INI-CET exam pattern: 200 questions, four locked parts, +1 and −1/3
How the INI-CET paper is built and marked, from the official January 2027 session prospectus.
This page follows the official INI-CET Prospectus Part-A for the January 2027 session, published by AIIMS New Delhi. The July 2027 session has not been announced; its prospectus may change details.
How many questions are in INI-CET?
| Item | January 2027 session |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-based test, at centres across India |
| Total questions | 200 |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Parts | 4 parts of 50 questions each |
| Time per part | 45 minutes |
| Question types | Objective, including single correct choice and multiple correct choice |
| Total marks | 200 (200 questions at +1 each) |
How do the four locked parts work?
The paper is split into four parts of 50 questions. The parts are shown one at a time, and each has its own 45 minutes.
When a part’s 45 minutes end, it locks and is submitted automatically. You cannot go back to it, and you cannot carry spare time into the next part.
That has three practical effects:
- Pace each part on its own. About 54 seconds per question within each part.
- Finish your reviews inside the part. There is no going back at the end of the exam.
- A hard part cannot borrow time from an easy one. Practise moving on from a question that is eating your time.
What types of questions are asked?
The prospectus says the questions are objective, “of varying types”, including:
- Single correct choice: one option is correct.
- Multiple correct choice: more than one option may be correct.
Multiple-correct questions are the bigger change if you are coming from NEET PG practice. You have to judge each option on its own rather than pick the likeliest one.
What is the INI-CET marking scheme?
| Response | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1 |
| Incorrect answer | −1/3 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
| Marked for review (not answered) | 0 |
So three wrong answers cancel one right answer.
Is it worth guessing in INI-CET?
For a single-correct question with four options, the arithmetic is:
| Your position | Average marks from answering |
|---|---|
| Blind guess (1 in 4) | 0 |
| One option ruled out (1 in 3) | about +0.11 |
| Two options ruled out (1 in 2) | about +0.33 |
A blind guess gains nothing on average, so it is pure risk. Answer when you can rule out options for a real reason. This table applies to single-correct questions only. For multiple-correct questions the odds depend on how many options are correct, so be stricter about guessing.
How are ties broken?
If candidates have equal marks, AIIMS breaks the tie in this order:
- Fewer negative marks
- Higher percentage of marks in the qualifying degree (MBBS or BDS)
- Older age
- Alphabetical order of name
The first tie-breaker is negative marks, so careless wrong answers cost you twice: once in your score and again in a tie.
How is INI-CET different from NEET PG?
INI-CET uses +1/−1/3 marking and includes multiple-correct questions. NEET PG uses +4/−1 with MCQs. See the NEET PG exam pattern for its details.
What to read next
- Eligibility: MBBS or BDS, internship by 31 January 2027, and minimum marks.
- Important dates: registration closes 13 October 2026.
- Preparation strategy: pacing across four locked parts.
TestGuru’s INI-CET mock tests are not open yet. When they are, they will follow this pattern.