INI CET Syllabus 2026: Know Subject Wise Weightage, Marks Distribution & Key Topics

The INI CET 2026 (Institute of National Importance Combines Entrance Test) is the most sought-after entrance exam for postgraduate medical course admission. You can get admission to India's top medical institutes, such as AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, and NIMHANS, to pursue your post-graduation. INI CET 2026 is a very competitive exam and opens a way for you to pursue MD, MS, and other post-graduate courses in reputed institutes. 

It is important for the candidates to know the syllabus, mark distributions, and exam pattern clearly to prepare for the exam. In this article, we will learn details of the INIC CET 2026 syllabus, key topics, and important tips for preparation. 

INI CET Syllabus 2026 – Overview of Subjects and Exam Pattern

INI CET 2026 is a prestigious post-graduation medical entrance exam. Many reputed medical institutes like AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, and NIMHANS participate in the exam to offer admission to deserving students in post-graduation courses. If you clear the exam, you can get admission in MD, MS, and other post-graduate courses in highly reputed institutes in India. 

There will be 200 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in the exam. It will basically test your theoretical and practical knowledge. You get 1 mark for each correct answer, and ⅓ marks will be deducted for each wrong answer. So, your accuracy and speed are both crucial for gaining a good score. As the exam has a negative marking rule, you must not make random guesses; otherwise, it can affect your score. You need to focus more on conceptual clarity.

The INI CET syllabus will include the entire syllabus of MBBS and cover all three subject groups - Pre-Clinical Subjects, Para-Clinical subjects, and Clinical Subjects. These subject groups include:

• Pre Clinical Subjects: Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry 
• Para Clinical Subjects: Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM) 
• Clinical Subjects: Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, ENT, Psychiatry, radiology, Anesthesia, and Allied Specialties. 

INI CET is a computer-based exam and follows a single paper format. The duration of the exam will be 3 hours. Questions will be framed to evaluate your conceptual knowledge, problem-solving skills, and clinical reasoning. It is very important for you to balance your preparation properly across Pre-clinical, Para-clinical, and Clinical subjects. 

INI CET 2026 Subject-Wise Weightage and Marks Distribution

If you plan well for your studies, the very first thing to know is how the marks will be distributed across all subjects. Here you can find the approximate weightage for each subject group and subject. 

Clinical subject weight is highest in the INI CET. More than half the questions are generally asked from this section. Para-clinical subjects carry a high marks weightage of 20-25%. Pre-clinical subjects have a low weightage, but these questions are high scoring and important for building a foundation.  

Key Topics from Pre-Clinical, Para-Clinical & Clinical Subjects

The syllabus is vast and you have to study everything from beginning to end. To make it a little bit simpler for you, here are the key topics from all three subject groups: 

Pre-Clinical Subjects

Pre-clinical subjects carry the lowest marks in the exams, but you need to study them thoroughly to understand the basics. Here are the important topics: 

• Anatomy: General anatomy, neuroanatomy, musculoskeletal system, vascular, and nerve anatomy.
• Physiology: CNS, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and endocrine physiology.
• Biochemistry: Metabolic pathways, enzyme mechanisms, molecular biology, and nutrition.

Para-Clinical Subjects

Para-clinical subjects carry 25-25% of marks in the exams. If you prepare it thoroughly, you can easily secure your 25% score from these questions. The main topics to prepare here are: 

• Pathology: Hematology, general pathology, systemic pathology, neoplasia, and lab investigations.
• Pharmacology: Antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, CNS drugs, autonomic pharmacology, and basic pharmacokinetics.
• Microbiology & Immunology: Bacteriology, virology, immunology, vaccines, and host-pathogen interactions.
• Forensic Medicine: Medico-legal procedures, toxicology, and legal aspects of medical practice.
• Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM): Epidemiology, biostatistics, public health programs, and preventive strategies.

Clinical Subjects

These subjects are very important as they carry the maximum marks. Your overall rank depends on how you perform in this section. So, you must carefully analyze the important topics mentioned below: 

• Medicine: Cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, nephrology, gastroenterology, dermatology, infectious diseases.
• Surgery: General surgery (GI, hepatobiliary, trauma), orthopedics, ENT, urology, and surgical emergencies.
• Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBG): Antenatal care, pregnancy complications, gynecological disorders, labor management.
• Pediatrics: Neonatology, growth & development, common pediatric diseases, immunizations.
• Psychiatry: Mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse.
• Ophthalmology: Cornea, retina, cataract, glaucoma, ocular emergencies.
• ENT: Hearing disorders, sinusitis, epistaxis, and common ENT procedures.
• Anesthesia & Radiology: Basic principles, emergency management, imaging interpretation.

