AIIMS New Delhi has officially released the revised Open Round seat matrix and final counselling schedule for the INI SS January 2026 session, aimed at filling remaining DM/MCh/MD-Hospital Admin seats.
- Seat Matrix: Revised to include previously "zero-seat" departments for the Open Category.
- Final Seat Allocation: Scheduled to be declared on February 21, 2026.
- Reporting & Document Submission: February 23, 2026 (11:00 am) to February 28, 2026 (5:00 pm).
- To confirm participation, candidates are required to submit a refundable security deposit of ₹3 lakh.
Source – aiimsexams.ac.in/notification/
Check: INI SS January 2026: AIIMS Announces Revised Open Round Seat Matrix and Final Counselling Schedule
INI SS marks are accepted in these institutes: AIIMS-New Delhi and all new AIIMS, JIPMER Puducherry, PGIMER-Chandigarh, NIMHANS-Bengaluru & SCTIMST Trivandrum. The INI SS exam is held in two sessions- January and July.
For stage I, the exam features multiple-choice questions of 80 marks with a negative marking of 1/3rd marks per question. Note that if you qualify for stage I, you are eligible for admission to any participating institutes; however, qualifying for stage II, which is a departmental test, would make you eligible for admission in AIIMS/PGIMER. Departmental test is for candidates who qualify the exam with 50% marks.
Also Read
INI SS Registration 2026INI SS 2026 January Session Dates
Here are the INI-SS 2nd Round Schedule for Online Institute Allocation for the January session:
| Activity | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| Announcement of the Institute allocation of the open round | 12.02.2026 |
| Announcement of the Institute allocation of 2nd Round | 20.01.2026 (Tuesday) |
| Online Acceptance of allocated Institute | From 21.01.2026, 11:00 AM (Wednesday) to 28.01.2026, 05:00 PM (Wednesday) |
| Reporting & Submission of Documents/Security Deposit | From 21.01.2026, 11:00 AM (Wednesday) to 28.01.2026, 05:00 PM (Wednesday) |
Source: Official Website (aiimsexams.ac.in)
What is INI SS Exam 2026?
INI SS stands for Institute of National Importance Super Speciality Entrance Test (INI SS). AIIMS conducts the exam for providing admission to Post Doctoral courses, DM/MCh/MD-Hospital Administration at 11 institutes including 8 AIIMS.
- The exam is conducted bianually, January and July session.
- The test paper comprises 80 multiple-choice questions and candidates get 90 minutes to answer them.
- AIIMS conducts two-stage admission process for admission to DM/MCh/MD-Hospital Administration.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Institute of National Importance Super Speciality Entrance Test (INI SS) |
| Conducting Body | AIIMS Delhi |
| Level of the examination | Postdoctoral |
| Frequency | Biannual |
| Courses offered |
|
| Mode | Computer-based |
| Test duration | 90 minutes |
| Number of questions | 80 |
| Stages | 2 |
Institutes Accepting INI SS score
The entrance exam is conducted for admission to the following institutes:
INI-SS January 2026 REVISED SEAT MATRIX: Key Changes
The following table highlights the REVISED SEAT MATRIX, where seats have been increased for the Open Round. Previously, many of these departments showed zero available seats for the open category.
| SN | Department/Course | Institute | Earlier Seats (Open) | Revised Seats (Open) | Sponsored |
| 1 | DM-Gastroenterology | JIPMER | 00 | 02 | 00 |
| 2 | M.Ch. G.I. Surgery | JIPMER | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| 3 | M.Ch. C.T.V.S | JIPMER | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| 4 | M.Ch. G.I. Surgery | AIIMS Nagpur | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| 5 | M.Ch. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery | AIIMS Guwahati | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| 6 | M.Ch. Head Neck Surgery | AIIMS Raipur | 00 | 01 | 01 |
| 7 | M.Ch. G.I. Surgery | AIIMS Rishikesh | 00 | 01 | 01 |
| 8 | M.CH.- NEURO SURGERY | AIIMS Rishikesh | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| 9 | DM- CARDIOLOGY | AIIMS Rishikesh | 01 | 01 | 01 |
Know the Eligibility for INI SS 2026
- Undergraduate degree in medicine from a recognised university/college with 55%.
- You must have passed your class 10+2 with a minimum 50% from a recognised board.
- Must have three years experience in government hospitals.
