AIIMS NORCET 10 2026 – Nursing Officer Recruitment

AIIMS NORCET (Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test) is a prestigious national-level recruitment examination conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. NORCET is specifically designed to recruit qualified Nursing Officers for Group B posts across all AIIMS institutes and participating central government medical institutions in India through a single unified examination process.

NORCET 10, the 10th edition of this examination, was officially notified on February 24, 2026, with 2,551 Nursing Officer vacancies across 26 participating institutes. This makes NORCET 10 one of the largest government nursing recruitment drives of 2026. The exam is conducted in a two-stage online Computer-Based Test (CBT) format — Stage 1 (Preliminary) followed by Stage 2 (Mains) for those who qualify.

The NORCET 10 notification provides complete recruitment details including eligibility criteria, vacancy distribution across 26 institutes, exam pattern, syllabus, application procedure, fee structure, and selection process. The notification has been issued under Notice No. 17/2026 and is available for download from the official AIIMS exams portal.

AIIMS New Delhi released the Application Status (Accepted/Rejected) on March 24, 2026, notifying candidates via SMS and email. Only candidates with accepted application status are eligible to appear in NORCET Stage 1 on April 11, 2026.

AIIMS NORCET is the standard pathway for qualified nursing professionals to secure a prestigious government position as a Nursing Officer in leading AIIMS hospitals and central government medical institutions across India. Nursing Officers recruited through NORCET work in some of India's top healthcare facilities, gaining exposure to advanced medical procedures and patient care at the highest level.

Under NORCET 10, recruitment is spread across 26 participating institutes including all 16 AIIMS campuses and additional central government hospitals such as NITRD, AIIPMR Mumbai, and CNCI Kolkata. This wide institutional coverage means selected candidates can be posted across diverse geographic and clinical settings.

The exam is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 is a Preliminary CBT testing general nursing knowledge along with aptitude and reasoning. Only candidates who clear Stage 1 above the qualifying cut-off appear for Stage 2, which is a Mains exam focused heavily on case-based clinical nursing scenarios — testing practical application of nursing knowledge rather than rote recall.

The AIIMS NORCET 10 registration was conducted exclusively online at aiimsexams.ac.in. The application window was open from February 24 to March 16, 2026. Applications were accepted in online mode only — no physical/offline applications were entertained. The application fee for NORCET 10 is Rs. 3,000 for General/OBC/EWS candidates. SC/ST candidates who appear in the exam are eligible for a full fee refund after the result and certificate verification.

1. Visit aiimsexams.ac.in and click on the NORCET-10 recruitment link
2. Register with your name, email ID, and mobile number
3. Fill in the application form with personal details, educational qualifications, and work experience (for GNM candidates)
4. Upload scanned photograph, signature, and required documents as per specifications
5. Select your preferred exam centre city
6. Pay the application fee of Rs. 3,000 online via net banking / debit card / credit card / UPI
7. Submit the form and download the confirmation page
8. Check application status on the AIIMS portal (accepted/rejected) before the exam

• Recent passport-size photograph (as per AIIMS specifications)
• Scanned signature
• Class 10 certificate (date of birth proof)
• B.Sc. Nursing degree / GNM Diploma certificate and mark sheets
• Nursing Council Registration Certificate (State / Indian Nursing Council)
• Experience certificate from hospital (for GNM candidates — minimum 2 years in 50+ bed hospital)
• Valid government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar / Voter ID / Passport)
• SC/ST/OBC/EWS category certificate (if applicable)
• PwBD certificate (if applicable)

AIIMS NORCET 2026 Age Limit

AIIMS NORCET 2026 Educational Qualifications

• Option A: B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing / B.Sc. Nursing from a recognised university with registration with the State Nursing Council or Indian Nursing Council
• Option B: Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) with registration as Nurse & Midwife (RN & RM) with the State Nursing Council AND minimum 2 years of experience in a hospital/institution/medical facility with 50 or more beds
• Option C: M.Sc. Nursing from a recognised university with State/Indian Nursing Council registration (also eligible)

Eligibility Marks

No minimum percentage is prescribed for the nursing degree/diploma in the NORCET 10 notification. However, candidates must hold a valid, current registration with their respective State Nursing Council or the Indian Nursing Council to be eligible.

