The INI CET July 2026 EWS qualifying cutoff is 50.17 percentile — the same threshold as the Unreserved (UR) category — with 3,964 EWS candidates provisionally clearing the merit list for PG medical admissions at AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, NIMHANS, and SCTIMST.

INI CET July 2026 was held on 16 May 2026, and AIIMS New Delhi declared results on 23 May 2026. Round 1 seat allotment is already out. For EWS students, qualifying is only the first step — actual branch-wise closing marks at each institute vary considerably. Based on July 2024 and July 2025 trends, EWS closing marks at AIIMS New Delhi are expected between 130 and 170 out of 200, depending on the specialty.

  • INI CET July 2026 EWS qualifying percentile: 50.17 — same as General/UR category.
  • 3,964 EWS candidates qualified in the July 2026 session out of 51,184 total qualifiers.
  • INI CET is scored out of 200 marks (200 MCQs × 1 mark; 1/3 negative marking).
  • EWS reservation provides 10% of available seats across all participating INIs.
  • Expected closing marks for EWS at AIIMS New Delhi range from approximately 130 to 170 out of 200 based on previous year patterns.
Direct Link to INI CET July 2026 Seat Allotment Result (OUT)

EWS Cutoff in INI CET: Key Details

EWS (Economically Weaker Section) candidates are placed in the same merit bracket as UR/General candidates for qualifying purposes. Both groups must clear the 50th percentile to appear on the merit list. However, EWS seats — 10% of total available seats — are filled from a separate EWS merit list, meaning EWS students compete with each other for these reserved seats rather than against the full General pool. This distinction is important: the EWS closing mark for a branch can be marginally lower than the UR closing mark for the same branch at competitive institutes, since the reserved pool is smaller.

Parameter Details
Conducted by AIIMS New Delhi
Total marks 200 (200 MCQs × 1 mark)
Negative marking 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer
EWS qualifying percentile (July 2026) 50.17
EWS reservation 10% of available seats
EWS candidates qualified (July 2026) 3,964
Participating institutes AIIMS (all campuses), PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru, SCTIMST Trivandrum
Official portal aiimsexams.ac.in

INI CET July 2026 EWS Qualifying Percentile

AIIMS New Delhi declared the INI CET July 2026 result on 23 May 2026. A total of 51,184 candidates qualified across all categories. The EWS qualifying percentile of 50.17 means students who scored at or above this percentile are eligible for the July 2026 counselling process. The table below shows the full category-wise breakdown.

Category Qualifying Percentile Candidates Qualified
UR (Unreserved) 50.17 24,399
EWS 50.17 3,964
OBC 45.29 17,165
SC 45.29 4,444
ST 45.29 1,212
Total 51,184

Qualifying the percentile cutoff makes you eligible to participate in counselling. The actual mark required to secure a seat in your preferred specialty and institute — the closing mark — is almost always higher than the minimum qualifying mark, especially for sought-after branches.


Expected Closing Marks for EWS Category: Institute and Branch Wise

The closing marks for EWS seats in INI CET July 2026 counselling are expected to follow patterns from July 2024 and July 2025 sessions. AIIMS New Delhi remains the most competitive centre for all categories. The figures below are expected ranges based on previous session trends and should be treated as indicative — actual closing marks for each round will be published on the official AIIMS portal.

Institute Specialty / Branch Expected EWS Closing Marks (out of 200)
AIIMS New Delhi Radio-Diagnosis, Dermatology 160–170
AIIMS New Delhi General Medicine, Paediatrics 150–165
AIIMS New Delhi General Surgery, Orthopaedics 142–158
AIIMS New Delhi Other MD/MS specialties 130–148
PGIMER Chandigarh Radio-Diagnosis, General Medicine 138–155
JIPMER Puducherry Top branches 132–150
NIMHANS Bengaluru Psychiatry, Neurology 128–145
Peripheral AIIMS (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Rishikesh, Patna, Raipur) Competitive branches 128–148
Peripheral AIIMS Less competitive branches 110–130
SCTIMST Trivandrum Available specialties 118–138

Students targeting EWS seats at AIIMS New Delhi in top specialties should aim for scores above 150 out of 200. For peripheral AIIMS and other INIs, a score in the range of 120 to 135 may be competitive for less-demanded branches, based on previous year data.


