AIIMS Nursing Entrance Exam 2026: Eligibility Guide

AIIMS Nursing Entrance Exam eligibility depends on which course you apply for. B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing is open to women who have passed Class 12 with science, B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic) is for GNM-qualified registered nurses, and M.Sc. Nursing is for nursing graduates. AIIMS New Delhi sets these rules in its prospectuses for the August 2026 session, and they apply to every participating AIIMS.

This page sets out each rule as the 2026 prospectuses state it: nationality, gender, age, qualifying marks, registration, reservation certificates and the dates that decide whether a pending result counts. Two dates mattered most in 2026. Class 12 results had to be likely before 30 June 2026 for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, and M.Sc. Nursing candidates had to prove they had passed, including any internship, by 31 July 2026.

AIIMS Nursing Eligibility

B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing Eligibility

Educational qualification

You must have passed Class 12 under the 10+2 scheme, Senior School Certificate, Intermediate Science or an equivalent examination from a recognised board or university of any Indian state, with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The aggregate is calculated on those four subjects only, not on your overall percentage.

Candidate Y might have a higher overall Class 12 percentage thanks to other subjects, but only these four count. Work out your own figure before you pay the fee. If your board gives grades, use the conversion your board issues and keep that certificate ready.

Appearing candidates

If you are appearing in Class 12 in March or April of the admission year, you can apply if your result is likely before the date in the prospectus (30 June in 2026). You must then show proof of passing with the required subjects and marks at seat allocation. If you cannot, your candidature is cancelled even if your entrance rank is high.

Age limit

You must be at least 17 years old on 31 December of the admission year. The 2026 prospectus states that a candidate born on or after 2 January 2010 was not eligible. It does not state an upper age limit for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing. Your date of birth is taken from your Class 10 or equivalent certificate, so the application must match it exactly.

Gender

The 2026 prospectus states that only female candidates are eligible for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, and all 1,366 seats are listed for female candidates. Hostel residence is compulsory for students admitted to this course. Male Class 12 science students who want an AIIMS undergraduate health course can look at the B.Sc. Allied and Health Care courses in the same prospectus.

B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic) Eligibility

• School education: Class 12 under the 10+2 system or an equivalent examination from a recognised board or university. Candidates who passed 10+1 on or before 1986 are also eligible.

• Nursing diploma: a Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery from an institution recognised by the Indian Nursing Council.

• Registration: registration as a nurse and midwife (RN, RM) with any State Nursing Council.

• Male nurses who qualified before 2003: besides nurse registration and a General Nursing certificate, they need six months of training in one of these instead of midwifery: OT techniques, ophthalmic, leprosy, TB, psychiatric, neurological and neurosurgical, community health, cancer or orthopaedic nursing.

The Post-Basic course runs only at AIIMS New Delhi, with 30 seats for outside candidates and 20 for AIIMS departmental candidates in 2026. The exam is held in Delhi/NCR only, and no hostel accommodation is provided. At the personal assessment you must produce your GNM certificate and mark sheets, your registration certificate, a physical fitness certificate from a registered medical practitioner and, if you work for a government body, a No Objection Certificate.

M.Sc. Nursing Eligibility

• Degree: B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Certificate), Post-Basic B.Sc. Nursing or the four-year B.Sc. Nursing from a recognised university, at an institution recognised by the State Nursing Council.

• Marks: at least 60% for General, OBC-NCL and EWS candidates and 55% for SC and ST candidates.

• Registration: registration as a nurse and midwife with any State Nursing Council. The certificate can be submitted at seat allocation or joining.

• Result deadline: final-year candidates can apply, but must prove they have passed, including internship where it is part of the course, by 31 July 2026. Otherwise the entrance result is not considered.

• College recognition: selected candidates must show proof that their nursing college is recognised when documents are verified.

Special rule for M.Sc. Forensic Nursing at AIIMS Raipur

The 2026 prospectus sets separate conditions for this seat: registration as nurse and midwife, a B.Sc. Nursing, B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing or Post-Basic degree with at least 55% from an INC-recognised institution, and at least one year of work experience (after the degree for B.Sc. holders, before or after the degree for Post-Basic holders).

B.Sc. Allied and Health Care Eligibility

The Allied courses share the undergraduate prospectus and the age rule, but not the gender rule. Most require Class 12 with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology with 50% aggregate (45% for SC and ST). Some, such as radiology and optometry courses at certain AIIMS, also accept Mathematics in place of Biology. Rules differ by course and institute, so read the course-wise list in the prospectus before choosing.

Reservation and Category Certificates

• OBC-NCL validity window (2026): a certificate for financial year 2025-26 issued between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, or one for 2026-27 issued between 1 April 2026 and the last date of application. A state-list certificate does not count; you would be treated as UR.

• EWS validity window (2026): based on income of 2024-25 and issued between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, or based on income of 2025-26 and issued between 1 April 2026 and the last date of application.

• PwBD: your candidature is subject to evaluation by the medical board of the AIIMS you are allotted.

• Unfilled reserved seats: SC and ST seats are interchangeable if one group falls short, and seats still vacant go to General candidates. Unfilled OBC-NCL and EWS seats also go to General candidates.

Candidates who claim a category but cannot produce a valid certificate when asked lose the reserved seat. Get your certificate in the right format before you apply.

OCI, PIO and Foreign Nationals

OCI cardholders born before 4 March 2021 who obtained the card before that date are treated as Indian nationals, but only for unreserved seats. Other OCI and PIO cardholders are treated as foreign nationals. Foreign nationals are admitted only at AIIMS New Delhi, against separate seats (five for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing and one for Post-Basic in 2026), on the basis of their qualifying marks. They apply through the Indian mission in their country, not through the online form.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Male candidates for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing.

• Science students without Biology for B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, even with Mathematics.

• Candidates below 55% (50% SC/ST) in the four counted subjects, regardless of overall Class 12 marks.

• ANM holders for Post-Basic, which needs the GNM diploma.

• Unregistered nurses for Post-Basic and M.Sc. Nursing.

• Graduates from non-recognised nursing colleges for M.Sc. Nursing.

Documents and Medical Fitness

At verification you need originals plus one set of self-attested copies of your admit card, Class 10 certificate for date of birth, qualifying certificate and detailed mark sheets, migration certificate, category or disability certificate and, if employed in government, a No Objection Certificate. Selected candidates also undergo a medical examination by the institute's board, and a candidate found medically unfit is not admitted. Original certificates are kept by the institute until you complete the course.

If you are employed, you may apply directly, but you must inform your employer in writing. If your employer later withholds permission, your admission is cancelled.

Read the full eligibility clauses in the prospectus on the AIIMS Examination Section portal before applying.