AIIMS Nursing Officer Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026
AIIMS NORCET-11 has two computer-based stages: a 90-minute, 100-question Preliminary (qualifying only) and a 180-minute, 160-question Main (decides merit). Both carry 1/3 negative marking per wrong answer. The official notice does not list nursing topics chapter-wise — it says the syllabus follows your Nursing course content.
Download Official Syllabus PDFThe PDF opens on the official site. Every topic in it is explained in plain language below — you do not have to open the PDF to read the syllabus.
Compiled from the official syllabus · check it against the official link
What this notice actually says about the syllabus
AIIMS New Delhi released this recruitment under Notice No.103/2026 dated 24.07.2026, for the Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET)-11, filling Nursing Officer posts across AIIMS New Delhi and 18 other participating AIIMS institutes.
The official notice does not print a chapter-by-chapter nursing syllabus. In its own words, under heading '32. Syllabus', it says: 'The syllabus will be in accordance with education qualification and experience as mentioned in the Eligibility Section/Advertisement.' That means the test is based on your B.Sc Nursing / GNM course content, not a separately listed topic sheet. What the notice does give in full, and what this page covers in full, is the exam pattern — how many questions, how much time, how marks are cut for wrong answers, and how you qualify.
| Stage I: NORCET Preliminary | Stage II: NORCET Main | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Qualifying only — does not count towards merit/rank | Decides the final merit list |
| Duration | 90 minutes | 180 minutes |
| Questions | 100 MCQs | 160 MCQs |
| Marks | 100 marks (1 mark per question) | 160 marks (1 mark per question) |
| Negative marking | 1/3 mark cut per wrong answer | 1/3 mark cut per wrong answer |
| Sections | 5 sections of 18 minutes each, 20 questions per section | 4 sections of 45 minutes each, 40 questions per section |
Who is eligible — the qualification the 'syllabus' is built on
Because the notice ties the syllabus to your education, your own eligibility route decides what level of Nursing content you'll be tested on. There are two routes; you need to meet one in full.
| Route | What the notice requires |
|---|---|
| Route I | B.Sc (Hons.) Nursing / B.Sc Nursing, OR B.Sc (Post-Certificate) / Post-Basic B.Sc Nursing, from an Indian Nursing Council or State Nursing Council recognised institute/university — plus registration as a Nurse & Midwife with the State/Indian Nursing Council. |
| Route II | Diploma in General Nursing Midwifery (GNM) from a recognised institute/board/council, PLUS registration as a Nurse & Midwife, PLUS two years' experience in a hospital with at least 50 beds, completed after finishing the course. |
| Age limit | 18 to 30 years, counted as on the closing date of registration (13.08.2026), before any category-wise age relaxation. |
Stage I: NORCET Preliminary — the complete pattern
Stage I is a qualifying round only. It is not added to your Stage II score and does not decide your final rank — it only decides whether you are called for Stage II.
| What the notice states | What it means |
|---|---|
| 100 MCQs — four options each — 100 marks total | One mark per question, and every question has exactly four answer choices. |
| 20 MCQs: General Knowledge & Aptitude | A fifth of the paper is outside Nursing — general awareness and reasoning/aptitude type questions. The notice does not break this further into named topics like 'current affairs' or 'reasoning' — it only gives this one combined heading. |
| 80 MCQs: syllabus of Nursing courses at the essential-qualification level | Four-fifths of the paper is Nursing content, pitched at the level of the B.Sc Nursing / GNM course you qualified through — not advanced or postgraduate level. |
| 90-minute duration, split into 5 sections of 18 minutes each, 20 questions per section | The screen shows one section at a time. Once 18 minutes pass, that section locks automatically and the next one opens — you cannot go back to a locked section, so pace yourself section-wise, not just for the full 90 minutes. |
| 1/3 mark negative marking per wrong answer | Guessing carries a real cost: three wrong answers cancel out one correct answer's mark. |
| Qualifying percentile: 50 for UR/EWS, 45 for OBC, 40 for SC/ST | This is a percentile cut-off, not a fixed mark. An extra 5 percentile relaxation applies for PWBD candidates within their category (UR/EWS-PWBD 45, OBC-PWBD 40, SC/ST-PWBD 35). |
| Number called to Stage II: 5 times the seats in each category (UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS) | Clearing the qualifying percentile alone does not guarantee a Stage II call — the notice is explicit that the Stage II list is capped at this multiple, subject to all-PWBD-qualifiers and tie-case rules. |
Stage II: NORCET Main — the complete pattern
Stage II is the one that actually decides your merit and, eventually, your seat allocation.
