PGIMER Nursing Exam Pattern 2026: Marks, Time and Negative Marking

The PGIMER Nursing exam pattern is simple on paper: a single computer-based test of objective questions. What changes is the paper itself. The Nursing Officer (Group B) test checks professional nursing knowledge, while the B.Sc Nursing entrance checks Class 12 science and aptitude. Knowing the structure helps you decide how long to spend per question and how much risk to take on guesses.

This page explains the pattern for both tests, the marking scheme, what the numbers mean for your strategy, and how final selection works. The figures come from reports on the 2026 notices and could not be matched line by line with the official documents, so verify them on the official PGIMER website and on your admit card.

Table of Contents

• PGIMER Nursing exam pattern at a glance

• Nursing Officer exam pattern

• B.Sc Nursing entrance pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Qualifying marks and later stages

• How the final merit is decided

• Time management and exam-day strategy

• Older pages and where to verify

PGIMER Nursing exam pattern at a glance

Nursing Officer exam pattern

The Nursing Officer test is reported as one paper of 100 multiple-choice questions for 100 marks, to be solved in 100 minutes. The questions are drawn from the prescribed nursing syllabus, and the paper is in English only.

Reports do not give a fixed question count per subject. In earlier PGIMER-style papers the nursing subjects were mixed in one continuous paper, so plan for a spread across clinical, community, maternal, child and mental health nursing, with some questions on pharmacology, nutrition and anatomy.

Key points for the Nursing Officer paper

• No sectional timing reported: The 100 minutes run as one block, so you control the order in which you attempt subjects.

• One scored stage: There is no reported mains or interview, so one paper decides your merit.

• Test date pending: The test planned for 21 October 2026 was postponed, and the new date is awaited.

B.Sc Nursing entrance pattern

For the 4-year B.Sc Nursing course, the 2026 test is reported as 100 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, divided into five sections of about 20 questions and 20 marks each.

The Post-Basic B.Sc entrance is reported to cover nursing subjects and general aptitude, but a clear section-wise split was not found. Check its prospectus before you build a time plan.

Marking scheme and negative marking

As reported, each correct answer earns one mark, and each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. That means one wrong answer wipes out a quarter of the value of one right answer.

A worked example: if you attempt 90 questions with 70 right and 20 wrong, your raw score is 70 minus 5, which is 65. If you instead attempt only 80 questions with 66 right and 14 wrong, your score is 66 minus 3.5, which is 62.5. Higher accuracy matters, but a few extra attempts are worthwhile if your hit rate stays high.

What the pattern means for you

• About one minute per question: Nursing Officer gives 100 minutes for 100 questions, and the B.Sc paper gives 90. Most questions are direct recall, so you can bank time on them for harder ones.

• A guess has a small cost: At a quarter mark, a guess is mathematically worthwhile only when you are at least 20 percent sure. In practice, guess only after removing two options.

• Accuracy beats volume: Aim to attempt most of the paper but keep your accuracy near the level you reach in mocks, not above it.

• Reading speed counts: English-only papers with case-style nursing questions reward quick, accurate reading.

• Sectional balance for B.Sc: With equal weight in five sections, a weak section can pull down your percentile.

Qualifying marks and later stages

For the Nursing Officer test, reports mention qualifying marks of 40 percent for General and EWS candidates and 35 percent for SC, ST and OBC candidates. These are minimum thresholds. They do not guarantee a place, because selection depends on rank within vacancies.

After the test, the reported steps are shortlisting and document verification. No interview, skill test or physical test is reported. For B.Sc Nursing, qualified candidates are called for counselling by merit rank, bring originals for verification and pay the course fee on the spot. Certificates must be ready well before the date, so keep them scanned and organised.

How the final merit is decided

Because the test is the only scored stage, the final merit for Nursing Officer is reported to follow marks in the computer-based test, subject to category and vacancy. When marks are tied, the notice usually states tie-break rules such as age or alphabetical order. Check the exact rule in the advertisement.

A simple example: if the unreserved category has 99 posts and you rank within that band after verification, you are likely to be selected. Your actual position depends on how many candidates score above you, which is why consistent mock performance gives a better signal than a single good day.

Time management and exam-day strategy

Plan your time before test day, and practise it until it feels automatic.

1. First pass, 60 to 65 minutes: Answer every question you are sure about and mark the doubtful ones for review.

2. Second pass, 20 to 25 minutes: Return to marked questions and solve them with elimination.

3. Final check, last 10 minutes: Review risky answers, confirm none are left by mistake, and stop guessing blindly.

For the B.Sc paper, with 90 minutes, start with Biology and English because they are quicker, then move to Chemistry, Physics and aptitude. Reach the exam centre early, carry the admit card and a valid photo ID, and follow the centre's rules on belongings.

The best way to build this rhythm is to practise under the same conditions. For timed practice in the current pattern.

Older pages and where to verify

Older pages may still show previous PGIMER Nursing formats, such as different durations or marking rules from past cycles. Follow the current notice and your admit card instead.