- Can also have a five year experience in general practice.
- You must be registered with the State/Central Medical Registration Council.
- The upper age limit for DM/M.ch is mentioned below:
| Name of Institute | Age Limit |
|---|---|
| AIIMS | 35 years |
| PGIMER | 45 years |
| JIPMER Puducherry | No limit on upper age |
Points to Remember When Applying for INI SS 2026
An online application form is released by the conducting authorities for a specific time period. You can find the form on the official website, iniss.aiimsexams.ac.in. The application form is 3-4 pages long, in which you need to fill:
- Personal Details: Your name, parent’s name, date of birth, gender, category, address, etc.
- Academic Details: Your school name, class 10th and 12th marks or percentage, year of passing, etc.
- Uploading Documents: Photograph, Signature, Certificates, marksheets, etc.
- Other Details: Exam City Choice, PwD or other specifics, etc.
- Fee Payment: Mandatory application fee to process your application.
To begin the application process, register freshly on the official portal. Your credentials will be created. Through these credentials you will be able to login anytime to complete your application.
- Application fee: INR 4000 + Platform Charges
The application fee is the same for all candidates regardless of gender, category, etc. However, PwD candidates do not need to pay any fee for the examination.
INI-SS 2026 Pattern and Syllabus
| Exam Pattern | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 80 |
| Maximum Marks | 80 |
| Total Time | 90 minutes |
| Mode of Instruction/Language | English |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Marking Scheme |
|
| Mode of Test | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Syllabus | General/basics of the qualifying educational qualification and from sub-speciality course |
| Total Marks in Stage II | 20 |
INI-SS 2026 Admit Card
INI SS admit card is a mandatory document issued by the conducting authorities. The INI SS Admit card will be released on November 18, 2025.
- Candidates after successfully registered for the examination can download their admit card from the official website using the user ID credentials.
- You cannot enter the examination hall without the hall ticket.
- Admit card contains the details such as name, exam centre name and venue, exam timing, your roll number and application number, exam day guidelines, etc.
INI-SS 2026 Exam Centres
| Bangalore | Bhopal | New Delhi | Chennai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Bhubaneswar | Mumbai | Kolkata |
| Dehradun | Guwahati | Hyderabad | Jammu |
| Jodhpur | Patna | Pondicherry | Raipur |
| Trivandrum | Varanasi | Chandigarh | Imphal |
INI SS 2026 Merit List
How is INI SS Counselling Conducted?
INI SS counselling is a 3 round process conducted by AIIMS after the announcement of results. The prerequisite to participate in the counselling is to pass the INI SS examination and get in the merit list. Candidates listed in the merit list are eligible for the further stages of counselling. In each round you need to register first, then fill in the college choices and lock your choices. Later to that fill the counselling fee and wait for the results.
You have two options once you get the seat allotted. First, accept the allotted seat and report to the respective college. Second, if you believe you can get a better seat, you can accept the seat and participate in round 2.
Is INI-SS Result Out?
The INI-SS 2026 result is not out yet for 2026. The authorities released two merit lists for 2025, a common merit list (CML) and AIIMS merit list (AML). The common merit list has been published for candidates who have cleared the stage I and can proceed to the counselling process. AIIMS merit list published for the candidates who have passed both stage I and II. According to the tie-breaking rule, if two candidates have the same score, the older candidate will be given the preference.
The result can be accessed by using the login credentials on the official portal and the scorecard will contain the marks, rank and personal details of the candidate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques. What are the number of attempts for INI-SS 2026?
Ans. There is no restriction on the number of attempts for INI-SS 2026. You can attempt the examination any number of times until you reach your aim and get the best seat.
Ques. What are stage I and stage II in INI-SS 2026?
Ans. Clearing stage I in INI-SS can lend you a seat in any participating colleges, however stage II is for only AIIMS/PGIMER, Chandigarh only. You need to qualify both stages to be qualified for AIIMS.
Ques. What is the qualifying criteria in stage I in INI-SS?
Ans. You must score 50% to qualify stage I of INI-SS 2026 examination. Marks below 50 percent can lead to failure in the examination. If you have achieved the stage I qualifying criteria you can attempt for stage II in INI-SS.
Ques. What are the total marks in stage II INI-SS exam?
Ans. The total marks are 20 in the stage II of INI-SS exam 2026.
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