Which Subjects Carry Maximum Weightage in INI CET 2026?

The INI CET 2026 will contain questions from the entire MBBS syllabus, but with different weightage. Some subjects weigh heavily and appear more frequently. You must focus more on these subjects to ensure a high score. 

Top 5 High-Weightage Subjects:

Here are the details of the top 5 high-weightage subjects for INI CET 2026:

1. Medicine

INI CET papers usually contain the highest number of questions from medicine. You can expect 40+ questions from this subject. The key topics are cardiology, pulmonology, nephrology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, infectious diseases, dermatology, and hematology. You will find various questions integrating the pre-clinical and para-clinical knowledge. For example, the physiology of the heart, renal pathology, etc. 

2. Surgery

The other most asked subject is Surgery. You must focus on topics like general surgery, GI surgery, trauma, orthopedics, urology, and surgical emergencies. The question will test your clinical decision-making ability and management skills for acute conditions. 

3. Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBG)

OBG is a scoring subject that can increase your score. You must cover important topics such as antenatal care, pregnancy complications, labor management, gynecological disorders, and reproductive health.

4. Pathology

The questions from pathology are the bridges between pre-clinical knowledge and clinical applications. The main topics include general and systematic pathology, hematology, neoplasia, inflammation, and lab investigations. The question will be asked as a combination of medicine, pediatrics, and surgery with pathology. 

5. Pharmacology

In this subject, you must focus more on drug mechanisms, therapeutic uses, side effects, and clinical applications. The questions are usually framed while inking clinical specialties. You can find the scenario-based integrated questions. 

Important points:

• Integrated questions: INI CET frames the question in such a way that multiple subjects are asked under a single question. For example, if the question is asked from a cardiology case, you will require a good knowledge of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology to answer it correctly.  
• Clinical + Para-Clinical balance: The majority of questions are asked from clinical subjects, but Para-clinical knowledge is also important to answer the clinical reasoning. You must balance between clinical and para-clinical preparation for good scores.  
• Strategic focus: You must prioritize the high-weighting subjects and keep revising the pre-clinical subjects also. You must be able to handle direct and integrated questions properly. 

Tips to Cover INI CET Syllabus 2026 Effectively

An effective preparation is important to clear the INI CET 2026. Here are the tips to prepare for INI CET 2026 effectively: 

1. Prioritize clinical subjects

While allocating time to each subject, give more time to Medicine, Surgery, OBG, and Pediatrics. The majority of questions are asked about these subjects. 

2. Keep revising Pre-clinical and Para Clinical subjects 

Along with focusing on Clinical subjects, you must regularly revise Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, and Pharmacology. It ensures you can confidently answer integrated questions. 

3. Solve previous year question papers

A thorough practice of the previous year's Question papers can help you identify the question trends. You will know the difficulty levels and the most asked topics. Set a time limit to solve the question to increase your speed and accuracy. 

4. Practice with question Banks and Mock tests

You can practice the question using the reputed question banks available online and offline. Don't skip mock tests because they are important to experience the real exam-like environment and work on your weak areas. 

5. Prepare short subjects 

You will find many small subjects in your syllabus, but they are good scoring, such as ENT, Ophthalmology, Anesthesia, Radiology, and Psychiatry. These require less time to prepare, and you can revise them quickly. 

6. Make short notes 

Make a habit of making concise notes while you study, for example, formulas, drug lists, and key clinical signs. It will help you with last-minute revisions. 

7. Make an integrated preparation strategy 

AS the INI CET tests your knowledge through integrated questions, you must also prepare in a similar way. You must link basic science with clinical applications. For example, link renal physiology with nephrology, Pathology with pediatrics, etc.  

8. Time Management during the exam 

Your main focus must be to spend a maximum of 3 minutes on a question. First attempt the question that you are confident with and later come back to the challenging questions. 

Conclusion

THE INI CET 2026 syllabus includes all the subjects you have studied in MBBS. The questions will be framed from all 3 subject groups, and clinical will carry the highest marks. To score high marks, you must focus more on high-weightage subjects. It is important to revise fundamentals regularly, practice with question banks and previous year papers to ensure you know the exam pattern well and solve questions with accuracy and speed.