Mar 18, 2026

You have cleared the PG exam. You have completed three years of MD/MS residency. Now you are facing 80 choice questions that stand between you and a DM/MCh seat at AIIMS New Delhi. You have 90 minutes to answer these questions. That is roughly 67 seconds per question. If you answer a question, you will lose one-third of a mark.
This is a penalty. If you get 10 questions wrong, you will lose many marks as you would have gotten for 3.3 correct answers. This is the INI-SS exam. It is just as important to have a strategy as it is to have knowledge.
Quick Answer
The INI-SS 2026 exam is an entrance exam for DM, MCh and MD Hospital Administration admissions at Institutes of National Importance. The INI-SS exam has two stages. Stage 1 has 80 choice questions that you have to answer in 90 minutes. You get one mark for every answer, and you lose one-third of a mark for every wrong answer.
To qualify for Stage 2, you need to get at least 50 percent marks. Stage 2 is an assessment that you do via video conferencing. You need to do this only if you are applying to AIIMS or PGIMER Chandigarh. The INI-SS exam has a total of 887 seats across all the Institutes of National Importance.
NEET SS and INI-SS Relevance
The INI-SS exam is held twice a year. In January and July. By AIIMS New Delhi. To do well in the INI-SS exam, you need to focus on the exam structure, the marking system, the difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2 and how to manage your time. Not many people clear the INI-SS exam. 8 To 15 percent of candidates clear Stage 1. The overall selection rate is below 5 to 8 percent.
In This Post:
The INI-SS Exam is a deal. It is the way to get into speciality training at the best medical institutions in India. The Institute of National Importance Super Speciality Entrance Test, or INI-SS for short, is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi.
This exam is the key to getting into DM, MCh and MD programs at AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Trivandrum.
I think of the INI-SS Exam as two steps. The first step is the written test that every person who wants to take the exam must pass. The second step is the assessment, which is a special evaluation that only people who want to go to AIIMS and PGIMER need to do.
From my experience helping people who want to get into speciality programs, the people who do not do well are not the ones who do not know things. They are the ones who do not understand how the exam works and do not have a plan.
The INI-SS Exam is in English. It is a computer test. You can take the exam as many times as you want.
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Stage 1 is for everyone. It determines if you can get into JIPMER, NIMHANS and SCTIMST. Stage 2 is for AIIMS and PGIMER. If you do well in Stage 1, you can take Stage 2. Your final score is a combination of Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Let me give you an example. If you score 45 out of 80 in Stage 1, you can still do well if you do better in Stage 2. I always tell my students that Stage 1 gets you in the door and Stage 2 determines where you go from there. The INI-SS Exam is like that. The INI-SS Exam is very important.
You have to understand how it works to do it. The INI-SS Exam is not about knowing things; it is about having a plan and being able to make quick decisions.
This section is very important for your INI-SS attempt. The marking scheme is simple to understand:
Now lets think about the math that most people do not consider. To do well on a question when you are just guessing with four options, you need to be correct twenty five percent of the time. Because you lose one-third of a mark for an answer guessing with four options can actually be a little helpful. On average, you would get one mark for every four guesses. This means you would not lose any marks.
There is a problem. When you are taking the exam, and you are under time pressure, your guesses are not really random. You might think some wrong answers sound good, so you choose them.
I have looked at the scores of students over twenty-five years, and I have seen that the people who try to answer every question without being sure usually do worse than the people who skip some questions on purpose.
The best thing to do is this: if you can eliminate one option with confidence, it is an idea to answer the question. If all four options seem possible, it is better to leave the question blank.
Also Read: NEET SS Medicine: Explore Previous Year Question Papers
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INI-SS scores are accepted at the medical schools in India. For the January 2026 session, there were eight hundred and eighty-seven seats available at all Institutes of National Importance. Here is the list of institutes:
The seats are allocated after the counselling process, which is managed by AIIMS. Two lists are made. One for AIIMS and non-PGIMER institutes and one for AIIMS and PGIMER. I like to compare this to a system where patients are referred to doctors. The first stage is like the first doctor you see, and the second stage is like the specialist.
For the July 2026 session, the first stage exam is on April 25 2026. You can register for the exam in the week of March 2026.
This section is what most students look for. And it's where general advice can really hurt. I'll give you a plan based on how marking works and years of seeing what makes some students qualify and others not.
The minimum score to qualify is 50%. That's 40 out of 80 marks.. Just qualifying isn't enough if your rank isn't high enough to get you a seat. For branches like DM Cardiology or DM Neurology at AIIMS New Delhi, you'll likely need scores between 55 and 65 out of 80 in Stage 1. Your goal should be at least 50 out of 80 for a good chance at a decent seat.
