PGIMER Syllabus 2026: Course-wise Topics and PDF Download

PGIMER 2026 syllabus depends on which course a candidate applies for, since PGIMER Chandigarh runs its own entrance exam for some programmes, while others are admitted through INI-CET, a separate national test conducted by AIIMS Delhi. Courses such as BSc Nursing, MSc, PhD, MPH and MHA use PGIMER's own exam, while MD, MS, DM and M.Ch now go through INI-CET. This page covers the PGIMER Syllabus 2026, course-wise syllabus, entrance routes, important topics, and official syllabus PDF details to help applicants prepare according to their chosen programme.

PGIMER Syllabus 2026 Highlights

PGIMER Syllabus 2026 differs across undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and allied health programmes. Before starting preparation, applicants should check the syllabus, entrance examination, exam mode, and official information bulletin for their respective course.

PGIMER 2026 Entrance Routes: INI-CET vs PGIMER's Own Exam

PGIMER candidates most often go wrong at this exact step, assuming one exam covers every course at the institute. In reality PGIMER splits admissions across two entirely separate testing systems, and confirming the right one determines which syllabus actually matters.

Candidates targeting MD or MS at PGIMER should prepare for INI-CET rather than looking for a separate PGIMER-specific MD/MS syllabus, since PGIMER accepts INI-CET scores directly through counselling rather than running its own paper for these courses.

PGIMER BSc Nursing Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

PGIMER BSc Nursing Syllabus 2026 is based on the Class 11 and 12 PCB curriculum and is prescribed for admission to the BSc Nursing and Post-Basic BSc Nursing programmes. Along with understanding the syllabus, applicants should also be familiar with the exam pattern, question distribution, and marking scheme before starting their preparation.

PGIMER BSc Nursing Exam Pattern 2026

PGIMER BSc Section-wise Question Distribution

PGIMER BSc Nursing Syllabus 2026

There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer. Since the examination follows a merit-based selection process, applicants should prioritise accuracy along with speed while attempting the paper.

PGIMER MSc Syllabus 2026 and Specialisations

PGIMER MSc syllabus 2026 is a smaller, more research-focused programme with limited seats across specialisations like Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Anatomy. The entrance exam tests subject knowledge from the relevant undergraduate degree rather than a fixed common syllabus. A candidate applying for MSc Biochemistry, for instance, is tested on undergraduate Biochemistry, not a generic science paper shared across all specialisations.

• Questions are based on the core concepts of the chosen specialisation at the undergraduate level.
• General aptitude and basic research orientation may also be tested alongside the subject paper.
• Candidates should check the specific specialisation's information bulletin for the exact topic list, since it varies by department.

PGIMER MSc admission is entrance-based and separate from the MD/MS route entirely, with around 25 seats available across specialisations in a given cycle, which keeps competition high relative to seat numbers even though the overall applicant pool is smaller than for MD/MS or BSc Nursing. Candidates often underestimate this competition since the visible applicant numbers look modest compared to MD/MS, but the seat count is proportionally even smaller.

PGIMER PhD Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

PGIMER PhD Syllabus 2026 focuses on subject-specific knowledge and research aptitude. Since the syllabus differs across departments, applicants should refer to the official admission prospectus for discipline-wise topics. The written test has 100 questions for 100 marks. Unlike MSc, where the entire paper is specialisation-specific, PhD candidates face a mix of general and department-specific content in the same paper.

Since the exact mix of these areas depends on the department a candidate applies to, checking the specific PhD programme's information bulletin is necessary before assuming the general structure above applies exactly.

PGIMER MPH and MHA Syllabus 2026

PGIMER MPH and MHA programs are distinct from the medical and nursing courses, testing public health and management concepts rather than clinical subjects. Both are run through PGIMER's own entrance exam for candidates with a relevant bachelor's degree.

PGIMER BPT and MPT Syllabus 2026

PGIMER conducts separate entrance exams for its physiotherapy programmes, BPT at the undergraduate level and MPT at the postgraduate level, and the two draw from different qualifying backgrounds. BPT has only 12 seats per cycle, which makes it one of the most competitive courses at PGIMER relative to its applicant pool, despite the syllabus itself being at Class 12 level.

• BPT: Class 12 PCB syllabus at the NCERT level, tested through a 100-question CBT, similar in scope to other undergraduate medical-adjacent entrance exams.
• MPT: BPT-level subjects, requiring a completed BPT degree with mandatory internship before applying.

