Nov 12, 2025
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We are so happy for you that the INI-CET exam you’ve worked so hard towards is finally behind you. And, we are sure that you all have done wonderfully. However, the tension hasn’t lifted yet. It has just made a slight shift. You’ve given weeks of relentless preparation, and walked out of the exam hall with the utmost confidence, and now comes the longest wait: waiting for the INI-CET result.
This can be the toughest time for you. You must be replaying questions in your head, wondering what the expected cut-off might look like this year, and a million other things must be going on in your brain right now as well. But remember, you’re not alone.
Every aspirant right now is in the same turmoil. Everyone is wondering whether the exam this time was tougher than the May session, or how high the score will climb this time.
To free you from all this overthinking, we’ve gathered expert insights and data-driven analysis to help you decode the INI-CET 2025 exam difficulty, the expected cut-off trends, and when you can realistically expect the result.
Without further ado, let’s dive straight in, breaking down everything you need to know where you stand and what comes next.
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Before we dive into the cutoffs and other things, let us understand what INI-CET is all about. This exam is typically a three-hour computer-based test that features 200 single-best-answer MCQs spanning the entire Medical curriculum. This exam involves pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical.
For the November 2025 session, the exam was conducted on 9th November. Earlier exam papers had an emphasis on factual recall. But, this time, we saw more questions associated with clinical application, including scenario-based questions, image-led items, and multidisciplinary stems.
This implies that simple cramming of the concepts would not suffice anymore; students must focus more on thinking in context and dealing with applied scenarios.
Based on the expert insights and student feedback, this exam paper was broadly rated as “moderate with tricky options.” One of the most coherent analyses portrayed approximately 60% of the items as straightforward. They even claimed that the remaining questions demanded deep understanding or quick decision-making.
Relative to the past years, this session was neither dramatically harder nor significantly easier. But the fact that this session increasingly emphasised clinical framing and option-distractors makes it harder for the students to achieve marks easily.
Let’s talk about how every subject has affected the difficulty of the exam in this session:

If we notice the pattern of the exam, we see image-based items, clinical vignettes with multiple layers, multi-disciplinary fusion, and higher-order reasoning. You might have found the INI-CET paper difficult this time as it demanded speed and reasoning, especially when you have prepared only for simple factual recall.
We might use the words “cut-off” and “qualifying percentile” interchangeably, but it’s crucial that you know the difference between them.
While the qualifying percentile is the minimum threshold to enter counselling, the actual closing cut-off depends on the institute, specialty, and seat matrix.
Based on recent data and expert projections, here are approximate ranges for the November session:
| Category | Expected Qualifying Cut-Off Range* |
| General / EWS | 50 – 55 percentile |
| OBC | 45 – 50 percentile |
| SC / ST | 40 – 45 percentile |
| PwBD | 35 – 40 percentile |
Important: For premium seats/specialties (e.g., Radiodiagnosis, Neurosurgery), actual marks/rank required will be significantly higher — likely 80+ percentile or higher, depending on competition.
When we look back, we would observe that the qualifying percentile for the General category has consistently been 50th percentile and 45th percentile for the reserved categories.
While these are the findings, you must remember that qualifying percentiles are different from seat-securing ranks. For the most popular seats and institutes, closing ranks often sit near the top percentiles, i.e., 90th+ or above.
According to the official reports, the result for the November 2025 session is expected to be released on 15 November 2025. Once the result is out, it will be available as a PDF on the official website. All you need is your registration details to download the scorecard and view your percentile and rank.
If we analyze the November 2025 session of INI-CET, we observe that the exam combined clinical depth, time pressure, and tougher option structures. This compels the students to indulge in more strategic preparation than ever.
You are on the right path if you have focused on clinically-oriented questions, refined your elimination skills, and worked on improving your accuracy under time pressure throughout the preparation.
You can also leverage the expected cut-off insights mentioned above to reasonably benchmark yourself.
Q1. What is the expected INI-CET 2025 cut-off for different categories?
INI-CET uses percentile-based qualifying minimums (commonly referenced: 50th percentile for UR; 45th percentile for OBC/SC/ST/PwBD). Final seat-securing cut-offs vary by institute and specialty and become clear post-result/counseling.
Q2. Was the INI-CET 2025 exam difficult compared to previous years?
The INI-CET 2025 exam was generally considered to be of moderate difficulty, similar to previous years, with a balanced mix of questions. Many candidates found the exam challenging due to the length of clinical and scenario-based questions, which tested time management and concept clarity, rather than being overwhelmingly difficult on their own. The paper maintained a consistent INI-CET exam pattern, with many questions resembling those from previous sessions.
Q3. When will the INI-CET 2025 result date be announced by AIIMS?
AIIMS announced that the INI CET 2025 (November session) result will be declared on November 15, 2025. The results will be released online in a PDF format on the official AIIMS website.
Q4. How does the INI-CET 2025 difficulty level compare with the May session?
The INI-CET 2025 November session was slightly tougher than the May session, with most students finding it to be of moderate difficulty. The November paper was noted for being more clinically-based, which required more in-depth knowledge and time to solve, compared to the May paper.
Q5. What were the INI-CET previous year cut-offs for General and OBC candidates?
According to the counselling data from the previous session, qualifying percentiles typically cited are 50 (UR) and 45 (OBC/SC/ST/PwBD). And, when it comes to institute closings, they are generally higher and vary annually.
Q6. How is the INI-CET expected cut-off 2025 calculated?
There is no specific formula to determine the cut-off. Expectations typically arise from difficulty level, seat availability, and prior trends. You can reveal the final cut-offs through actual allotments only.
Q7. Does a difficult INI-CET paper affect the final cut-off?
Yes, of course. More difficult papers tend to soften cut-offs slightly, and slightly easier papers can lighten them. It’s an effect that is specific to the session.
Q8. Where can I check the AIIMS INI-CET 2025 result and merit list?
You have to stay updated with all the notifications related to the result that will be published on the AIIMS exam portal aiimsexams.ac.in
Q9. What is considered a good score in INI-CET 2025?
When it comes to deciphering whether the score is good or bad, you must know that it is context-specific. The specialty and institute that you are targeting determine how competitive your score/rank needs to be. You can always use the previous year's closing ranks as a guide, along with the exam’s difficulty level.
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Vasavi Karol, Content Specialist at PrepLadder, brings over 5 years of experience to her role. Renowned for her articulate write-ups, she expertly assists medical aspirants in navigating the intricacies of exam preparation, helping them secure higher rankings.
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