Here's a plan I've used for years:
If you get 80% of the questions right and you attempt 70 questions:
score: 51.33 out of 80
If you get 70% of the questions right. You attempt 70 questions:
Total score: 42 out of 80
If you get 60% of the questions right. You attempt 75 questions:
Total score: 35 out of 80. That's below the qualifying score.
The point is clear. Someone who attempts 65 questions and gets 85% right (total: ~52) does better than someone who attempts all 80 questions but only gets 65% right (total: ~43).
This is a tried-and-true method that's been adapted for the 90-minute INI-SS test:
Pass 1 (0–40 minutes): Look at all 80 questions. Answer the ones you know away. Don't spend more than 30 seconds on a question. Mark questions you're not sure about for review. Your goal is to answer 40 to 50 questions.
Pass 2 (40–70 minutes): Go back to the questions you marked. For each one, try to eliminate options. If you can be sure to rule out 2 options, answer it. If not, leave it. Your goal is to answer 10 to 20 questions.
Pass 3 (70–90 minutes): Review the questions you've already answered. Check for mistakes. Don't change your answers unless you find an error. Don't try to answer the remaining questions out of panic.
In my experience teaching, I've simplified the marking strategy into one decision:
Your attempt strategy should be tested with tests not decided on test day. Track these three numbers across your 10 mocks:
If your accuracy is below 75%, focus on reviewing concepts rather than trying more questions in mocks. Once your accuracy stabilizes above 80%, gradually try questions.
Also Read: Five Rare Diseases That Have No Cure
Feature Stage 1 (Written Test) Stage 2 (Departmental Assessment) Total marks 80 20 Number of questions 80 MCQs Varies by department Duration 90 minutes Varies Mode Online CBT Video conferencing Negative marking −⅓ per wrong answer Not applicable (assessment-based) Who must appear All INI-SS candidates Only AIIMS & PGIMER applicants Qualifying cutoff 50% (40/80) 50% combined (Stage 1 + Stage 2) Merit list generated Common Merit List (CML) AIIMS Merit List (AML) Valid for admission at JIPMER, NIMHANS, SCTIMST, all INIs AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh INI-SS pearl Stage 1 alone determines rank for non-AIIMS institutes Stage 2 score can swing your AML rank significantly — a 5-mark difference here carries the weight of a 5-rank jump
You should practice with the PrepLadder QBank to get ready for the exam.
Also Read: Most Commonly Used Surgical Instruments
The INI-SS 2026 exam has two stages. In Stage 1, you have to answer 80 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes on a computer. You get one mark for each answer, and you lose one-third of a mark for each wrong answer. Stage 2 is different. It is a 20-minute test where you are assessed by a department via video call. This only applies to people who want to get into AIIMS and PGIMER.
You lose one-third of a mark for each answer. So if you get three answers, it is like getting one correct answer cancelled out. If you do not attempt a question, you do not lose any marks.
To qualify, you need to get at least 50% marks in Stage 1. If you want to get into AIIMS or PGIMER, you need to get 50% marks combined in both Stage 1 and Stage 2.
There is no number. It depends on how accurate you are. If you are correct 80% of the time, it is better to attempt 65 to 70 questions. This way you will get a score than if you attempt all 80 questions and are only correct 65% of the time. Try to find out how accurate you are by taking tests.
Many institutes accept INI-SS scores. These include AIIMS New Delhi, all the new AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Trivandrum. In total, there are 19 institutes that accept INI-SS scores.
INI-CET is for people who want to get into MD, MS or MDS courses. It has 200 questions. You have 3 hours to complete it. INI-SS is for people who want to get into speciality courses like DM or MCh. It has 80 questions. You have 90 minutes to complete it. Both exams have marking, but they are different in many ways.
In the INI-SS exam, the marks you save by not guessing are as valuable as the marks you get by knowing the answers. I have seen many people take this exam over the years. The ones who do well are not the ones who know the most.
The ones who are disciplined on the day of the exam. If you answer 60 questions correctly and do not attempt the rest, you will probably score more than someone who answers 80 questions but is not sure about the answers.
Hope you found this blog helpful for your E-learning for NEET SS Surgery. For more informative and interesting posts like these, keep reading PrepLadder’s blogs.
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So what is the difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2?
Step 1: Know Your Target Score
Step 2: Calculate Your "Attempt Sweet Spot"
Step 3: The Three-Pass Method
Step 4: The Elimination Rule
Step 5: Mock Test Calibration
What is the exam pattern for INI-SS 2026?
How many marks do you lose for a wrong answer in INI-SS?
What is the qualifying cutoff for INI-SS 2026?
How many questions should you attempt in INI-SS?
Which institutes accept INI-SS scores?
How is INI-SS different from INI-CET?
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