INI CET subject weightageINI CET high yield topicsINI CET subject wise marksINI CET important subjectsINI CET topic distributionwhat to study for INI CET
INI-CET Subject-Wise Weightage & High-Yield Topics: A Priority Framework
INI-CET subject-wise weightage, high-yield topics, and a study-prioritisation framework for all 19 MBBS subjects — based on past-paper analysis, not an official blueprint.
NEETPGAI EditorialPublished 22 Jun 202620 min read
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INI-CET (200 MCQs, 180 minutes, 4 blocks of 50, +1 / −1/3 marking, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi) does not come with an official subject-wise question breakdown — AIIMS has never released one. All weightage estimates are based on aspirants' past-paper analysis and vary between sessions. With that caveat clearly in place, here is the working priority framework:
Clinical heavy-weights first. Medicine, Surgery, OBG, and Pediatrics together constitute the majority of most papers, based on candidate reconstructions. These subjects also carry the highest applied and image load, so they deserve both the most time and the deepest preparation.
Para-clinical block next. Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, and PSM provide both independent marks and the mechanistic reasoning that feeds directly into clinical-subject vignettes. PSM is disproportionately scoring for its study investment.
Short subjects: targeted, not comprehensive. Ophthalmology, ENT, Forensic Medicine, Anaesthesia, Radiology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Orthopaedics each contribute a modest but meaningful share. Their high-yield zones are narrow — image associations, hallmark signs, named instruments — and respond well to focused revision.
Pre-clinical subjects with a clinical lens. Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry appear in applied and image-based form, not as rote recall. Revise them through clinical-application MCQs rather than raw textbook memorisation.
The governing principle is depth over breadth and applied reasoning over recall — the qualities INI-CET rewards because they distinguish a strong NEET PG candidate from a top INI rank.
Why there is no official INI-CET subject-wise breakdown
INI-CET is the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi twice a year (May and November sessions) for postgraduate admission to India's elite Institutes of National Importance: AIIMS (all campuses), PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum. The exam is 200 single-best-answer MCQs in 180 minutes, split into four blocks of 50 with no backward navigation between blocks. The marking for MD/MS seats is +1 for a correct answer and −1/3 for an incorrect one; MDS uses −1/5.
Unlike some other Indian PG entrance exams, AIIMS has never released a per-session subject-wise question count or a fixed percentage blueprint. There is no official document that says "Medicine will be X%, Surgery Y%". What exists instead is a body of candidate-reconstructed analysis — past-paper reports from aspirants, coaching institute surveys, and collective peer accounts — that shows consistent broad patterns, even if the precise session-to-session split fluctuates.
The practical implication is important: any subject-wise weightage you encounter — including the framework in this article — is an approximate, observed tendency, not a guaranteed count for your sitting. The right response is not to ignore weightage entirely (the broad patterns are real and useful for priority-setting) but to treat every estimate as directional rather than precise, and to prepare each subject deeply enough to handle variation in any direction.
A prioritisation framework: four tiers
Before subject-by-subject coverage, a framework for how to allocate your time is more useful than a list. Based on observed past-paper patterns, INI-CET subjects cluster into four broad priority tiers. These tiers reflect both the approximate relative contribution to the paper and the applied/image load within each subject, because INI-CET rewards depth and reasoning — a highly-weighted subject that you know only at recall level is less valuable than a lower-weighted subject you can reason through at the applied level.
Tier
Subjects
Basis for priority
Tier 1 — Clinical heavyweights
Medicine, Surgery, OBG, Pediatrics
Highest approximate contribution; heavy applied and image load
Tier 2 — Para-clinical core
Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, PSM
Major individual contribution + feeds clinical reasoning across the paper
Smaller per-subject share, but narrow high-yield zones and image associations give high return on targeted study
Tier 4 — Pre-clinical applied
Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry
Lowest individual contribution; tested through applied clinical and image-based questions, not rote recall
Use this table to set weekly time allocation, not to skip subjects. Every subject contributes marks, and a top INI rank is built on uniformly solid command with exceptional depth in the heavy-weight zones. The short subjects (Tier 3) in particular are under-studied by many candidates — a focused 4–6-hour revision of each delivers disproportionate returns because the question patterns are predictable and image-heavy.
Medicine is the single subject most consistently represented across INI-CET sessions in candidate-reconstructed analyses, and it is also where INI-CET's applied, reasoning-oriented character shows most clearly. Expect ECG interpretation woven into cardiology vignettes, guideline-based management chains, and integrated diagnosis under current standard guidelines. The topics that recur most reliably:
Cardiology — ECG rhythm recognition (atrial fibrillation, blocks, ischaemia patterns), heart failure classification and management, and current-guideline framing of common cardiac conditions.