Nationality

Candidates must be Indian nationals as per the Indian Citizenship Act. Both male and female nursing professionals are eligible to apply for Nursing Officer posts under NORCET 10 without any gender restriction.

The AIIMS NORCET 10 syllabus is structured differently for Stage 1 (Prelims) and Stage 2 (Mains). Stage 1 tests both nursing and non-nursing subjects, while Stage 2 focuses entirely on advanced clinical nursing knowledge through case-based questions.

Each question carries equal marks. There is a negative marking of –1/4 for each incorrect answer in both stages. Qualifying marks are 40% for UR/EWS, 35% for OBC, and 30% for SC/ST and PwBD candidates.

• Master Clinical Nursing First: Since Stage 2 is entirely case-based, strong clinical nursing knowledge is non-negotiable. Study Medical-Surgical Nursing and Community Health Nursing thoroughly.
• Use Standard Textbooks: Brunner & Suddarth's Medical-Surgical Nursing and Potter & Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing are essential references for the depth of knowledge NORCET Stage 2 demands.
• Practice Case-Based Questions: Unique to NORCET, case-based questions test your ability to apply nursing theory to real patient scenarios. Practise these specifically rather than just MCQs.
• Stage 1 Aptitude Should Not Be Ignored: General Knowledge, Reasoning, and English in Stage 1 are scoring sections. Spend at least 20–30% of preparation time on these.
• Time Management in Exam: With negative marking of –1/4, avoid guessing. Mark questions you are unsure about and return to them if time permits.
• Current Affairs for GK: Health policy, government health schemes, and nursing-related news frequently appear in the GK section. Track AIIMS announcements and National Health Mission updates.
• Solve NORCET Previous Year Papers: Past NORCET exams (editions 1–9) provide the best insight into question formats, topic weightage, and the difficulty level of case-based questions.

Solving previous editions of NORCET question papers (NORCET 1 through NORCET 9) is the most effective preparation strategy. Historical analysis shows that Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology, and Community Health Nursing together account for over 60% of Stage 1 questions. Case-based questions in Stage 2 consistently focus on emergency nursing, drug administration errors, and community health scenarios.

The AIIMS NORCET 10 Stage 1 admit card was released on the official AIIMS exams portal before April 11, 2026. Candidates whose applications were accepted can download their admit cards by logging in with their registration credentials. The admit card is a mandatory document for entry into the examination hall and must be accompanied by a valid government-issued photo ID.

For Stage 2, admit cards will be issued to candidates who qualify Stage 1 (result expected April 16, 2026). Stage 2 admit cards will be available approximately 5–7 days before the April 30, 2026 exam.

AIIMS releases the official NORCET answer key on aiimsexams.ac.in after the examination. Candidates can challenge answers within the specified objection window by submitting their objections through the official portal. The AIIMS examination board reviews all valid challenges and releases a final answer key before computing results.

The NORCET qualifying cut-off is the minimum percentage of marks required to pass each stage. Based on the official notification and historical trends, the qualifying marks are as follows:

These qualifying marks are minimum thresholds. Final merit-based cut-offs for institute-wise seat allocation will be significantly higher and will depend on total candidates, vacancy availability, and overall difficulty level.

AIIMS NORCET results are released in PDF format on the official portal. The Stage 1 Prelims result for NORCET 10 is expected on April 16, 2026, and Stage 2 Mains result on May 11, 2026. The result PDF contains candidate hall ticket numbers and their category-wise qualifying status.

Candidates who qualify Stage 2 are called for document verification and medical fitness examination. Final posting across participating institutes is done based on merit rank, category, and institutional preferences chosen by qualified candidates.

NORCET does not follow a traditional counselling process. Instead, after Stage 2 results are declared, provisionally qualified candidates are asked to submit their preferences of participating institutes in order of priority through the AIIMS portal. Seat allocation is done based on merit rank and category reservations against available vacancies at each participating institute.