AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026: NORCET recruitment guide

AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026: NORCET recruitment across all AIIMS in India

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi conducts the Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET) once a year on behalf of all AIIMS institutions in India. NORCET 2026 is expected in April or May 2026 with results in June or July 2026. The 2024 cycle (NORCET 8) offered 3,036 vacancies across 20+ AIIMS with about 4.5 lakh applications, giving a selection ratio near 1:150.

AIIMS Nursing Officer is the highest-volume Grade B nursing role in central government. Entry pay is Level 7 (Rs. 44,900 basic) with a gross monthly package of Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 85,000 depending on the AIIMS location and city category. The Level 7 pay makes it Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000 higher per month than most state government staff nurse posts and matches ESIC and DSSSB nursing officer entry.

Important dates for AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026

Dates below are the expected schedule based on the 2023 and 2024 NORCET cycles. Confirm every date against aiimsexams.ac.in when the official notification is released.

Which AIIMS institutions recruit through NORCET

The single NORCET exam is used by all AIIMS across India. Candidates rank their preferred AIIMS at the counselling stage after clearing NORCET. Participating institutions:

• AIIMS New Delhi (the largest recruiter)
• AIIMS Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, Rishikesh (the first phase of new AIIMS opened 2012 to 2014)
• AIIMS Nagpur, Kalyani, Mangalagiri, Deoghar, Bibinagar, Rajkot, Vijaypur, Guwahati, Bathinda, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Bilaspur (second phase of expansion since 2015)
• AIIMS Madurai and AIIMS Darbhanga (announced 2020 to 2023, recruitment starts as construction progresses)

Vacancies at each AIIMS depend on that institution's cadre gap. AIIMS Delhi typically takes the largest share (300 to 500 vacancies per cycle). Newer AIIMS take 100 to 250 each depending on operational scale.

What an AIIMS Nursing Officer does

An AIIMS Nursing Officer is a Grade B non-gazetted staff nurse role. Typical duties for a new Nursing Officer:

• Patient care in inpatient wards, ICUs, emergency, and specialty clinics as per assigned unit
• Administration of medications, IV fluids, and treatments per medical officer prescriptions
• Recording vital signs, patient observations, and updating medical records
• Assisting during medical procedures, surgeries, and diagnostic tests
• Patient and family counselling on care plans, discharge instructions, and follow-up
• Supervising and guiding student nurses, nursing attendants, and healthcare assistants on the unit
• Infection control practices, sterilisation procedures, and biomedical waste management
• Emergency response, CPR, and code blue participation

Assignments rotate across departments in the first year of service. From year 2 onwards, most Nursing Officers stabilise in a preferred specialty (Cardiology, Neurology, Pediatrics, ICU, Emergency, OT, etc.) with in-service specialty training available for high-performing candidates.

Vacancies for AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026

Vacancy count depends on how many AIIMS participate and each institution's cadre gap. Recent history:

Expect NORCET 2026 vacancies in the 2,500 to 3,500 range. Reservation is applied as per Government of India norms per AIIMS: UR, EWS, OBC NCL, SC, ST, and PwBD, with 10% horizontal reservation for female candidates in Nursing Officer posts at some AIIMS.

Eligibility for AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026

Age limit

Age 18 to 30 years as on the cut-off date in the notification. Age relaxations:

• OBC NCL: up to 33 years
• SC and ST: up to 35 years
• PwBD (UR): up to 40 years
• PwBD (OBC): up to 43 years
• PwBD (SC or ST): up to 45 years
• Ex-servicemen: 3 years after military service is deducted from actual age
• Central government employees with 3 years continuous service: up to 35 years
• AIIMS contractual nursing staff with 3+ years service: up to 40 years

Educational qualifications

A candidate must hold one of the following nursing qualifications from a recognised institution:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc Nursing) 4-year regular degree from an Indian Nursing Council (INC) recognised institution, OR

B.Sc (Post-Certificate) Nursing / Post-Basic B.Sc Nursing 2-year degree from an INC recognised institution, following a GNM diploma, OR

Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) 3.5-year diploma from an INC recognised institution.

Registration as Nurse and Midwife with any State Nursing Council or Delhi Nursing Council is mandatory at the time of application. Candidates awaiting registration certificates can apply provisionally but must produce the certificate at the document verification stage.

Nationality

Indian citizen. Nepalese and Bhutanese subjects can apply subject to standard clauses.

Application fee for AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026

The Rs. 3,000 fee is on the higher side for central government nursing recruitment (RRB Nursing Superintendent is Rs. 500, ESIC Nursing Officer is Rs. 500). Payment is online only via UPI, net banking, debit card, or credit card.

How to apply for AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026 step by step

Applications go through the AIIMS recruitment portal at aiimsexams.ac.in.

