INI-SS
Direct answer
The Institute of National Importance Super Speciality Entrance Test, or INI-SS, is the examination conducted by AIIMS New Delhi for admission to DM, MCh and MD (Hospital Administration) courses at the Institutes of National Importance. Preparing for it means rigorous, focused study of your broad speciality and the superspeciality you are applying for, combined with practice for both the written computer stage and the departmental assessment. This guide explains the exam's pattern, syllabus and a stage-wise way to prepare.
About the exam
INI-SS is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi twice a year, for the January and July admission sessions. It admits candidates to three-year DM and MCh superspeciality courses, and to MD in Hospital Administration, at the participating Institutes of National Importance: the AIIMS campuses, JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram. Doctors who hold MD, MS or DNB in the relevant broad speciality take the examination. The examination pattern, seat matrices, session dates and prospectus are published by AIIMS New Delhi on aiimsexams.ac.in for each session.
Exam pattern and marking
- Selection is through two stages.
- Stage 1: a computer-based test of 80 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, carrying 80 marks, with one mark for a correct answer and one-third of a mark deducted for an incorrect answer.
- Stage 1 qualifying: candidates must secure at least the 50th percentile in Stage 1 to be eligible for Stage 2.
- Stage 2: a departmental clinical, practical and laboratory-based assessment conducted by the department concerned at the institute where the course is pursued, including evaluation of clinical acumen, procedural skills and, where applicable, a thesis or departmental presentation.
- Final merit: prepared as per the prospectus using performance in both stages, and departmental cut-offs for interviews or assessments are announced by AIIMS.
Syllabus overview
The INI-SS syllabus is defined course-wise in the prospectus and presumes thorough command of the parent broad speciality before the superspeciality material itself. Candidates for medical superspecialities such as cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, medical oncology, critical care or clinical haematology are tested on organ-system basic sciences, clinical diagnostics, therapeutics and current guidelines at superspeciality depth. Candidates for surgical superspecialities such as neurosurgery, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, urology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, paediatric surgery or surgical oncology face operative anatomy, surgical decision-making, perioperative management and organ-specific pathology. For MD in Hospital Administration, the syllabus covers health-management concepts, hospital planning, quality and patient safety, health economics and national health policy. Stage 1 questions are single-best-response MCQs that test applied knowledge, while Stage 2 evaluates the practical, case-based and procedural judgement expected of a trainee in the department. Reading the standard superspeciality reference text alongside current guidelines and previous INI-SS question material is the established route.
How to prepare
- Secure the parent speciality. Revise your MD, MS or DNB subject completely, since Stage 1 draws freely from its foundations as well as from the superspeciality.
- Study the superspeciality in depth. Read the standard reference text for your chosen course and follow current guidelines and recent advances, which the paper tests directly.
- Practise MCQs and past papers. Work through question banks and previous INI-SS and AIIMS superspeciality papers to tune accuracy under one-third negative marking and to identify recurring themes.
- Prepare deliberately for Stage 2. Rehearse long and short case presentations, procedural skills and instrument interpretation from your residency, and be ready to discuss recent literature in your chosen department.
Preparation with PrepElephant
PrepElephant supports INI-SS preparation with previous-year question practice, question banks, mock tests and revision tools in the PrepElephant app, along with free guides and resources on this website. The examination is conducted by AIIMS New Delhi, and all notifications, applications and results should be confirmed through official AIIMS channels.
After the exam
Candidates who clear the stages are placed through AIIMS counselling and departmental admission for DM, MCh and MD (Hospital Administration) seats across the participating Institutes of National Importance. Qualifying INI-SS leads to a three-year superspeciality training at an AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, NIMHANS or SCTIMST — the pathway to practising and teaching as a superspecialist, with further academic options such as senior residency and fellowships thereafter.
Qualifications this exam leads to
- DM Cardiology
- DM Neurology
- DM Medical Gastroenterology
- DM Nephrology
- DM Endocrinology
- DM Medical Oncology
- DM Clinical Haematology
- DM Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
- DM Hepatology
- DM Pulmonary Medicine
- DM Critical Care Medicine
- DM Infectious Diseases
- DM Neonatology
- DM Neuroanaesthesia
- DM Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anaesthesia
- DM Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology
- DM Medical Genetics
- DM Clinical Pharmacology
- DM Paediatric Cardiology
- DM Paediatric Neurology
- MCh Neurosurgery
- MCh Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
- MCh Urology
- MCh Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- MCh Paediatric Surgery
- MCh Surgical Gastroenterology
- MCh Surgical Oncology
- MCh Hand Surgery
- MCh Endocrine Surgery
- MCh Head and Neck Surgery
- MCh Vascular Surgery
- MCh Gynaecological Oncology
- DrNB Cardiology
- DrNB Neurology
- DrNB Medical Gastroenterology
- DrNB Nephrology
- DrNB Endocrinology
- DrNB Medical Oncology
- DrNB Clinical Haematology
- DrNB Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
- DrNB Critical Care Medicine
- DrNB Neonatology
- DrNB Medical Genetics
- DrNB Cardiac Anaesthesia
- DrNB Neuroanaesthesia
- DrNB Interventional Radiology
- DrNB Paediatric Cardiology
- DrNB Paediatric Neurology
- DrNB Paediatric Critical Care
- DrNB Neurosurgery
- DrNB Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
- DrNB Urology
- DrNB Vascular Surgery
- DrNB Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- DrNB Paediatric Surgery
- DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology
- DrNB Surgical Oncology
- DrNB Thoracic Surgery
- DrNB Gynaecological Oncology
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for INI-SS?
Candidates must hold an MD, MS or DNB degree in the broad speciality prescribed for the course applied for, as specified in the prospectus. For MD in Hospital Administration, the qualifying qualifications are stated in the prospectus itself.
How many times is INI-SS held in a year?
Twice, for the January and July admission sessions. Exact dates are announced by AIIMS New Delhi on aiimsexams.ac.in for each session.
Is there a limit on the number of attempts?
No fixed attempt limit is prescribed; candidates may appear in successive sessions while they continue to satisfy the eligibility conditions.
What is the marking scheme of Stage 1?
Stage 1 has 80 multiple-choice questions attempted in 90 minutes. Each correct answer earns one mark and each incorrect answer costs one-third of a mark, so precision is rewarded.
What happens in Stage 2?
Stage 2 is a departmental clinical, practical and laboratory-based assessment conducted at the institute offering the course. It examines case discussion, procedural skill and departmental suitability, and only Stage 1 qualifiers appear for it.
How is INI-SS different from NEET-SS?
INI-SS admits candidates to superspeciality courses only at the Institutes of National Importance and includes a departmental Stage 2, while NEET-SS covers DM, MCh and DrNB seats across a wider range of institutions through a single computer-based paper.
Is INI-SS difficult?
The examination expects genuine superspeciality-level understanding and practical competence, so it is demanding for anyone relying on broad revision alone. Deep reading of the chosen field with past-paper practice and clinical rehearsal is the established approach.
How are results declared?
AIIMS announces Stage 1 percentile cut-offs, Stage 2 schedules and the final combined merit list on its official website, followed by counselling and seat allotment across the participating institutes.
Does PrepElephant cover INI-SS?
Yes. PrepElephant offers previous-year question practice, question banks, mock tests and revision tools for INI-SS in the app, along with free guides and resources on this website.
Official sources
aiimsexams.ac.in
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