| What the notice states | What it means |
|---|---|
| 160 MCQs — four options each — 160 marks total, all Nursing | Unlike Stage I, there is no separate General Knowledge component here — every question is Nursing. |
| Covers the entire syllabus of Nursing courses at the essential-qualification level | Broader than Stage I's 80 Nursing questions — this stage draws on the full course, not a smaller slice of it. |
| Case-scenario based, testing nursing skills competency | Expect questions built around a patient/clinical situation where you apply nursing knowledge, rather than a plain one-line factual question. |
| 180-minute duration, split into 4 sections of 45 minutes each, 40 questions per section | Same locked-section format as Stage I, just longer: once a 45-minute section ends, it locks and the next opens automatically. |
| 1/3 mark negative marking per wrong answer | Same penalty as Stage I. |
| Qualifying marks: 50% for UR/EWS, 45% for OBC, 40% for SC/ST | Here it is a straight percentage of the 160 marks, not a percentile. PWBD candidates get an extra 5% relaxation within their category (UR/EWS-PWBD 45%, OBC-PWBD 40%, SC/ST-PWBD 35%). |
| Multi-shift exams are normalised per Notice No. 35/2023 dated 20.01.2023 | If NORCET-11 Stage II runs across more than one shift/date, AIIMS's existing normalisation formula is applied so scores across shifts are comparable — the notice does not reprint that formula here, only refers to it. |
At a glance
| Conducting Body | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi |
| Post Name | Nursing Officer |
| Mode of Exam | Online, Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Official Website | aiimsexams.ac.in |
If two candidates end up tied on marks
The notice sets out a fixed, five-step order for breaking a tie in the Stage II merit list. Each step is used only if the one before it fails to separate the candidates.
- 1. Fewer wrong answers (lower negative marks) in Stage II: NORCET Main ranks higher.
- 2. If still tied, higher marks/score in Stage I: NORCET Preliminary ranks higher.
- 3. If still tied, fewer wrong answers (lower negative marks) in Stage I: NORCET Preliminary ranks higher.
- 4. If still tied, the older candidate (by date of birth) ranks higher.
- 5. If still tied, alphabetical order of the candidate's name, then father's name, then mother's name, as recorded in the application.
What the official document does not state
Being direct about the gap matters more than filling it with a guess. This notice, Notice No.103/2026 dated 24.07.2026, does not contain any of the following — so nothing below should be trusted if you see it presented as 'the official NORCET-11 syllabus' elsewhere:
- No chapter-wise or subject-wise breakdown of the Nursing portion (no separate list for Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology, Community Health Nursing, etc.) — the notice only says it follows your course content.
- No topic list for the 'General Knowledge & Aptitude' 20 marks in Stage I — no mention of specific areas such as current affairs, reasoning, or quantitative aptitude.
- No marks-weightage per Nursing subject within the 80 (Stage I) or 160 (Stage II) Nursing questions.
- No sample paper, model questions, or previous-year cut-off marks.
- The multi-shift normalisation formula itself — the notice only names the earlier circular (No. 35/2023 dated 20.01.2023) that contains it, without reprinting it here.
Key dates from this notice
Online registration for NORCET-11 has already closed. The dates below are what remains, exactly as printed in the notice.
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Online registration | 24.07.2026 to 13.08.2026 (5:00 PM) — closed |
| NOC upload (for candidates in government/PSU jobs) | By 18.08.2026, 5:00 PM |
| Status of application for exam eligibility published | 24.08.2026 |
| Examination-city information released | 03.09.2026 |
| Admit card upload | 09.09.2026 |
| Stage I: NORCET Preliminary exam | 12.09.2026 (Saturday) |
| Stage II: NORCET Main exam | 30.09.2026 (Wednesday) |
| Results | To be announced in due course |
Source
This page is built from the full text of Notice No.103/2026 dated 24.07.2026, 'Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET)-11', issued by the Examination Section, AIIMS, New Delhi. For the current notice and to apply, visit the official AIIMS Examinations portal: www.aiimsexams.ac.in. Do not trust any coaching centre, agent, or third-party site claiming to have a different or additional official syllabus for this exam — the notice itself warns candidates that only aiimsexams.ac.in is authoritative.
Important Links
FAQ — Your Questions, Answered
Which body conducts this exam?
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
Which post is this for?
Nursing Officer
In which mode is the exam held?
Online, Computer Based Test (CBT)
What is the official website for this recruitment?
aiimsexams.ac.in
More from AIIMS
More syllabus pages
Official source: Official PDF ↗. Always confirm on the official website before acting on it.
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