NEET PG vs INI CET Exam: Know Difference and Overview
Candidates often get a little confused about NEET PG and INI CET as both are post-graduate-level entrance exams in the medical stream. Read the article to know the difference between NEET PG and INI CET exam.
NEET PG and INI CET, both are PG-level entrance examinations in the medical stream. Conducted by the National Board of Examination(NBE), NEET-PG is an annual exam for providing admission into various MD (Doctor of Medicine)/ MS (Master in Surgery) and PG Diploma courses across the country. The scores are also used for taking admissions into postgraduate MBBS DNB courses.
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Conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, INI CET, provides admission into PG courses such as Masters of Surgery (MS), Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), Doctorate of Medicine (DM), and Master of Chirurgie (MCh) at 23 Institutions including 19 AIIMS across the country as well as JIPMER(Puducherry), PGIMER(Chandigarh), and NIMHANS(Bengaluru), and SCTIMST, Trivandrum. As both are PG-level entrance examinations, candidates often get a little confused about the examination. Some candidates may not have an idea about the agency which conducts these exams, the pattern and marking system, and other necessary information related to both these entrance exams. Read the complete article to understand the difference and other details of NEET PG and INI CET exams.
Q: Which topics will have more weightage in NEET PG 2025 exam?
NBE, the exam conducting body may release the weightage of each topics for NEET PG 2024 exam. Last year maximum questions were asked from topics such as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, general medicine, obstetrics, gyanaecology, general medicine etc. More than 50% question were clinical based. According to exam taking students, more than 30 questions were image-based. Candidates are advised to prepare clinical section well so that they can score full marks in the clinical part.
Q: Is NEET PG tougher than NEET?
Yes. NEET PG is hard in comparison to NEET. The reason being NEET PG is postgraduate level exam while NEET is conducted at undergraduate level. Another reason is, there are lesser number of PG seats than MBBS seats for candidates. Managing time for NEET PG preparation for candidates is very difficult task as they have to manage college, internship and preparation all three together. In NEET PG, competition is among best minds who all are doctors.
Subjectwise also NEET PG is tough as candidates have to prepare more than 15 subjects while in NEET only 4 subjects are there. In nutshell, NEET PG is tougher as it tests knowledge of candidates at postgraduate level while NEET is just an entry level of exam for MBBS.
Q: Does NTA conduct NEET PG like NEET?
No. National Board of Examinations (NBE) conducts NEET PG unlike NEET which is held by NTA. Candidates must note NBE only conducts NEET PG exam while NEET PG counselling is held by Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for seat allotment. NEET PG exam is held anually in computer-based mode. Candidates have to register online to submit NEET PG application form. It must be noted NBE only accepts online application and any other modes of application is rejected. NEET PG question paper comprises 200 multiple choice questions and candidates get 3.5 hours to answer them.
What is INI CET exam?
INI CET full form is Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test. The exam is held for admission to Institutes of National Importance. INI CET is conducted twice a year, one for the January session and another for the July session. INI CET 2025 exam was held on November 10, 2024.
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What is NEET PG exam?
NEET PG full form is National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduation. The exam is conducted annually in computer-based mode for admission to MD/MS courses in medical colleges. NEET PG 2024 exam was conducted on August 11, 2024. The exam was earlier scheduled to be held on June 23 but it was postponed by Health of Ministry in the wake of recent allegation of question paper leak in NEET 2024 exam.
NEET PG vs INI CET Exam Comparison: Overview
| Particulars |
NEET PG |
INI CET |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Name |
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduate courses (NEET PG) |
Institute of National Importance combined Entrance Test |
| Competent authority |
National Board of Examination (NBE) |
AIIMS, New Delhi |
| Courses offered |
MD/MS/PG Diploma/DNB post-MBBS |
MD, MS, DM, M.Ch, MDS |
| Level of the examination |
Postgraduate |
Postgraduate |
| Frequency of the examination |
Once in a year |
Twice a year (January and July) |
| Mode of the examination |
Online |
Online |
| Duration of examination |
210 minutes |
180 minutes |
| Exam website |
neetpg@nbe.edu.in |
aiimsexams.ac.in |
INI CET and NEET PG: Latest Updates
NEET PG 2024 exam was held on August 11, 2024. NBE declared NEET PG 2024 result on August 23, 2024. Registration for NEET PG 2024 counselling had started on September 20, 2024. Last date for round-1 registration is November 17, 2024. INI CET 2025 January session exam was held on November 10, 2024. Admit card for the exam was released online on November 4, 2024.
