INI CET Application Form 2026, Registration Steps, Fee and How to Apply (~67 chars)

INI CET 2026 July session registration opened on March 28 and closed on April 25, 2026 at aiimsexams.ac.in. AIIMS New Delhi conducts this exam twice a year for MD, MS, MDS, DM (6 years), MCh (6 years), and MD Hospital Administration admissions across 23 Institutes of National Importance, including all AIIMS campuses, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum. INI CET 2026 result for the May exam was declared on May 23, and counselling for the July academic session is now underway.

INI CET 2026 Three-Stage Registration Process

INI CET registration is not a single form submission like most entrance exams. AIIMS splits it into three separate stages that must be completed in order. Candidates who have registered for a previous INI CET session can skip Stage 1 if their basic registration was already accepted, but Stages 2 and 3 must be done fresh every time. This multi-stage structure trips up first-time applicants, so understanding what each stage involves before starting saves time and prevents errors.

Stage 1: One-Time Registration (OTR)

This is a one-time process that carries forward across all future INI CET sessions. Candidates enter their personal details, including name, date of birth, contact information, and nationality. AIIMS encourages DigiLocker verification at this stage to speed up document matching later. Once submitted, OTR details cannot be changed, so every field must match the candidate's MBBS or BDS degree certificate exactly.

Stage 2: Exam Unique Code (EUC) Generation

After Stage 1 is accepted, candidates log in and generate a fresh Exam Unique Code for the July 2026 session. The EUC is session-specific. A code generated for the January session does not carry over to July, and vice versa. Candidates must generate a new EUC every time they appear for INI CET, even if their OTR is already on file.

Stage 3: Final Application and Fee Payment

Using the Registration ID, password, and the newly generated EUC, candidates log in one more time to complete the actual application. This is where academic qualifications (MBBS/BDS marks, internship completion date, Medical Council registration), preferred exam state, and fee payment are handled. Photograph, signature, and left thumb impression are uploaded at this stage. The application is complete only after fee payment goes through and the confirmation page is generated.

INI CET 2026 Application Fee by Category

AIIMS charges different fees based on reservation category. PwBD candidates are fully exempt. The fee covers only the application and exam. Counselling, if the candidate qualifies, has its own separate processing fee paid later. Once the INI CET application fee is paid, it is non-refundable except in the case of a genuine duplicate deduction, which AIIMS verifies and refunds after the exam cycle ends.

Payment is accepted only online through debit card, credit card, or net banking. No UPI, e-challan, or offline mode is available. Transaction charges, if any, are borne by the candidate.

INI CET July 2026 Registration and Exam Dates

AIIMS keeps the INI CET application window open for about four weeks. For the July 2026 session, the prospectus and the registration portal opened on the same day. A short correction window followed the last date, giving candidates two days to fix rejected images or incorrect details before the admit card was released.

INI CET 2026 Application Process Overview

For anyone checking the basics quickly, the table below captures the core registration details for INI CET July 2026 session. All figures are from the official AIIMS prospectus released on March 28, 2026.

INI CET 2026 Photograph, Signature and Thumb Impression Specifications

INI CET is one of the few entrance exams that requires a left thumb impression upload alongside the standard photograph and signature. AIIMS rejects applications with blurry or incorrectly sized images, and this is one of the most common reasons for rejection each cycle. The official prospectus specifies the following.

AIIMS recommends using the latest version of Google Chrome to upload images. Older browsers or mobile browsers can distort file sizes during upload, leading to technical rejections even when the original file meets specs.

INI CET 2026 Application Correction Window

AIIMS opened a correction window from April 30 to May 2, 2026 for the July session. This window allows candidates to re-upload images that were rejected during AIIMS's internal review and to fix certain registration details that were flagged. It is not a general editing facility. Candidates whose images were accepted and whose details passed verification had nothing to correct during this window.

• Candidates can check the acceptance or rejection status of their images by logging in to the portal after the application deadline.
• If the photograph, signature, or thumb impression was rejected, a fresh upload can be done during the correction window.
• Certain personal details flagged as incorrect during AIIMS's review can also be updated.
• Once the correction window closes, no further changes are possible. Applications with uncorrected rejected images are treated as incomplete.

Common Reasons INI CET 2026 Applications Are Rejected

AIIMS notes every year that a significant number of INI CET applications are rejected for avoidable errors. Knowing the most frequent reasons before starting the form helps candidates get through submission without a rejection flag.

• Blurry or digitally edited photographs: AIIMS does not accept images that have been retouched, auto-enhanced, or resized using phone editing apps. The photograph must be a clean scan or camera capture with the face clearly visible against a white background.
• Incorrect OBC certificate validity period: for the July 2026 session, the OBC non-creamy layer certificate must be issued between April 1, 2025 and April 25, 2026, based on the financial year specified in the prospectus. An older certificate, even if still technically valid under general rules, does not satisfy AIIMS's own requirement.
• Signature or thumb impression on coloured or lined paper: both must be on plain white paper. Signatures on notebook or textbook margins, or with a pencil, are rejected.
• Mismatch between OTR name and degree certificate: the name entered during One-Time Registration must exactly match the MBBS or BDS degree certificate. Even a minor spelling variation (an initial versus a full name) can cause issues during counselling document verification.
• Low internet speed causing incomplete uploads: AIIMS's own form instructions warn candidates to check internet speed before starting, since partial uploads during Stage 3 can corrupt the submission.

Reusing INI CET One-Time Registration Across Sessions

Candidates who completed OTR for a previous INI CET session (for example, the January 2026 cycle that had its exam in November 2025) do not need to repeat Stage 1. The basic registration carries forward, and candidates can directly move to Stage 2 (EUC generation) when the next session's application window opens. This saves time, but there is one important condition: the OTR status must show 'Accepted' on the portal. If it was rejected or left incomplete in a prior cycle, the candidate needs to redo Stage 1 before moving ahead.

OTR details, once accepted, are permanent. If a candidate's name or date of birth was entered incorrectly during a past session's OTR, there is no edit facility. The candidate would need to contact the AIIMS exam cell directly, and resolution is not guaranteed.

After Submitting INI CET 2026 Application

Once the form is submitted and the fee is paid, AIIMS reviews the uploaded images internally. If any image is rejected, the candidate is notified during the correction window. After that, the admit card is released on the portal about a week before the exam. For the May 2026 exam, the admit card went live on May 9. Candidates must print two copies, since one is surrendered at the exam centre. After the exam, AIIMS publishes results as a merit list with ranks and percentiles, followed by online counselling across all 23 participating INIs.

INI CET Application Form 2026 FAQs

Ques: I completed OTR for the January 2026 session. Do I need to register again for the July session?

Ques: Can I edit my INI CET application form after paying the fee?

Ques: Why does INI CET require a left thumb impression along with photograph and signature?

Ques: Is the INI CET application fee refundable if I miss the exam?

Ques: How many seats are available through INI CET July 2026?