INI CET stands for Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test. As the name suggests, it is the entrance test for some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country for postgraduate courses. It has unequivocally replaced the individual tests for these institutions. 

The exam is conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Knowing about the particulars of the test is crucial for the aspirants. However, with all the pressure the medical aspirants have, it is next to impossible for them to find the required resources for the exam. 

This is where DocTutorials makes a difference. With a team of experienced faculty, extensive resources, and comprehensive guidance, all you need to focus on is your preparation.

INI CET Nov 2025: First Insights & Grand Recall | Comprehensive INI CET Analysis & Review

Dive into our expert‑led faculty breakdown of the INI CET Nov 2025! This session brings you first‑hand insights from the exam hall, key topic recall and trends, and actionable strategies to boost your prep. Tune in now and get a head start on your revision!

In this article, we will cover all the essential aspects of the INI CET previous year question papers, including the exam structure, analysis of trends, and preparatory tips.

Continue reading to gain a detailed insight.

Overview of the INI CET Exam

The INI CET provides a gateway to postgraduate courses in the top medical institutions of the country. There are a total of 23 institutions participating in the INI CET exam. The top 23 institutions of the country include:

• 19 AIIMS across the country
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru
• JIPMER, Puducherry
• PGIMER, Chandigarh
• SCTIMST, Trivandrum

The exam consists of a computer-based testing format with a total of 200 questions to be answered in 180 minutes. The exam paper is made up of four sections, each consisting of 50 questions and, technically, 45 minutes for each section. 

Once you complete a section, you cannot navigate back to the previous section, as there is no backwards navigation available. Hence, it is extremely essential to manage your time strategically. The exam follows a +1 and -1/3 marking scheme, where you are awarded +1 for every correct answer and -1/3 for every incorrect answer. 

The questions that are left marked for review receive 0 marks. Hence, it is necessary to submit definitive answers rather than leaving out questions.

What is the Syllabus Coverage for the INI CET Exam?

The INI CET exam consists of the undergraduate medical curriculum, which is further subdivided into 3 phases:

• Pre-Clinical Subjects: Including the subjects of the first year, like Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry
• Para-Clinical Subjects: Includes subjects of the second and third years, like Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Community Medicine, and Forensic Medicine.
• Clinical Subjects: This included the major subjects of the final year, like Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology, and Ophthalmology.

Analysis of Previous Year Papers

The analysis of the previous year’s papers reveals a pattern of evolving questions and increasing difficulty. The May 2025 paper was rated moderately difficult by the students. A shifting pattern from memory-based to clinical application-based questions was noted.

A recent paper showed subject-wise distribution in the following manner:

Subject	No. of Expected Questions
Medicine	22
Surgery	17
Pathology	17
Obstetrics & Gynecology	16
Social & Preventive Medicine	16
Pharmacology	15
Microbiology	14
Anatomy	10-15
Physiology	10-12
Biochemistry	10-12

The questions have significantly transformed with a heavy shift to the clinical-based questions. The May 2025 paper revealed the following pattern:

• Clinical Scenarios: 60-65% of questions
• One-liners: 25% of questions
• Image-based MCQs: 10% of questions

Another major point about the questions noticed was the integration of subjects into a single question. This shows an evolution of the questions from a single-subject memory-based question to a comprehensive clinical knowledge-based question. 

The examination now demands that students apply clinical knowledge and combine the information from various subjects into a single question. With the increasing difficulty of the INI CET exam and the shift to a clinical pattern, it is essential to imbibe clinical skills. 

At DocTutorials, you can find a plethora of comprehensive resources to sharpen your clinical skills. The extensive video resources help you polish your patient examination skills.

Click here for the INI CET Previous Year Question Papers

Preparatory Tips for INI CET Exam As Per Previous Year Papers

Listed below are some of the preparation tips for the INI CET exam:

1. Strategic Study Planning

Good preparation for INI CET has to be methodical, phase-by-phase, and not a haphazard subject-wise coverage. The ideal period of preparation depends on your existing level of knowledge, but the majority of successful candidates adopt a 3-6 month rigorous preparation schedule.

1. Phase 1: Building Foundations (Months 1-2)

Focus on comprehending ideas instead of memorisation. Spend study time as follows:

• Pre-clinical Subjects: 30% of the study time (concentrating on neuroanatomy, physiology mechanisms, biochemical pathways)
• Para-clinical Subjects: 35% of the study time (pathology concepts, pharmacology mechanisms, microbiology classification)
• Clinical Topics: 35% of study time (synthesis of medicine and surgery, case-based learning)

2. Phase 2: Practice and Integration (Months 3-4)

Change of focus to clinical application and integration. Start attempting previous year questions in a structured manner, beginning with subject-wise questions prior to attempting full-length tests. Attempt 75-100 MCQs every day with rigorous analysis of answers.

3. Phase 3: Intensive Revision (Final 1-2 months)

Practice rapid cycles of revision and concentrate strongly on areas of weakness. The last month must have:

• 15 Days: Detailed subject-wise revision
• 10 Days: Complete mock tests (at least 5-6 tests)
• 5 Days: High-yield topics consolidation and confidence building

2. Daily Study Routine Optimisation

Good preparation is not quantity but quality study time. Adhere to the following daily program:

• Morning Session (3-4 hours): Acquisition of core topics through active recall strategies
• Afternoon Session (2-3 hours): MCQ practice and analysis on clinical scenarios 
• Evening Session (2-3 hours): Reinforcement of weak areas and review of previous day

In order to have an effective morning, try to keep the bed-to-book time to less than 45 minutes. Use productivity apps to track your study time, focusing on deep, intensive study time instead of passive reading.

3. Mock Test Strategy

Go through each mock test very carefully, marking not only the incorrect choices but also the lucky guesses and time-wasting questions. Try to score a 5-10 mark improvement with each test until a 160-170 band is attained.

4. Resource Optimisation

Avoid resource proliferation in preparation. Stay with trusted sources:

• Use reference books for conceptual clarity 
• Previous year question sets on pattern recognition 
• Good quality mock test series for performance evaluation 
• Revision notes for final consolidation 

Prioritise learning about existing resources over the identification of new resources, particularly during the last preparation months.

FAQs About INI CET Previous Year Question Papers

1. When were the results for the INI CET 2025 released?

The results for the INI CET 2025 were published on 24th May 2025.

2. Does solving the INI CET previous year question papers help?

Solving the previous year’s question papers of INI CET 2025 greatly helps in improving your score band. It helps you get an overview of the type of questions that are asked in the exam.

3. Does AIIMS release an official answer key for the INI CET exam?

No. AIIMS does not publish an official answer key for the INI CET exam. However, you can find many unofficial answer keys on the internet.

4. Do the questions get repeated from previous years’ INI CET papers?

The chances of getting the questions repeated are quite rare; however, you might find the concept getting repeated often.

5. How many times is the INI CET conducted in one year?

The INI CET exam is conducted twice in one year.

Conclusion

Overall, it is quite evident that analysing and revising the previous years’ question papers is as important as concept building. With the knowledge of the previous years’ questions, you can be confident in answering almost all the questions in the INI CET.

To make your routine a bit less hectic, DocTutorials provides you with a bunch of exclusive resources, including previous year question papers along with their solutions.
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