AIIMS INI CET Syllabus 2027: Subject-Wise Topics for MD, MS, MDS

The INI CET syllabus is not a separate document. AIIMS, New Delhi, which conducts the exam, states that questions are based on the MBBS curriculum prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), and on the BDS curriculum for MDS candidates. So every subject you studied from first professional year to final year can appear in the paper, from the brachial plexus to the latest WHO treatment guideline.

That makes preparation a question of priority and depth rather than coverage alone. This guide lists all 19 MBBS subjects with the topics that matter most, sets out the MDS subjects, explains how the four-section pattern affects your study plan and gives a phase-wise schedule for the INI CET January 2027 session (exam on 1 November 2026) and the sessions after it.

Table of Contents

1. INI CET Syllabus at a Glance

2. How the INI CET Syllabus Is Defined

3. Pre-Clinical Subjects

4. Para-Clinical Subjects

5. Clinical Subjects

6. INI CET MDS Syllabus

7. Which Subjects to Prioritise

8. How AIIMS Tests the Syllabus

9. Recent Advances to Track

10. Overlap with NEET PG

11. How to Cover the Syllabus

INI CET Syllabus at a Glance

How the INI CET Syllabus Is Defined

AIIMS names the curriculum but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus or subject weightage. The topic lists below are built from the MBBS curriculum and from the areas that recalled questions of previous sessions have repeatedly tested. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.

Key Points to Know

• The same syllabus serves NEET PG: Both exams draw on the MBBS curriculum, so you do not need two separate study plans. The difference is in question style, not content.

• Sections are not subject-wise: The four 45-minute sections mix subjects. You cannot plan to "finish Anatomy in Section 1", so every subject must be ready before the exam.

• Recent advances count: Updated clinical guidelines, new drugs and changes to national health programmes appear regularly, even though they are not in older textbooks.

• Older syllabus pages can mislead: Some pages still show fixed subject-wise question counts as if they were official. AIIMS has never published such numbers.

Pre-Clinical Subjects

Pre-clinical subjects carry fewer questions than clinical ones but are dense with factual and applied items. Focus on clinical correlation rather than rote detail.

Applied anatomy and inborn errors of metabolism are frequent sources of image-based and vignette questions, so revise them with diagrams and case patterns rather than plain lists.

Para-Clinical Subjects

This block bridges basic science and clinical practice. Pathology and Pharmacology are especially important because their concepts reappear inside clinical questions.

Community Medicine is easy to underestimate. It carries a steady number of questions and changes faster than most subjects because national programmes, targets and vaccine schedules keep getting revised.

Clinical Subjects

Clinical subjects make up the largest share of the paper and test decision-making: the next best step, the investigation of choice and the most likely diagnosis.

Major Clinical Subjects

• Medicine: Cardiology, respiratory medicine, nephrology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, neurology, haematology, infectious diseases, rheumatology and critical care. ECGs and recent guidelines deserve extra time.

• Surgery: General principles, trauma, breast, thyroid, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery, urology, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and paediatric surgery. Revise instruments and imaging.

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Antenatal care, labour, high-risk pregnancy, postpartum complications, contraception, infertility, gynaecological oncology and menstrual disorders.

• Paediatrics: Growth and development, neonatology, nutrition, immunisation schedule, genetic syndromes, paediatric infections and emergencies.

Short Clinical Subjects

Short subjects are where well-prepared candidates gain an edge. They carry fewer questions each but together form a large block, and their image-heavy topics can be revised in limited time.

INI CET MDS Syllabus

MDS candidates appear in a separate paper based on the BDS curriculum. The subjects below cover the full course, from basic sciences to clinical dentistry.

For MDS, the clinical dental subjects usually decide rank. Dental Materials and Oral Pathology are also high-return areas because their questions are factual and repeat in new forms.

Which Subjects to Prioritise

Since AIIMS does not publish weightage, priority has to come from the size of each subject and the trend of previous sessions. The tiers below are a planning tool, not an official breakdown.

Do not skip any subject. With -1/3 marking, a question you can answer confidently from a short subject is worth exactly as much as one from Medicine, and it usually takes less preparation time.

How AIIMS Tests the Syllabus

Knowing the format helps you decide how to read each subject.

• One-liners: Direct factual questions, common in pre-clinical and short subjects. Quick recall from concise notes works best.

• Clinical vignettes: A short case followed by the diagnosis, next step or treatment. These need concept clarity and current guidelines.

• Image-based questions: Specimens, slides, X-rays, CT scans, ECGs, instruments and clinical photographs. Weekly image revision prevents last-minute gaps.

• Multi-statement questions: Several statements with options to pick the correct combination. Partial knowledge is risky here, so practise elimination carefully.

Because a blind guess has an expected value of zero under -1/3 marking, depth in a topic directly turns into marks: every option you can rule out improves your odds.

Recent Advances to Track

Recent advances are not a separate subject, but they surface across Medicine, Pharmacology, Community Medicine, Paediatrics and Obstetrics. Keep a running file and update it every month.

Verify updates from the issuing authority, such as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, ICMR or WHO, rather than relying on secondary summaries, which often lag or simplify.

Syllabus Overlap with NEET PG

Most candidates prepare for INI CET and NEET PG together. The content is the same, so one preparation can serve both, but the emphasis differs.

How to Cover the INI CET Syllabus

The plan below assumes about six months. Compress it proportionally if you are close to the exam, but keep the order.

1. Weeks 1 to 10, core concepts: Cover the high-volume subjects with standard references and make short notes as you go. Spend 30 minutes a day on images from day one.

2. Weeks 11 to 16, remaining subjects: Finish medium-volume and short subjects. Start topic-wise tests after each subject to check retention.

3. Weeks 17 to 20, recent advances and previous papers: Add guideline updates and national programme changes. Solve recalled questions from past INI CET sessions subject by subject.

4. Weeks 21 to 24, full-length mocks: Take timed mocks in the four-section, 45-minute format, analyse each on the same day and revise from an error log of wrong and guessed answers.

For practice that follows this plan, you can attempt INI CET subject-wise tests on Testkart after finishing each subject and move to full-length INI CET mock tests in the final phase, using the section-wise analysis to spot weak topics. Solving INI CET previous year papers alongside helps you judge how deeply each topic is tested.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Reading too many sources: One standard reference and one set of revision notes per subject is enough. Switching sources late in preparation costs more than it adds.

• Leaving short subjects for the end: They look small, but together they carry a large share of the paper and their images need repeated revision.

• Skipping mock analysis: A mock without same-day analysis only measures your score. The analysis is what improves it.

• Guessing without elimination: Under -1/3 marking, random guesses add risk without adding expected marks.

If you track your accuracy subject by subject on Testkart, the weakest areas become clear quickly, so revision time goes where it changes your score the most.

For dates, eligibility and counselling, see the AIIMS INI CET exam overview. Treat the syllabus as the full MBBS or BDS course, set your priorities by subject size and trend, and revise images and recent advances consistently. That combination covers what the INI CET syllabus actually demands.