Medical Entrance Exams

In India, admissions to medical, nursing, pharmacy, paramedical, and allied health science courses after Class 12 are governed through a layered entrance examination framework involving national-level tests, state-level Common Entrance Tests (CETs), and centralized counselling mechanisms administered by statutory and governmental authorities.

The admission system emphasizes regulatory compliance, merit-based selection, national standardization for core medical courses, and state-level autonomy for nursing, pharmacy, and allied health programmes.

For undergraduate medical and AYUSH programmes such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS (Siddha), and BNYS, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is the only legally valid entrance examination across India.

No government, private, deemed, or autonomous institution is permitted to admit students to these courses without a valid NEET-UG qualification.

Seat allotment is conducted exclusively through centralized counselling processes at the national and state levels, based on NEET-UG rank, eligibility criteria, reservation policies, and seat matrices issued by regulatory authorities.

Admissions to nursing programmes follow a more decentralized structure, varying by course type and state jurisdiction.

BSc Nursing admissions may occur through NEET-UG (in select institutions and states), AIIMS BSc Nursing Entrance Examination, and state-level nursing entrance tests and centralized counselling mechanisms.

Recognized state-specific nursing admission systems include JENPAS-UG (West Bengal), RUHS CUET (Rajasthan), MP PNST (Madhya Pradesh), BFUHS Nursing admissions (Punjab), CG Pre-Nursing Test (Chhattisgarh), Assam CEE, LBS Centre-coordinated nursing admissions (Kerala), and Directorate of Medical Education (DME) counselling-based admissions in Tamil Nadu.

GNM and ANM programmes are generally regulated through state nursing boards, dedicated state entrance examinations, and statutory counselling bodies. Examples include UP GNM Entrance Test (UPGET) in Uttar Pradesh, BCECEB-conducted nursing examinations in Bihar, and DME-led merit-based admissions in Tamil Nadu.

Admissions to pharmacy and allied health programmes operate through both national-level and state-level entrance examinations.

For programmes such as BPharm and DPharm, admissions may be conducted through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) where adopted by universities, and State Common Entrance Tests.

Major state CETs used for pharmacy admissions include KCET (Karnataka), MHT-CET (Maharashtra), AP EAMCET (Andhra Pradesh), TS EAMCET (Telangana), KEAM (Kerala), OJEE (Odisha), WBJEE (West Bengal), and GUJCET (Gujarat).

Admissions to paramedical and allied health science programmes in India are conducted through a combination of national-level entrance tests, state-level paramedical examinations, and centralized merit-based counselling systems, depending on the state, institution, and programme category.

Programmes commonly covered under this category include Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT), Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT), Radiology & Imaging Technology, Optometry, Dialysis Technology, Anesthesia Technology, Nutrition & Dietetics, Emergency & Trauma Care, Operation Theatre Technology, and Cardiac Care Technology.

Most states conduct dedicated paramedical entrance examinations or use existing CET authorities for admission to government and affiliated private institutions.

These examinations are followed by centralized online counselling, where seat allotment is based on entrance rank, programme-specific eligibility, reservation policies, and seat availability.

In India, admission to Postgraduate (PG) and Super-Specialty (SS) programmes across medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and allied health sciences is governed through a regulated entrance examination and counselling framework, overseen by statutory and governmental authorities.

Admissions are standardized across government, private, deemed, and autonomous institutions, with no institution permitted to admit candidates outside the prescribed examination and counselling routes applicable to each discipline.

Postgraduate medical degree programmes in India include MD General Medicine, MD Paediatrics, MD Dermatology, MD Radiodiagnosis, MD Anesthesiology, MD Psychiatry, MD Emergency Medicine, MD Pathology, MD Microbiology, MD Pharmacology, MD Community Medicine, MD Forensic Medicine, MD Biochemistry, MS General Surgery, MS Orthopedics, MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MS ENT, and MS Ophthalmology.

Admission to all MD and MS programmes is conducted through national-level entrance examinations. The recognized entrance examinations for PG medical degree admissions are NEET-PG and INI-CET.

NEET-PG is used for admission to All India Quota seats, State Quota seats, Private and deemed university seats, and Central and state government medical colleges.

INI-CET is conducted separately for admission to Institutes of National Importance, such as AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER, and NIMHANS.

Postgraduate dental programmes include MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MDS Orthodontics, MDS Prosthodontics, MDS Conservative Dentistry, MDS Periodontology, MDS Pedodontics, and MDS Oral Pathology. Admission to all MDS programmes is conducted through NEET-MDS.

Super-Specialty programmes in India include DM Cardiology, DM Neurology, DM Gastroenterology, DM Nephrology, MCh Neurosurgery, MCh Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, MCh Urology, and MCh Plastic Surgery.

Admission to all Super-Specialty programmes is conducted exclusively through NEET-SS. NEET-SS is mandatory for all DM and MCh programmes, and all government, private, and deemed institutions offering Super-Specialty courses.

Candidates must possess a recognized MD/MS or DNB qualification in the prescribed feeder specialty to be eligible.

Postgraduate nursing programmes include MSc Nursing (Medical-Surgical), MSc Nursing (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), MSc Nursing (Paediatrics), MSc Nursing (Psychiatric), MSc Nursing (Community Health), and Post Basic BSc Nursing.

Admissions to postgraduate nursing programmes are conducted through a combination of national-level, state-level, and institutional entrance examinations, including AIIMS MSc / PB BSc Nursing Entrance Examination, PGIMER MSc Nursing Entrance Examination, RUHS MSc Nursing and PB BSc Nursing Entrance (Rajasthan), JEMAS PG conducted by WBJEEB (West Bengal), and Directorate of Medical Education (DME)-led merit-based counselling in Tamil Nadu.

Postgraduate pharmacy programmes include M.Pharm Pharmaceutics, M.Pharm Pharmacology, M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Chemistry, M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Analysis, M.Pharm Pharmacy Practice, and Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate). Admission to postgraduate pharmacy programmes is conducted primarily through GPAT, followed by centralized or institutional counselling as per university and state regulations.

Postgraduate allied health programmes include MPT (Orthopedics, Neurology, Cardiorespiratory), MOT (Occupational Therapy), MSc Medical Laboratory Technology, MSc Radiology and Imaging, MSc Anesthesia Technology, and MSc Dialysis Technology.

Admissions are conducted through state-level paramedical entrance examinations or centralized merit-based counselling systems, such as RUHS PG Paramedical Entrance (Rajasthan), JEMAS PG conducted by WBJEEB (West Bengal), BCECEB PG Paramedical Entrance (Bihar), and DME-led merit-based counselling in Tamil Nadu.