1. Visit aiimsexams.ac.in and register with basic details (name, email, mobile) to receive a registration ID and password.
2. Log in and open the NORCET 2026 application form.
3. Fill personal details, educational qualifications (with year of passing and marks), nursing council registration details, and centre preferences.
4. Rank AIIMS preferences separately (this is used at the counselling stage after NORCET result).
5. Upload photograph, signature, thumb impression, nursing degree certificate, and nursing council registration certificate.
6. Pay the fee online via UPI, net banking, debit card, or credit card.
7. Submit and download the confirmation page. Print two copies for records.

Preference order for AIIMS choice is critical. AIIMS Delhi fills at higher merit ranks; regional AIIMS fill at lower ranks. Placing a home-region AIIMS in the top 3 choices maximises the probability of a preferred posting.

AIIMS Nursing Officer 2026 selection process

Selection is entirely through NORCET, a two-stage computer-based test. There is no interview and no physical efficiency test.

NORCET Stage 1 (screening test, 200 marks, 3 hours)

Objective computer-based test with 200 questions, 200 marks, 180 minutes.

Negative marking is one-third of the marks assigned to each question. Duration is 180 minutes. Only shortlisted candidates from Stage 1 (typically top 10 to 15 times the total vacancy count) proceed to Stage 2.

NORCET Stage 2 (main test, 200 marks, 3 hours)

Same syllabus and pattern as Stage 1 but with a slightly harder question mix. This is the merit-list-determining test. Stage 1 marks do not carry forward; only the Stage 2 score decides ranking.

Some cycles have collapsed Stage 1 and Stage 2 into a single computer-based test with 200 questions in 3 hours. The 2024 NORCET 8 used two stages; 2026 pattern will be confirmed in the notification.

Institute-wise counselling

After the merit list is published, candidates are called for counselling in merit order. At counselling, each candidate:

• Chooses one AIIMS from the vacancy list based on remaining seats at merit rank
• Undergoes document verification
• Completes a basic medical fitness examination
• Receives the appointment offer

A candidate who does not accept an available AIIMS at counselling is treated as declined and moves out of the merit list.

AIIMS Nursing Officer salary and perks

Entry pay is at Level 7 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix.

• Basic pay: Rs. 44,900
• Dearness Allowance: current DA rate applied on basic
• House Rent Allowance: 8%, 16%, or 24% depending on city category
• Transport Allowance: as per city category
• Nursing Allowance: Rs. 7,200 per month (revised 2022)
• Uniform Allowance: annual grant
• Washing Allowance: Rs. 250 per month
• Night Duty Allowance: hourly rate for night-shift duty
• Patient Care Allowance: for specific high-risk assignments

Approximate monthly gross for a fresh Nursing Officer posted to a Class X city (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad): Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 88,000. Class Y city: Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 76,000. Class Z city: Rs. 62,000 to Rs. 68,000. Net in-hand runs Rs. 55,000 to Rs. 65,000 after NPS and income tax.

Non-monetary perks: government-provided accommodation at concessional rent within AIIMS campus or HRA in lieu, CGHS medical for self and family (plus AIIMS in-house treatment access), LTC every 4 years, education advance for children, and NPS with 14% government contribution.

Career progression as an AIIMS Nursing Officer

The AIIMS nursing cadre progression:

Promotion from Nursing Officer to Assistant Nursing Superintendent is time-bound after 6 years subject to performance appraisal. Beyond Assistant Nursing Superintendent, promotion is selective and depends on vacancy availability at the higher level.

Specialisation options open up in service. AIIMS offers in-service training for critical care nursing, cardiac care nursing, oncology nursing, pediatric intensive care, and operation theatre nursing. Nursing Officers with specialty certification move faster on the promotion track and get preferred unit assignments.

Deputations to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, WHO India office, and international healthcare partnerships open up from Nursing Superintendent grade onwards.

Preparation strategy for AIIMS NORCET 2026

Timeline for a fresh nursing graduate

For a fresh B.Sc Nursing or GNM graduate starting preparation in December 2025 for NORCET in April or May 2026, a 4 to 5 month plan works:

• Month 1: Complete revision of medical-surgical nursing (largest weight, 40 to 50 questions). Start Fundamentals of Nursing revision and Anatomy and Physiology basics.
• Month 2: Pediatric nursing, obstetric and gynaecological nursing (each 20 to 30 questions). Community health nursing (15 to 20 questions).
• Month 3: Psychiatric nursing, nursing management, nursing research, first aid, and biomedical waste management. First full-length mock in month 3.
• Month 4: Full-length NORCET mocks 3 to 4 per week. Aptitude and reasoning practice. GK and English light preparation (30 marks combined; not a differentiator but easy points).
• Month 5 (NORCET Stage 1 to Stage 2 gap): Focus on weak topics identified in Stage 1, plus higher-difficulty mock questions from NORCET previous year papers.

