your candidate ID and password, and printed clearly.

• One valid, original, government-issued photo ID — Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, or passport. A photocopy is generally not accepted in place of the original.

Some admit cards for this exam have also required a recent passport-size photograph matching the one uploaded during registration. This has varied slightly from session to session. So, treat your own admit card's instructions as final rather than assuming. It's also worth printing more than one copy of your admit card in case one gets damaged before you reach the centre.

INI SS Exam Day: Reporting Time, Entry Cut-off, and What Happens If You're Late

AIIMS prints your specific reporting time and gate-closing time directly on your admit card, and this is what governs your exam day. That said, the standard practice across AIIMS's computer-based entrance exams, including INI SS, is to reach well ahead of the printed reporting time. Arriving an hour or more earlier is a reasonable default so you have time to clear security checks, biometric or ID verification, and seating allocation without rushing.

AIIMS is not responsible for delays caused by travel or traffic, and candidates arriving after the gate-closing time printed on the admit card. Once inside, if you notice any technical issue with your terminal or the questions on screen, the standard instruction is to inform the invigilator immediately rather than trying to resolve it yourself or waiting until later.

INI SS Exam Day Guidelines: Dress Code and Items You Cannot Carry Inside

AIIMS's computer-based entrance exams, including INI SS, prohibit communication and electronic devices at the centre. This consistently includes mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, smartwatches, calculators, and similar electronic or metallic items. These are checked at the security frisking point before entry. So, it's worth leaving them at home or with someone waiting outside rather than trying to carry them in a bag.

There is no separately published formal "dress code" document specific to INI SS, but the safest approach is consistent with how CBT centres generally run security checks. Wear simple, comfortable clothing without heavy jewellery, large metal accessories, or oversized pockets, since these can slow down the frisking process at entry.

INI SS Exam Day Guidelines: Inside the Exam Hall Verification and Conduct Rules

Once inside, your admit card and photo ID will be cross-checked again against your application details before you're allowed to your terminal. A few conduct rules are explicitly carried on the admit card and apply throughout the exam:

• Do not argue with any invigilator or exam official — doing so can lead to cancellation of your candidature.

• Using unfair means of any kind during the exam results in disqualification.

• Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria for your applied course and speciality before appearing; discrepancies discovered later can affect your candidature even after the exam.

• Report any error or discrepancy on your admit card — in your name, photograph, category, or exam centre — to the AIIMS examination authorities as early as possible, ideally as soon as the admit card is released, rather than waiting until exam day.

If You Qualify for Stage II: Guidelines for the AIIMS/PGIMER Departmental Assessment

If you're applying for an AIIMS or PGIMER seat and clear the Stage I cut-off, you'll be shortlisted for the departmental assessment. This is where exam-day preparation looks completely different. Stage II is conducted via video conferencing, arranged and scheduled individually by each speciality department rather than through a single centralised sitting. In the most recent cycles, AIIMS has issued the departmental assessment schedule after Stage I results, with the exact video-conferencing platform and time slot for each candidate communicated separately by the concerned department, typically by email.

Since the format and communication channel are determined by department rather than by a single fixed AIIMS-wide protocol. There is not a single official checklist that applies to every candidate. Sensible preparation, based on what past candidates have consistently needed for this kind of remote clinical assessment, includes:

• Checking your registered email regularly in the days following the Stage I result, since department-specific timing and platform details are sent this way.

• Test your internet connection, webcam, and microphone well before your scheduled slot, since this is a live clinical/practical evaluation rather than a written test.

• Keep your original photo ID and admit card accessible during the call for identity verification, since Stage II candidates are still the same applicants being verified against their Stage I registration.

• Choose a quiet, well-lit, distraction-free space for the call, given that it's assessed by faculty from your target speciality department.

Also Read:

• INI SS Critical Care Medicine: Syllabus, Pattern and Preparation Guide

• INI SS 30 Day Revision Plan

• INI SS Cardiology Preparation Strategy

• INI SS Previous Year Question Papers