AIIMS Nursing Entrance Exam 2026: Exam Pattern Guide

The AIIMS Nursing Entrance Exam pattern differs by course. B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing is a 100-question science and GK paper, B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic) is a 70-question nursing paper followed by a personal assessment, and M.Sc. Nursing is a 90-question paper in 90 minutes. All are online computer-based tests conducted by AIIMS New Delhi, and all carry the same marking: +1 for a correct answer and -1/3 for a wrong one.

This page sets out the 2026 pattern for each test, explains what the marking means for your attempt strategy, and shows how ties and final merit are decided. The main change in 2026 was operational, not structural: the B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing exam on 27 June 2026 ran in two shifts with normalised scores, because applications were far higher than one shift could handle.

AIIMS Nursing Exam Pattern at a Glance

B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing Pattern

• Language: the B.Sc. entrance tests are conducted in English and Hindi.

• Centres: major cities across India, chosen during the application.

• Sections: the prospectus does not set separate time limits for each part, so you can move between parts within the 2 hours.

• Qualifying marks: you must score at least 50% (UR and EWS), 45% (OBC) or 40% (SC and ST) in the test to be considered for seat allocation.

Two shifts and normalisation

Notice No. 72/2026 dated 22 May 2026 moved the B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing exam to two shifts, morning and evening, on 27 June 2026. When a test runs in more than one shift, AIIMS normalises the scores using the procedure it has published on its website, so a slightly harder shift does not cost its candidates ranks. You cannot choose your shift, and your raw score is not the number that decides your rank. Older pages may still describe a single-shift exam, so follow the latest notice.

B.Sc. Allied and Health Care Pattern

The Allied paper has four parts of 30 questions each: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. You attempt either the Biology part or the Mathematics part, so you answer 90 questions in one and a half hours. That gives you about 60 seconds per question, which is noticeably tighter than the nursing paper.

B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic) Pattern

Stage I: written test

One paper of 90 minutes with 70 objective questions, held only at Delhi/NCR centres and only in English. It covers Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing (including anatomy, physiology and pharmacology), Obstetrics Nursing and Midwifery, Paediatric Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing and Professional Trends in Nursing. The prospectus does not give a question split by subject.

Stage II: personal assessment

From the Stage I merit list, three times the number of seats are called for personal assessment by a selection committee. If enough SC or ST candidates are not available, SC and ST are taken together; any shortfall in reserved categories is filled by increasing the General list. The assessment carries 30 marks and also considers:

• Class 12 record: your academic attainment in the higher secondary examination.

• Nursing record: your marks in the GNM or nursing examination.

• Work record: your performance as a staff nurse.

M.Sc. Nursing Pattern

The M.Sc. Nursing result is expressed in percentiles as well as marks. A percentile shows the share of candidates who scored equal to or below you, so the 50th percentile means you scored at least as well as half the candidates who sat the test.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

One rule catches candidates every year: a question you mark for review counts as unanswered unless you have also saved an answer. Before the timer ends, open the review list and either save or clear each flagged question deliberately.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Every question is worth the same: a GK question earns exactly as much as a hard Physics numerical. Clear the quick questions first in every part.

• A pure guess does not pay: if a question has four options and you guess blindly, the expected gain is zero (one chance in four of +1, three in four of -1/3).

• An informed guess does pay: if you can rule out one option out of four, a guess between the remaining three has a small positive expected value of about +0.11. Rule out two and it rises to about +0.33.

• Accuracy beats volume: see the worked example below. A lower attempt count with fewer errors can beat a higher one.

Worked example: attempts versus accuracy

Candidate B answered 12 fewer questions than A but finished 4 marks ahead, because 12 avoided errors saved 4 marks. Candidate C attempted the least and still beat A. Your mock tests should tell you which of these three you are.

Final Merit and Tie-Breaking

Undergraduate tests

Separate merit lists are prepared for General, OBC-NCL, EWS, SC and ST, and seats are allotted from a combined merit list starting at rank 1. If two candidates in the same category have equal marks, AIIMS ranks them by:

1. Biology marks (Mathematics for Allied candidates who chose it).

2. Chemistry marks.

3. Physics marks.

4. Age: the older candidate is preferred.

Post-Basic: worked merit example

Candidate Q trailed by almost three marks after the written test and still finished ahead. The personal assessment is worth almost a third of the total, so prepare for it seriously. If totals are equal, the higher Stage I score wins, then the older candidate.

M.Sc. Nursing ties

For equal marks, the candidate with fewer negative marks ranks higher, and then the older candidate. This is one more reason to limit careless attempts in the M.Sc. paper.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

• Two-pass method: in the first pass, answer everything you know within 30 to 40 seconds. In the second, return to questions where you can eliminate options.

• Order of parts (B.Sc. Hons.): GK and Biology first for quick marks, then Chemistry, then Physics numericals.

• Reach early: the prospectus asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start for biometric and photo capture, and late entry is not allowed.

• Carry the right documents: the printed admit card, the same photo ID you entered in the application and one photograph. Watches, phones, calculators, jewellery, belts and bags are prohibited.

• Stay the full time: no candidate may leave the hall before the exam ends.

If you find an error in a question, the prospectus allows you to report it to the Associate Dean (Exams) within 24 hours of the exam, through the channel given in the prospectus.

Pattern Mistakes to Avoid

• Using the B.Sc. paper format for Post-Basic practice: the Post-Basic paper is entirely nursing subjects in English. Science and GK practice does not help there.

• Treating GK as optional: 10 marks is a tenth of the B.Sc. (Hons.) paper, and in a merit list where many candidates sit close together, a few marks can shift your rank a long way. Ten minutes of GK practice daily is cheap insurance.

• Chasing raw scores across shifts: after a two-shift exam, comparing raw marks with friends from the other shift tells you little. Wait for the normalised result.

• Ignoring the qualifying floor: a candidate below 50% (UR) is not called for seat allocation at all, however many seats remain. Your first target is to clear the floor comfortably.

• Practising at slow pace: the M.Sc. and Allied papers allow only a minute per question. Untimed revision builds knowledge but not speed.

Always confirm the pattern in the current prospectus on the AIIMS Examination Section portal, as AIIMS can change it between cycles.