Q: What is the difference between INI CET and NEET PG?
Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test or INI CET and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Postgraduate NEET PG both are national-level postgraduate medical entrance exams. A valid score in each exam makes you eligible for admission to various medical courses like MD MS etc. However, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) scores are widely accepted in the country, whereas a few selected institutions accept Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test scores. there are around 16 INIs which accept INI CET score including 16 AIIMS, JIPMER Puducherry, PGI Chandigarh, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and SCTIMST, Trivandrum.
Q: What is difference between NEET and NEET PG?
NEET is undergradute level exam while NEET PG is postgradute level exam. NEET is conducted after 12th for admission to MBBS and BDS courses while NEET PG is conducted after MBBS for MD/MS or diploma courses. Candidates who passed 12th are eligible for NEET exam while those who have valid MBBS degree can appear in NEET PG exam.
NEET PG vs INI CET: Difference in the application process
While NEET PG application process is a simple one, INI CET application is bit complicated. INI CET application process involves basic and final registration followed by generation of Exam Unique Code (EUC). The exam conducting body has introduced the Prospective Applicants Advanced Registration (PAAR) process for INI CET registration which facilitates the selection of more than one course at a time.
For NEET PG, the application process starts with registration on the official website of NBE. Candidates can then log in using their registration ID and password to fill the application form. To complete the application process, candidates will have to upload scanned copies of photographs and signature. They will also have to pay a non-refundable application fee to complete the application process.
The first step of the application process for INI CET is basic registration. Candidates have to register themselves on the official website of AIIMS Delhi using a valid email ID and mobile number. Then they have to check the provisional status of their registration. The next step is code generation and final registration. Only those candidates whose basic registration was accepted could generate the RUC code. This code is a mandatory requirement to proceed with the final registration.
NEET PG vs INI CET: Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
Candidates who want to appear for the NEET PG and INI CET exams should know about its exam pattern and marking scheme. Exam pattern comprises syllabus, type and number of questions, and timings. Last year, NBE introduced some important changes in NEET PG exam pattern. There were changes in the application fee, the number of test centers, the total number of questions, and tie-breaking parameters.
NEET PG syllabus is another important thing candidates should pay attention to. NEET PG syllabus comprises subject areas as per the Graduate Medical Education Regulations issued by the Medical Council of India. Candidates need to check subject-wise topics and weightage from each topic. NEET PG 2024 test paper will have 200 multiple-choice questions of 800 marks and candidates will get 3.5 hours to answer them. There will be negative marking for wrong responses.
Candidates appearing for the July session should have an idea about INI CET 2024 exam pattern. INI CET 2024 exam will be carried out in online mode with a test paper comprising a total of 200 multiple-choice questions. Candidates will be getting 3 hours to answer them. There will be the single correct answer and multiple correct answer type questions in the INI CET 2024 test paper. As per the marking scheme, candidates will be awarded 1 mark for right answer and -1/3 mark for wrong answer. Candidates must note that the NEET PG exam is conducted once a year while INI CET is held twice, January and July session.
Institutions that accept NEET PG or INI CET score
NEET PG score is valid for admission in all private and government medical institutions except AIIMS, JIPMER(Puducherry), PGIMER(Chandigarh), and NIMHANS(Bengaluru). SGPGIMS, Lucknow and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, also don’t accept NEET PG score NEET-PG is valid for admission to the following:
-
All India 50 percent quota seats for MD/MS/PG Diploma courses across all states, except Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana
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State quota seats for MD/MS/PG Diploma courses for all States/Union territories of India, including the three mentioned above
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MD/MS/PG Diploma courses offered by Private Medical Colleges, Institutions & Universities/Deemed Universities across India
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MD/MS/PG Diploma courses offered by Armed Forces Medical Services Institutions
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DNB Broad specialty courses
INI CET scores are accepted for admission for PG courses at 19 AIIMS, and other Institutes of National Importance. The list of AIIMS includes AIIMS Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Nagpur, Raipur, and Rishikesh, Bathinda, Bibinagar, Deoghar, and Manglagiri, AIIMS Raebareli, AIIMS Kalyani, AIIMS Bilaspur, AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Guwahati, AIIMS Rajkot, and AIIMS Jammu.
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