Endocrinology — diabetes management per current standards (drug selection logic, targets), thyroid function assessment and treatment, and adrenal/pituitary disorders.
Infectious disease — first-line treatment principles, resistance-aware management, and fever workup in both community and hospital settings.
Nephrology and acid–base — interpretation of renal function, electrolyte disorders, and the next-step logic in acid–base vignettes.
Respiratory — chest X-ray pattern recognition alongside clinical diagnosis; obstructive and restrictive patterns with management.
INI-CET Medicine questions are rarely straightforward recall. The standard format is a short vignette — sometimes with an ECG or imaging — ending in "what is the next best step?" Prepare Medicine by combining textbook depth with guideline-current management and deliberate ECG and radiograph drilling.
Surgery and allied branches
Surgery in INI-CET rewards applied management reasoning and image recognition above memorised lists. Expect staging logic, instrument identification, and next-step decision-making in clinical scenarios. Core high-yield zones:
Trauma — the ATLS ABCDE primary survey, haemorrhage classification, and the immediate management decisions that follow.
Common malignancies — staging (TNM), investigation of choice, and treatment approach for gastrointestinal, breast, thyroid, and colorectal cancers.
Abdominal emergencies — perforation, obstruction, and appendicitis presentations with the diagnostic and treatment chain.
Imaging-led diagnosis — recognising plain radiograph and CT findings for surgical conditions (gas under diaphragm, air-fluid levels, obstructive patterns).
Instruments and specimens — a reliable INI-CET image category; classic named instruments and their use.
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG)
OBG is a high-frequency, reliably scoring block where current-guideline familiarity pays off directly. INI-CET OBG questions sit at the applied, management-reasoning level more than the recall level. High-yield themes:
Antenatal care — routine monitoring, screening tests, and the interpretation of results under current standards.
Obstetric emergencies — management of pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage, and obstructed labour; the next-step logic matters more than the definition.
Labour and delivery — partogram interpretation, indications for operative delivery, and the immediate management of intrapartum complications.
Contraception — selection logic, mechanisms, and contraindications for the main methods.
Gynaecology oncology — staging and management of cervical, ovarian, and endometrial malignancies; FIGO staging is a recurring target.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics carries a consistent share across INI-CET sessions and overlaps heavily with both Medicine and PSM, giving double-revision value for topics like the immunisation schedule and nutritional deficiencies. High-yield zones:
Immunisation schedule — the national schedule, catch-up principles, and contraindications. This topic also appears in PSM, so deep revision covers both subjects simultaneously.
Growth and development — developmental milestones, anthropometric interpretation, and growth faltering workup.
Neonatal emergencies — respiratory distress, jaundice in the neonate, and the immediate resuscitation algorithm.
Common pediatric infections — management of pneumonia, diarrhoea, meningitis, and fever without source per current standard guidelines.
Nutrition — protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiency presentations, and management principles.
Pathology is the conceptual backbone of INI-CET's reasoning-based questions: a well-prepared Pathology candidate can navigate mechanism-based clinical vignettes in subjects they have partially forgotten, because the underlying logic is shared. It also carries a significant image load. High-yield areas:
General pathology — inflammation (acute and chronic), healing and repair, cell injury, and neoplasia principles (carcinogenesis, tumour markers, staging concepts).
Slide recognition — classic pathological appearances on microscopy: Reed–Sternberg cells, psammoma bodies, signet ring cells, pseudo-rosettes. These appear as direct image questions.
Systemic pathology — organ-specific disease mechanisms (glomerulopathies, hepatic pathology, pulmonary patterns) with their classic macroscopic and microscopic appearances.
INI-CET Pathology often pairs an image of a slide with a clinical scenario, requiring both slide-reading and mechanism-reasoning skills. Train both in combination.
Pharmacology
Pharmacology in INI-CET is tested through mechanism-based, applied reasoning rather than rote memorisation of drug names. The questions frequently feed into clinical-subject vignettes, so strong Pharmacology preparation multiplies the value of your clinical-subject revision. Core high-yield zones:
Drugs of choice — first-line agents for common medical conditions and the reasoning behind selection, especially where guidelines have updated recommendations.
Newer but established drug classes — drug groups that are now standard practice: SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, newer biologics for IBD and rheumatoid arthritis, DOACs (direct oral anticoagulants), and newer antihypertensive principles. The emphasis is on class mechanism, key indications, and signature adverse effects.
Pharmacokinetic interactions — enzyme inducers (rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin) and inhibitors (fluconazole, ciprofloxacin, valproate) and their clinical consequences.