Because the BPT syllabus is based on Class 12 level, while the seat count is so small, most of the difficulty in this course comes from competition volume rather than the difficulty of the questions themselves. A candidate with strong Class 12 PCB fundamentals is often better positioned by focusing on accuracy and speed rather than trying to study beyond the syllabus.

INI-CET Syllabus 2026 for MD, MS, DM and M.Ch at PGIMER

PGIMER accepts INI-CET scores for MD, MS, DM and M.Ch admissions rather than running a separate entrance exam for these courses, so candidates targeting these programmes should prepare for INI-CET specifically, not a PGIMER-specific paper. INI-CET is conducted by AIIMS Delhi and is also accepted by AIIMS, JIPMER, NIMHANS and SCTIMST.

Once a 45-minute block ends in INI-CET, it locks permanently and cannot be revisited, similar to other block-timed medical entrance exams, so pacing within each block matters as much as overall preparation. PGIMER's INI-CET seats also carry a reservation breakdown, 5% SC/ST, 27% OBC, 5% PwBD on a horizontal basis, and 5% for rural service, with no EWS seats currently available in the PGIMER seat matrix.

PGIMER 2026 vs AIIMS for Postgraduate Medical Admission

PGIMER and AIIMS Delhi are often compared by candidates planning postgraduate medical careers, since both rank among India's top medical institutions, but they serve different purposes. PGIMER has no MBBS programme at all, so candidates seeking undergraduate medical education must look elsewhere; PGIMER's strength lies in postgraduate specialisation (MD, MS), super-speciality (DM, M.Ch), and allied health and research programmes such as BSc Nursing, MPH and PhD.

AIIMS Delhi, by contrast, conducts the INI-CET exam that both institutes' MD and MS seats now run through, in addition to running its own MBBS and other undergraduate programmes. A candidate targeting an MD or MS seat at PGIMER is, in practical terms, preparing for an AIIMS-conducted exam rather than a PGIMER-specific one, which is exactly the route confusion this page addresses at the start.

PGIMER 2026 Admission Sessions: January and July

PGIMER conducts its MD, MS, DM and M.Ch admissions twice a year through INI-CET, a January session and a July session, rather than once annually like most state medical entrance exams. A candidate who misses one session's cutoff or seat allotment gets another chance the same year rather than waiting a full year for the next cycle. BSc Nursing and the other institute-level exams stay on their own separate annual schedule. This twice-yearly structure is unique to INI-CET among most Indian medical postgraduate entrance systems, most of which run only one admission cycle per year.

PGIMER 2026 Seat Intake by Course

PGIMER 2026 Seat numbers vary sharply across PGIMER courses, and this affects how competitive each entrance actually is regardless of the syllabus difficulty. BPT in particular has an unusually small intake for an institute of PGIMER's size.

With only 12 BPT seats and 25 MSc seats nationally, these two courses are especially competitive relative to their candidate pool, even though their entrance syllabus is comparatively less demanding than the MBBS-level content tested in INI-CET. MD/MS remains the largest single intake at PGIMER by seat count, and PGIMER's 134 seats in the July 2026 INI-CET session rank second highest among all Institutes of National Importance, behind only AIIMS Delhi itself.

PGIMER 2026: NEET PG Is Not Accepted for MD/MS

A common point of confusion is assuming NEET PG scores work for PGIMER MD/MS admission, since NEET PG is the route for most other medical colleges in India. PGIMER does not accept NEET PG for MD or MS seats; INI-CET, conducted separately by AIIMS Delhi, is the only route. A candidate who has only prepared for NEET PG and not INI-CET is not covering the right syllabus for a PGIMER MD/MS seat, even though both exams draw on the same broad MBBS curriculum in principle.

PGIMER Syllabus 2026 PDF Download

PGIMER does not publish one combined syllabus PDF for every course; each programme's syllabus is set out in its own information bulletin, while MD, MS, DM and M.Ch candidates should refer to the INI-CET syllabus published separately by AIIMS.

• Open pgimer.edu.in and locate the information bulletin for the intended course.
• For MD, MS, DM or M.Ch, visit aiimsexams.ac.in for the INI-CET syllabus instead.
• Download and save the relevant syllabus pages for reference during preparation.

PGIMER Syllabus 2026 FAQs

Ques: Can final-year students apply for PGIMER 2026 entrance exams?

Ques: Is there a penalty for leaving a question unanswered in PGIMER exams?

Ques: Do candidates need separate applications for INI-CET and PGIMER's own entrance exam?

Ques: Has the PGIMER BSc Nursing exam pattern changed for 2026?

Ques: Is the PGIMER syllabus the same for all courses?