The minimum qualifying percentile for EWS has remained at the 50th percentile across all recent sessions. The table below shows this consistent trend based on officially published AIIMS data.

Session EWS Qualifying Percentile Remarks
INI CET July 2026 50.17 Same as UR; 3,964 EWS qualified
INI CET November 2025 50th percentile Same as UR; consistent with prior sessions
INI CET July 2025 50th percentile Same as UR; consistent with prior sessions
INI CET July 2024 50th percentile Same as UR; consistent with prior sessions
INI CET July 2023 50th percentile Same as UR; consistent with prior sessions

EWS candidates have consistently needed to meet the same qualifying percentile as the General/UR category in every INI CET session. The raw mark equivalent to the 50th percentile shifts each session based on paper difficulty and the distribution of scores among all test-takers. In years with a harder paper, the absolute mark needed to cross the 50th percentile is lower, and vice versa.


Factors Affecting INI CET EWS Cutoff

Understanding what drives the EWS closing mark helps you set a realistic target score for INI CET July 2026 counselling.

  • Exam difficulty: A tougher paper lowers the absolute mark at every percentile threshold, including the 50th percentile qualifying mark and institute-level closing marks.
  • Number of EWS applicants: A larger EWS applicant pool increases competition for the fixed 10% reserved seats, raising closing marks.
  • Seat matrix changes: If AIIMS adds or removes EWS seats in any specialty, the closing mark for that branch shifts accordingly.
  • Branch preference trends: Dermatology and Radio-Diagnosis at premier centres consistently attract the highest scores across all categories, including EWS.
  • Round of counselling: Round 1 closing marks are typically the highest. Later rounds sometimes see marginal drops as seats vacated by upgrades become available.
  • Stray vacancy round: The final stray vacancy round can open branches that did not fill in earlier rounds, offering a second chance for students with lower scores.

INI CET July 2026 EWS Cutoff FAQs

Ques. What is the INI CET July 2026 qualifying percentile for EWS candidates?

Ans. The INI CET July 2026 qualifying percentile for EWS candidates is 50.17, the same as the Unreserved (UR) category. Candidates scoring below this percentile are not included in the merit list and cannot participate in counselling.

Ques. Is the INI CET EWS qualifying percentile different from the General category?

Ans. No. EWS is grouped with UR, OCI, Sponsored, and Foreign Nationals for qualifying percentile purposes. Both EWS and General candidates must cross the 50th percentile threshold. For INI CET July 2026, this was 50.17 for both groups.

Ques. How many EWS candidates qualified in INI CET July 2026?

Ans. A total of 3,964 EWS candidates provisionally qualified in INI CET July 2026, out of 51,184 total qualifiers across all categories.

Ques. What are the expected closing marks for EWS category at AIIMS New Delhi?

Ans. Based on July 2024 and July 2025 trends, expected EWS closing marks at AIIMS New Delhi range from approximately 130 to 170 out of 200 depending on the specialty. High-demand branches such as Radio-Diagnosis and Dermatology typically close above 160, while less competitive MD/MS specialties may close between 130 and 148. These are expected figures and students should check the official AIIMS portal for confirmed round-wise allotment data.

Ques. Are EWS closing marks lower than UR closing marks for the same branch?

Ans. EWS candidates compete in a dedicated EWS merit list for the 10% reserved seats. At highly competitive branches in premier institutes, EWS closing marks can be marginally lower than UR closing marks for the same branch. In less competitive branches or at peripheral institutes, the difference tends to be minimal.

Ques. What is the total marks for INI CET and how is the cutoff calculated?

Ans. INI CET is conducted out of 200 marks (200 MCQs × 1 mark each, with 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer). The qualifying cutoff is expressed as a percentile based on relative performance. The actual seat allotment closing marks are derived from the merit list after each counselling round and published by AIIMS New Delhi on the official portal aiimsexams.ac.in.