Adverse drug reactions — classic drug-adverse effect pairings that INI-CET uses to build integration questions (amiodarone thyroid/pulmonary toxicity, metformin and lactic acidosis, fibrates and myopathy).
Microbiology
Microbiology contributes both stand-alone identification questions and the infectious-disease substrate for Medicine and Pediatrics vignettes. High-yield zones:
Common pathogens — organism–disease pairs for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites at the level of standard practice; lab diagnosis (growth media, colony morphology, special stains) for the classic associations.
Staining and lab diagnosis — Ziehl–Neelsen, India ink, Gram stain patterns, and their diagnostic associations.
Virology — HIV pathophysiology and ART principles, hepatitis serology interpretation, and vaccine-preventable virus biology.
Mycology and parasitology — clinically important fungi (Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Candida) and the major parasites with their disease and life cycle basics.
PSM (Preventive and Social Medicine)
PSM is one of the highest-return subjects per study hour in INI-CET because its content is stable, fact-dense, and well-delineated, and it is where national programme updates and guideline changes land most predictably. The immunisation schedule overlaps with Pediatrics, giving extra revision value. Core high-yield zones:
National health programmes — Universal Immunisation Programme, RNTCP/NTP, RMNCH+A, NCD programmes, and their current targets and indicators.
Immunisation schedule — the national schedule including catch-up and cold chain principles.
Epidemiology and biostatistics — study design hierarchy, measures of frequency (incidence, prevalence, attack rate), measures of association (odds ratio, relative risk, NNT), and screening test statistics (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, likelihood ratios).
Vital statistics and demographic indicators — crude and age-specific rates, IMR, MMR, NMR, total fertility rate, and their interpretation.
Environmental health and nutrition — water quality standards, occupational exposure limits, and national nutrition programmes.
Tier 3 — Short clinical subjects: high return on targeted study
The short clinical subjects — Ophthalmology, ENT, Forensic Medicine, Anaesthesia, Radiology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Orthopaedics — each contribute a smaller per-subject share than the Tier 1 and Tier 2 subjects, but they should not be dismissed. Individually, their high-yield zones are narrow and predictable; collectively, they represent a meaningful score differential between candidates who have covered them and those who have not. The image and sign-recognition content in these subjects is exactly the INI-CET style — a photo or diagram, a clinical context, and a single best answer — making them efficient preparation once you know what to target.
Ophthalmology — Image associations are the primary format. Key targets: slit-lamp and fundoscopy appearances (diabetic retinopathy grading, glaucomatous disc, cherry red spot, papilloedema), classic instrument recognition (slit lamp, direct and indirect ophthalmoscope, tonometer), and the management decision for acute red eye presentations.
ENT — Named signs and instrument recognition recur reliably. Key targets: the characteristic findings of common ENT conditions (Rinne and Weber test interpretation, cholesteatoma, DNS appearances), endoscope and instrument identification, and the differentials for throat and ear conditions on clinical photographs.
Forensic Medicine — Fact-based and stable. Key targets: postmortem changes and their interpretation (rigor mortis, livor mortis, putrefaction), injury classification (contusion, laceration, incised wound), medicolegal definitions, and examiners' tools and specimens.
Anaesthesia — Instrument recognition and pharmacology overlap dominate. Key targets: airway equipment identification (laryngoscope blades, LMA types, endotracheal tubes), spinal vs. epidural vs. general anaesthesia indications, and anaesthetic agent properties.
Radiology — A growing INI-CET category as the image load has increased. Key targets: plain radiograph hallmarks (consolidation, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, intestinal obstruction signs), classic CT and MRI patterns for common diagnoses, and the appropriate investigation-of-choice logic for presenting clinical scenarios.
Dermatology — Clinical photograph questions with lesion identification. Key targets: primary and secondary lesion morphology, classic rash-diagnosis associations (targetoid lesions of erythema multiforme, grouped vesicles of herpes zoster, salmon-pink scaling of psoriasis), and dermatology as a surface manifestation of systemic disease.
Psychiatry — Classification-based and management-logic questions. Key targets: DSM/ICD-based diagnostic criteria for major disorders, first-line drug selection for psychosis, depression, and bipolar disorder, and the classic adverse effect profiles of antipsychotics and mood stabilisers.
Orthopaedics — Imaging and named-fracture associations. Key targets: classic radiograph appearances (Colles fracture, proximal femur fractures, spine fracture patterns), compartment syndrome recognition and the next-step logic, and the named tests for common joint conditions.
