INI CET Eligibility Criteria 2026 - MBBS, Marks & Age

INI CET 2026 is the single national exam that decides postgraduate medical admission across 23 of India's top government institutes. Also called INI CET 2026, it is conducted twice a year by AIIMS New Delhi for candidates who have already completed their MBBS or BDS degree. One rank from this single exam works across every participating institute, including AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, NIMHANS, and SCTIMST, so appearing once is enough for all of them. This page covers the qualification, marks, internship, age, and attempt rules needed for INI CET 2026, along with the institutional-preference rule that affects seat allotment at each AIIMS campus.

INI CET 2026 Eligibility Overview

INI CET 2026 eligibility runs on a compact set of conditions, but each one applies strictly, and a strong exam score cannot make up for a missed condition elsewhere. The table below sums up the main conditions before the detailed sections.

Nationality Rules for INI CET 2026

For INI CET 2026 citizenship decides which application track a candidate follows, and international applicants face additional conditions beyond the standard INI CET Application Process.

• Indian citizenship is required for the standard INI CET 2026 application process.
• NRI and international candidates may apply, but their eligibility is governed by the separate conditions stated in the official prospectus for that session.

INI CET 2026 Educational Qualification for MD, MS, DM, and MCh

INI CET 2026 uses the same base qualification for four of its six course categories, since DM and MCh admission both build on an MBBS foundation just like MD and MS. Candidates can check INI CET Syllabus to understand the subjects covered in the exam

• An MBBS degree from an institution recognised by the National Medical Commission (NMC) is required for MD, MS, DM, and MCh admission through INI CET 2026.
• Valid registration with the NMC or a State Medical Council is required alongside the degree itself.

Educational Qualification for INI CET 2026 MDS

Dental postgraduate admission runs on the same combined exam but with its own separate base qualification, distinct from the medical courses covered above.

A BDS degree from a college recognised by the Dental Council of India (DCI) is required for MDS admission through INI CET 2026, along with valid dental registration.

INI CET 2026 Minimum Marks Requirement

INI CET 2026 checks the final professional exam result of the qualifying degree, not the overall MBBS or BDS performance across all years, and the threshold shifts by category.

Internship Deadline for INI CET 2026

A completed internship, not one still in progress, is what this condition actually requires, and the cutoff date is fixed separately for each session rather than staying constant year-round.

• The one-year compulsory rotatory internship must be finished before the session deadline.
• For the INI CET July 2026 session, AIIMS set July 31, 2026, as the last acceptable date for internship completion, as confirmed in the official prospectus.
• Candidates who miss this date are not eligible for that particular session, with no exception, though they can apply again once the internship is complete.

INI CET 2026 Age Limit and Number of Attempts

INI CET 2026 removes two conditions that limit candidates in many other competitive exams, no birth-date cutoff and no cap on how many sessions a candidate can try. Candidates can use these additional attempts to follow a structured INI CET Preparation strategy across session

• There is no upper age limit for INI CET 2026.
• There is no restriction on the number of attempts; candidates can appear across as many sessions as needed.

INI CET 2026 Eligibility for Foreign and NRI Candidates

A degree from outside India requires an extra verification step before an application can even be considered, on top of the usual academic conditions.

• Foreign nationals must obtain a grading-system certificate from their university to convert their result into an equivalent aggregate percentage for the application.
• A No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is required for foreign national applicants.
• The minimum aggregate for foreign candidates is the same 55% threshold applied to general-category Indian candidates.

INI CET 2026 Qualifying Percentile for Counselling

Clearing the written exam and qualifying for counselling are two separate hurdles, and INI CET Cutoff and percentile condition decide the second one

INI CET 2026 Institutional Preference Rule for AIIMS Graduates

A specific seat-allocation rule applies within AIIMS campuses that does not exist for the other INI CET institutes, and it can shape where a candidate ends up even with an identical rank.

Candidates who completed their MBBS from a particular AIIMS campus generally get first preference for a defined share of seats at that same campus, with the remaining seats open to all eligible candidates based on merit.

INI CET 2026 One Rank Across All Participating Institutes

INI CET 2026 was built specifically to remove the older system where candidates had to apply separately to each institute, and this single-rank structure is now its defining feature.

A single INI CET 2026 rank is valid across all 23 participating institutes at once. During counselling, candidates list their institute and course preferences, and seat allotment follows rank, category, and those choices after INI CET Result is declared

Documents Needed to Confirm INI CET 2026 Eligibility

INI CET 2026 eligibility is checked against real documents at counselling, not just the declarations entered during registration, so it helps to have these ready in advance. Candidates should also keep their INI CET Admit Card safely available for the admission process

• MBBS or BDS degree certificate, or provisional pass certificate.
• Internship completion certificate.
• Permanent or provisional registration certificate from the NMC, DCI, or State Council.
• Category, EWS, and PwBD certificates in the prescribed format, where claimed.

About AIIMS New Delhi - INI CET 2026's Conducting Body

INI CET 2026 is run by the same institute that many candidates are actually trying to gain admission to, which is a slightly unusual structure compared to most centralised entrance exams.

• AIIMS, New Delhi, conducts INI CET 2026 on behalf of all 23 participating Institutes of National Importance.
• INI CET replaced the earlier, fragmented AIIMS PG system starting in 2022, where candidates once had to apply to each institute separately.
• All official INI CET 2026 updates are published on aiimsexams.ac.in, and candidates should always cross-check details there.

Participating Institutes and Seat Distribution for INI CET 2026

Not every institute on the list is an AIIMS campus, and knowing the full spread helps candidates plan their institute preferences realistically before counselling begins.

AIIMS Jammu joined the list of participating institutes for the first time in the 2026 cycle.

INI CET 2026 Compared with NEET PG Eligibility

INI CET 2026 and NEET PG both admit MBBS graduates into postgraduate medical courses, but the two exams cover entirely separate sets of institutes and do not accept each other's scores. INI CET Exam Pattern also differs from NEET PG in its section-wise structure

INI CET 2026 eligibility depends on holding an MBBS or BDS degree, 55% aggregate marks (50% reserved), a completed internship by the session deadline, and valid medical or dental registration, with no age or attempt limit involved. Candidates can also practise with INI CET previous year question papers from previous years to understand the exam better. The internship cutoff and the institutional-preference rule at AIIMS campuses are the two details worth confirming most carefully before applying

INI CET Eligibility Criteria 2026 FAQs

Ques: Does INI CET 2026 release an official answer key after the exam?

Ques: Can a candidate return to a previous section during the INI CET 2026 exam?

Ques: Must the INI CET 2026 admit card be surrendered after the exam?

Ques: Does an unsuccessful attempt at INI CET stop a candidate from reapplying in a later session?

Ques: Can a candidate with an MD from an institute outside the INI CET system apply for DM or MCh through INI CET 2026?