AIIMS CRE Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification and Relaxation

AIIMS CRE eligibility is not one rule but many. A single notification covers dozens of group codes across AIIMS campuses and other central institutes, and each post inside a group carries its own age limit, qualification and experience requirement. That is why two candidates applying to the same group can have different answers to the question "am I eligible?" This page explains the AIIMS CRE eligibility criteria 2026 as set out in the CRE-5 Detailed Recruitment Advertisement (DRA): nationality, age limit and relaxation, educational qualification, experience, NOC rules, category certificates and the conditions that can cancel your candidature at any stage.

AIIMS CRE Eligibility Criteria 2026 at a Glance

The most important line in the table is the last one. AIIMS does not scrutinise eligibility before the exam. You can fill the form, get an admit card and appear in the test, and still be rejected later if a condition was not met. Reading your post's eligibility carefully is therefore part of the preparation, not a formality.

Nationality Requirement

Online applications are invited from eligible Indian nationals. Candidates must apply through a single One Time Registration (OTR) account, and an application made with a duplicate or different candidate ID can be rejected and the candidature cancelled.

AIIMS CRE Age Limit 2026

The crucial date for deciding age is the closing date of online registration, 3 July 2026, unless a later notice says otherwise. The age limit is not the same for every post. The same job title can have a different limit at different institutes, so look at the row for the institute you are choosing.

Age limit examples from the notification

The table below shows indicative examples from Annexure-I of the DRA. It is not a complete list, and you should confirm your own post and institute in the official document.

Two patterns stand out. Posts that ask for several years of experience usually carry a higher upper limit, and the same clerical post can have a lower limit of 27 years at AIIMS New Delhi, AIIMS-CAPFIMS and the ICMR institutes than at other AIIMS campuses. When the notification gives only an upper limit, as in "not exceeding 30 years", the minimum is taken as 18 years.

AIIMS CRE Age Relaxation

Age relaxation extends the upper age limit and is allowed as per the table in the DRA. It is counted beyond the upper limit of the post you have chosen.

Rules that decide whether relaxation applies to you

• Unreserved seats get no relaxation: SC, ST and OBC candidates who choose to apply for unreserved vacancies are not eligible for age relaxation or relaxation in cut-off marks.

• Relaxation limits you to reserved seats: A reserved-category candidate who becomes eligible only because of relaxation is considered for reserved seats of their own category, even with a merit high enough for the unreserved list.

• PwBD concession: It applies whether or not the post is reserved for persons with disabilities, provided the post is identified as suitable for the relevant disability.

• Employee relaxation is institute-specific: Where a post allows relaxation for employees of AIIMS, the word refers only to the institute that is recruiting for that post and not to all AIIMS campuses.

Some institutes list their own additional concessions for contractual staff, for example AIIMS Bilaspur, AIIMS Raipur and CNCI Kolkata. These apply only to those institutes, so read the notes under the relaxation table if you work at one of them.

Educational Qualification

Educational qualification is the biggest source of difference between groups. It is also where candidates most often make mistakes, because similar-sounding posts can ask for very different things. All required qualifications must be complete on or before 3 July 2026.

The same post can have a different qualification at a different institute, so use this table only to understand the kind of difference involved.

Qualification rules that trip candidates up

• Distance learning degrees: Degrees and diplomas awarded through open and distance learning count only if they are approved by the Distance Education Bureau of the UGC for the relevant period. You may need to show that approval at document verification.

• Professional courses: Programmes in engineering, medicine, dental, nursing, pharmacy, architecture and physiotherapy cannot be offered through distance learning, with a limited exception for IGNOU engineering qualifications of students enrolled up to 2009-10.

• Experience timing: Experience, where required, must be gained after you obtain the essential educational qualification.

• Registration certificates: If a post lists professional registration as an essential condition, keep that certificate ready along with your degree.

Experience Requirements and Certificates

Experience is essential for posts such as Dietician, Electrician and Mechanic, and only desirable for others such as Junior Engineer. An experience certificate must come from the head of the organisation or department, cover the entire period claimed, show dates in date, month and year format, and mention the basic or consolidated pay. It should also describe the nature of duties. Institutes may check the claim against bank statements, PF or ESIC records, so claims should always be genuine.

No Objection Certificate for Employed Candidates

If you work in a government, semi-government or quasi-government body, a PSU, an autonomous body or any institution funded by the government, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your present employer is mandatory. Contractual employees of these bodies must also produce one.

• Deadline: The NOC submission date in the notification was 8 July 2026.

• If you miss it: A candidate who does not upload the NOC in time is not allowed to appear in the examination, irrespective of the status of the application.

• At verification: The same NOC must be produced again at document verification, and a wrong upload can lead to cancellation at that stage.

Category and Disability Certificates

Reservation and relaxation depend entirely on valid certificates. A claim without the right certificate is cancelled, and the seat allocated in that category is forfeited.

Certificates must be in Hindi or English and in the format prescribed for central government. Candidates with benchmark disabilities can also request a scribe and compensatory time as per the notification rules, which need supporting declarations to be submitted by the stated dates.

Applying for More Than One Group

You can apply to more than one group, but each needs a separate application and a separate fee. Even inside one group, being eligible for the group does not make you eligible for every post in it. Your eligibility depends on the rules of each post and institute. After the CBT, qualified candidates are asked to fill their choices of institutes, and AIIMS has warned that those who choose only a few despite being eligible for more will not be considered for the rest. Fill choices only for posts where you meet every condition, hold every certificate and genuinely intend to join, because failure to report after a seat is allocated can cancel your CRE candidature.

What Happens at Document Verification

Eligibility is finally decided when originals are checked. The documents listed in the notification include the registration slip, the admit card, the date of birth certificate, category certificates, the disability certificate if applicable, a certificate for any age relaxation claimed on other grounds, the NOC if employed, educational qualification documents and experience certificates. No additional time is given to obtain a missing certificate, and failure to submit an essential document leads to cancellation of the seat.

Common Reasons for Ineligibility

• Qualification incomplete on the closing date: A result declared after 3 July 2026 does not count, unless the notification allows it.

• Age counted on the wrong date: Age is checked on the closing date, not on the date of the exam or joining.

• Wrong category claim: A certificate of the wrong year or format fails verification.

• Experience before qualification: Experience gained before the essential degree or diploma is not counted.

• Missing NOC: Employed candidates without it can be stopped from appearing at all.

• Incorrect information: A false or misleading claim at any stage can lead to cancellation and further action.

Quick Eligibility Check Before You Prepare

1. Find your group code and read every post and institute row in Annexure-I of the notification.

2. Check the age limit for your institute and calculate your age on 3 July 2026.

3. Match your qualification and experience, with dates, against the essential column.

4. Confirm that your category or disability certificate meets the format and date rule.

5. Keep an NOC ready if you are employed in any government-funded body.

For the final word on any condition, refer to the official notice on aiimsexams.ac.in, which AIIMS says prevails if there is any discrepancy.