Tier 4 — Pre-clinical subjects: applied, not rote
Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry appear in INI-CET in applied and image-based form, not as standalone rote-recall questions. The strategy is not to skip them — they contribute marks that matter at the rank boundary — but to revise them specifically in the format INI-CET uses.
Anatomy — The high-yield format is radiological anatomy: identifying structures on a plain radiograph, CT scan, or MRI, and the clinical correlate of the anatomical relationship. Dermatomes and peripheral nerve injury patterns appear as applied vignettes. Surface anatomy of commonly palpated structures surfaces occasionally.
Physiology — Applied vignettes dominate: a patient with a specific abnormal lab or clinical finding, and the physiological mechanism that explains it. High-yield zones are renal physiology (tubular function, concentration mechanisms), respiratory physiology (compliance, diffusion capacity, V/Q mismatch), and the cardiovascular cycle (pressure–volume relationships, Starling's law, venous return).
Biochemistry — Enzyme deficiency diseases in clinical presentation (alkaptonuria, phenylketonuria, galactosaemia, glycogen storage diseases), metabolic pathway logic that feeds into genetic and nutritional disorders, and the biochemical basis of commonly tested clinical syndromes.
How to use this framework in your study schedule
A subject-wise weightage list is only as valuable as the allocation decisions it drives. The practical translation:
Assign study time proportional to tier, not to what you find comfortable. Many candidates over-invest in familiar pre-clinical subjects and under-invest in clinical-subject depth. Rebalance: at minimum 50% of your active study time should be on Tier 1 subjects.
Pair every topic with applied MCQs, not just notes. For each topic you read, immediately drill MCQs that test it in applied form — vignette, image, or next-step format — because that is the only form INI-CET uses. Passive reading does not convert to INI-CET marks.
Build image practice into every session. Do not reserve image questions for a separate "image revision block" — integrate them throughout. When you study Pathology, look at slides. When you study Medicine, read ECGs. When you study Radiology and Ophthalmology, work from clinical photographs. Image fluency is a habit, not a cramming sprint.
Exploit overlap for compounding returns. The immunisation schedule is Pediatrics and PSM simultaneously. Pharmacology mechanism questions double as clinical Medicine and therapeutics. Pathology logic underpins both pathology slides and clinical-subject mechanism vignettes. Identify these overlaps and schedule them as unified revision blocks.
Mock tests as a diagnostic, not just a practice. After each INI-CET-pattern mock, analyse your errors by subject and by question type (recall vs applied vs image). This tells you whether a weak subject needs more content depth, more applied MCQ drilling, or more image practice — three different interventions that read the same on a score report but require very different revision.
How NEETPGAI helps you work through the subject prioritisation
NEETPGAI is built for exactly the depth-first, applied, subject-aware drilling this framework describes — and it surfaces the data you need to know where to go next.
A free 31,000+ MCQ bank organised by subject, so you can target any tier in any session without switching platforms or paying for access.
Per-subject accuracy analytics that show you which subjects and which question types (applied, image-based, mechanism-reasoning) are pulling your score down — so your revision follows evidence, not guesswork.
INI-CET-pattern mock tests — 200 questions in 180 minutes with +1/−1/3 marking and a four-block structure — so your practice matches what the exam actually asks.
An AI tutor tuned for applied reasoning that works through next-best-step logic, mechanism questions, and recent-advances framing subject by subject, rather than returning rote answers.
Diagnostic analytics and percentile tracking that surface where you stand against a top-rank target, subject by subject, so you always know where to spend the next hour.
The question bank, mock tests, analytics, and image practice are free for every registered user. The AI tutor and advanced Pro tools are part of the Pro plan, which covers NEET PG, INI-CET, and FMGE together. Start on the INI-CET preparation hub or begin your subject-by-subject diagnosis now.
Does AIIMS publish an official subject-wise question distribution for INI-CET?
No. AIIMS New Delhi does not release an official per-subject question breakdown for INI-CET. All weightage estimates in circulation — including those in this guide — are based on aspirants' reconstruction and past-paper analysis, not a published blueprint. The exact distribution varies between sessions. Treat any subject-wise percentages as approximate priority guidance, not a guaranteed count.
Which subject carries the most weight in INI-CET?
Based on past-paper analysis by aspirants and coaching institutes, Medicine and its allied clinical subjects together form the single largest block — with Surgery, OBG, and Pediatrics also contributing heavily. The clinical subjects as a group are estimated to account for well over half the paper. Because AIIMS does not publish exact counts, treat this as a relative priority, not a fixed number.
Is Pathology important for INI-CET?
