How to Score 150+ in INI-CET-Strategy Backed by Experts

Being the biggest gatekeeper to India’s most coveted postgraduate institutions including AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, and NIMHANS, INI-CET is much more than just an exam. 

Every year, thousands of aspirants think about achieving a score high enough to get a speciality and institute of their own choice. 

But among these thousands, only a few manage to break through that 150+ mark. What makes them stand out is neither just intelligence nor numbers of hours they study for. The thing that makes them shine is the clarity in their approach, the resources they trust, the consistency of their revision, and the mindset they carry till the very last minute. 

Scoring 150+ is no fluke, it’s the result of deliberate preparation. If you can practice smart, master high-yield subjects, and maintain mental clarity even under pressure, nothing can stop you from getting that perfect score. 

In this blog, we have discussed the real strategies used by toppers that can help anyone achieve their dream score. 

Understand the Exam Pattern Before You Fight It

No great strategy can take place if you’re not aware of the INI-CET exam pattern. You must know that INI-CET is an MCQ based exam consisting of 200 questions conducted over three hours. In this exam you are just not being tested on recall, you also are being evaluated on analysis, reasoning, and clinical application. 

When it comes to syllabus, it entails 19 subjects from your MBBS curriculum. However, one thing that you need to note is that not all 19 subjects are equal in weightage. The exam leans majorly on clinical reasoning, integration, and image-based interpretation. Approaching it like a rote-heavy exam will become the cause of your failure.  

Build Your Base Around High-Yield Subjects

While you are preparing for the exam, you need to remember that not every subject will give you the same return on your time. According to the collected data and meticulous analysis, Medicine and its allied fields including Surgery, OBS-GYN, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Microbiology often form most of the questions. 

And, when it comes to image-based segments, Radiology and Anatomy also feature prominently. 

However, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore the shorter subjects. Even though subjects like Psychiatry, ENT, Ophthalmology, and Anaesthesia are compact but utterly scoring. 

You must give them focused attention during your revisions because even a single question can shift your rank by hundreds. 

Studying everything equally is not the answer, studying smartly is. You need to focus on high-yield areas, integrate across systems, and subject mastery. 

Embrace the Power of Image-Based Learning

As an aspirant, one thing that you must be confident about is that the INI-CET exam is not purely theoretical. Around 20-30 questions are based on clinical images, pathology slides, radiographs, or instrumental visuals. 

Solving these questions is about pattern recognition, real-world application, and connecting what you see with what you know. 

In order to tackle such questions, you must focus on building a visual memory bank. Every time you come across a clinical chart or a diagnostic image, you should save it, annotate it, and keep glancing at it consistently. 

Instead of just identifying the image, you must also connect it to the clinical context. Nothing can help you solve image-based questions better than QBank X. It includes 20% more IBQs to strengthen your visual learning.

Stop Resource Hopping—Commit to One Streamlined Platform

Resource fatigue is undeniably one of the most common traps aspirants fall into. In trying to gather every piece of information from numerous books, coaching modules, YouTube channels, you end up cramming everything but retaining nothing. 

Instead of getting yourself surrounded by chaos, it’s better to choose a reliable platform that offers everything you need at one place. Version X offers 15% shorter video lectures, structured notes, QBank with audio explanations, and regularly scheduled mock tests. 

Use the 3R Rule to Revise Like a Topper

If there’s one thing toppers agree on, it’s that revision is everything. Reading something once doesn’t make it yours. It’s the second, third, and fourth repetitions that make it stick.

A proven strategy many experts recommend is the 3R model:

• The first revision should be done within a month of your initial study. This is where you cement the base.
• The second revision comes faster—ideally within 2–3 weeks. You start focusing on active recall and testing yourself.
• The final revision happens just before the exam. It’s short, intense, and all about last-mile polishing.

Each round should be tighter, quicker, and more focused. Use flashcards, rapid modules, and one-liners. Replace passive reading with active recall. If you can’t recall it, you don’t know it yet.

Practice Like It’s the Real Thing

No matter how much you read, nothing prepares you better than solving real exam-like questions. Previous year papers give you unmatched insight into exam patterns, commonly tested topics, and recurring traps.

Start solving Grand Tests at least once a week as you enter your final three months. Don’t get hung up on the score—focus on learning from your mistakes. Maintain an error log, go over your explanations carefully, and make a list of topics where you frequently go wrong. These are your blind spots, and fixing them will push your score up faster than anything else.

Mock exams also help you improve time management, reduce silly mistakes, and strengthen stamina for the 3-hour grind.

Design a Plan That Works for Your Life

Study hours will vary depending on whether you’re preparing full-time or managing your internship alongside. A full-time aspirant can aim for 8–10 hours a day, broken into deep study blocks, MCQ practice, revision sessions, and a dedicated test-analysis day once a week.

If you're juggling clinical duties, aim for 3–5 focused hours a day. Use travel time or gaps for MCQs, audio explanations, or quick topic flashcards. The goal is consistency, not perfection. Small, daily wins compound into massive progress.

The smartest aspirants don’t just study hard — they study with strategy.

Also Read: Do’s and Don’ts for the Last Week of INI-CET Prep

Train Your Brain for Clinical Thinking

INI-CET has moved away from dry facts and leans heavily into clinical integration. Questions will often test how you connect Physiology with Medicine, or Pathology with Surgery.

To prepare for this, start seeing each subject as part of a system. For instance, when reading about jaundice, understand its physiology, the pathology of liver damage, the radiological findings, and the treatment protocols. When you connect the dots, your brain remembers the picture — not just the line.

This depth of understanding is what differentiates a 130 from a 150+.

Wrapping Up 

You don’t have to be a genius to score 150+ in INI-CET. You just have to be disciplined, consistent, and strategic. You must trust your plan, leverage the right resources, and try pushing just a little harder every single day. 

The hardest part that is showing up is already done and dusted. WHat comes next is to finish what you started. With the right mindset, a consistent strategy, and complete belief in yourself, the dream of scoring 150+ can become your reality. 

Stay calm. Stay sharp. And keep going.
Your seat at AIIMS, PGIMER, or JIPMER might just be one smart choice away.

Download the PrepLadder app now and unlock a 24-hour FREE trial of premium high-yield content. Access Video Lectures also in हिंglish,, digital notes, QBank, and Mock Tests for FREE to ace your INI-CET/NEET PG preparation. Elevate your study experience and gear up for success. Start your journey with PrepLadder today!