Yes, highly. Pathology is a major para-clinical subject in INI-CET, with a strong image component — pathology slide recognition is a recurring category. Pathology also provides the conceptual bridge into clinical reasoning questions across other subjects. High-yield areas include general pathology principles, inflammation and neoplasia, and classic morphological associations.
How important is PSM (Preventive & Social Medicine) in INI-CET?
PSM is one of the most reliably scoring subjects in INI-CET because its content is fact-dense, stable, and well-defined. It carries a consistent share across sessions and is where programme updates and guideline changes land most predictably. High-yield areas are the national immunisation schedule, national health programmes, epidemiology and biostatistics, and vital statistics.
Should I study basic science subjects (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry) for INI-CET?
Yes, but with a clinical-application lens. INI-CET tests pre-clinical subjects through applied and image-based questions — radiological anatomy, classic instrument or specimen recognition, applied physiology vignettes — rather than rote recall. Dedicate proportionally less time than to clinical subjects, but do not skip them. Applied and visual pre-clinical questions appear in every paper.
How many image-based questions appear in INI-CET, and which subjects do they come from?
Roughly 15–25% of INI-CET is estimated to be image-based — about 30 to 50 questions out of 200. Images span radiology, pathology slides, ECG, clinical photographs (dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT surface findings), and instruments. Radiology, Pathology, Medicine (ECG), and the short surgical/clinical subjects (Ophthalmology, Dermatology, ENT) carry the largest image burden.
How is Pharmacology tested in INI-CET?
Pharmacology in INI-CET is tested through mechanism-based and clinical-application questions rather than isolated memorisation. Expect drugs of choice for common clinical scenarios, newer but established drug classes with their indications and signature adverse effects, and pharmacokinetic concepts (enzyme inducers, inhibitors) that feed into clinical vignettes. Recent advances in therapeutics — updated first-line agents — are a recurring INI-CET theme.
What is the relative weightage of the shorter subjects in INI-CET?
The short subjects — Ophthalmology, ENT, Forensic Medicine, Anaesthesia, Radiology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Orthopaedics — individually contribute a small but non-trivial share. Individually each carries less weight than the major clinical subjects, but collectively they add up. Because their high-yield zones are narrow and well-defined, targeted revision of image associations, hallmark signs, and classic instrument/specimen questions gives a high return for limited study time.
How does INI-CET's applied tilt change how I should study each subject?
For every subject, the applied tilt means you should study toward the question INI-CET actually asks — "given this patient/image, what is the next best step?" — not toward isolated fact recall. For Medicine that means guideline-based management; for Pathology it means slide recognition and mechanism reasoning; for PSM it means being able to apply data to a biostatistics or programme question. Drilling MCQs in applied-vignette and image-based formats converts subject knowledge into exam marks.
Can I crack INI-CET with the same preparation I used for NEET PG?
NEET PG preparation gives you the foundation, but it is not sufficient on its own. INI-CET layers on applied clinical reasoning, image-based question reading, and familiarity with recent guidelines — areas NEET PG rewards less. After NEET PG-level mastery is in place, add deeper applied practice, deliberate image-drilling, and recent-advances revision to convert your foundation into an INI-CET-worthy score.
How does NEETPGAI help with subject-wise INI-CET preparation?
NEETPGAI provides a free MCQ bank organised by subject, with analytics that show per-subject accuracy and percentile rank. You can drill any subject in applied-reasoning mode, take INI-CET-pattern mocks (200 questions, 180 minutes, +1/−1/3 marking), and use the AI tutor to work through mechanisms and next-best-step logic subject by subject. The platform surfaces which subjects need the most attention so your revision time goes where it matters.
Use the subject-priority tiers as your allocation guide, practise every topic in applied and image-based form, and let your mock analytics show you where the depth work is still needed. The INI rank goes to the candidate who combines broad subject coverage with exceptional applied depth — and that combination is built question by question, subject by subject.
Written by: NEETPGAI Editorial Team
Reviewed by: NEETPGAI Medical Advisory Board
Last reviewed: June 2026
INI-CET is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi; the exam pattern (200 MCQs, 180 minutes, 4 blocks of 50, +1 / −1/3 marking for MD/MS, held in May and November) is summarised from official AIIMS/NMC sources. AIIMS does not publish an official subject-wise question breakdown for INI-CET — all weightage estimates in this article are based on aspirants' past-paper analysis and vary between sessions; they should be treated as approximate priority guidance, not a fixed blueprint. High-yield topic examples are grounded in standard MBBS textbooks and current major guidelines (Harrison's, Robbins, Bailey & Love, KD Tripathi, Park). Always verify your cohort's specific requirements on the official AIIMS and NMC portals before planning. For corrections or updates, contact the editorial team.