Section-wise book recommendations

For medical-surgical nursing: Lewis Medical Surgical Nursing (South Asian Edition), Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. For quick revision, Rakesh Kumar Sharma's Question Bank for Nursing Officer.

For pediatric nursing: Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing (Indian edition), Ghai's Essential Pediatrics for high-yield pathologies.

For obstetric nursing: D.C. Dutta's Textbook of Obstetrics, plus INC-recommended midwifery references.

For community health nursing: K. Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine (limited chapters), plus INC community health nursing syllabus notes.

For psychiatric nursing: Sreevani's A Guide to Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing.

For nursing management, ethics, and research: Basavanthappa's Nursing Administration or B.T. Basavanthappa's Nursing Research textbook.

Question banks and previous year papers: Rakesh Kumar Sharma Nursing Officer Question Bank (5,000+ MCQs), Indu Khurana Master Guide for Nursing Officer, and previous NORCET papers available free from AIIMS aiimsexams.ac.in archive.

Focus areas for high NORCET scores

The medical-surgical nursing section decides the merit list. It carries the highest weight (about 40 to 50 questions out of 160) and covers cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology, nephrology, and orthopedic nursing. A candidate scoring 40+ in this section moves 500+ ranks up the merit list.

Pediatric and obstetric nursing sections combined carry 40 to 60 questions. These are high-yield because content is finite and predictable. Full marks here is achievable with focused 3-week preparation.

Aptitude and reasoning (20 marks) is a light-effort scoring section for candidates who prepared bank PO or SSC-style aptitude earlier. Non-prepared candidates should target 12 to 15 out of 20 with 2 weeks of basic quantitative aptitude practice.

General English and GK combined (20 marks) is not a differentiator. Aim for 12 to 14 combined; do not over-invest.

AIIMS Nursing Officer vs other central government nursing recruitments

Comparison for candidates weighing central government nursing options:

AIIMS wins on prestige, specialisation, and long-term career ceiling. ESIC wins on selection ratio (fewer applicants per vacancy) and lower application cost. DSSSB is fastest to selection but locked to Delhi state postings. RRB has the largest single recruitment cycle when it opens but comes only every 2 to 3 years.

Common mistakes AIIMS NORCET aspirants make

• Underestimating the medical-surgical nursing weight. Candidates who spend equal time on all sections lose 30+ ranks. Medical-surgical is 40 to 50 questions out of 160; it deserves 40% of prep time.
• Studying only from Rakesh Kumar Sharma Question Bank. It is a review tool, not a primary textbook. Candidates who skip Lewis and Brunner and Suddarth are exposed on new-pattern questions.
• Poor AIIMS preference ranking at application. Placing all top-3 AIIMS (Delhi, Rishikesh, Jodhpur) as first 3 choices means a mid-merit candidate gets no seat. Include a realistic home-region AIIMS in the top 3.
• Skipping registration certificate at counselling. State Nursing Council registration is mandatory. Waiting until the last week to apply for registration risks missing the counselling deadline.
• Ignoring NORCET Stage 1 to Stage 2 gap preparation. Stage 2 is the merit-deciding test but only clearers of Stage 1 attempt it. A 3-week focused prep in the Stage 1 to Stage 2 gap moves scores by 15 to 25 marks.
• Weak biomedical waste management + infection control preparation. This section is small (5 to 8 questions) but scoring here is easy and predictable. Most candidates leave it for the end and get 2 to 3 out of 5 to 8.

Frequently asked questions

When will the AIIMS NORCET 2026 notification be released? The 2026 notification is expected in February or March 2026 with NORCET Stage 1 in April or May 2026. Confirm dates on aiimsexams.ac.in when the official notification is released.

Is there negative marking in NORCET? Yes, one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.

Can GNM diploma holders apply for AIIMS Nursing Officer? Yes. A 3.5-year GNM diploma from an INC-recognised institution qualifies for AIIMS Nursing Officer, provided the candidate has valid State Nursing Council registration.

What is the salary of an AIIMS Nursing Officer at entry? Level 7 pay with basic Rs. 44,900, gross monthly Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 88,000 in Class X cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru), and net in-hand Rs. 55,000 to Rs. 65,000 after NPS and tax. Nursing Allowance of Rs. 7,200 is included in the gross.

Which AIIMS is the best for a fresh Nursing Officer posting? AIIMS Delhi has the highest specialty exposure and in-service training options but requires very high merit rank. AIIMS Bhopal, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, Rishikesh, and Patna offer excellent training with easier merit-rank access. Newer AIIMS have less specialty depth but faster promotion cycles due to cadre gaps.

Does AIIMS Nursing Officer have a physical or medical test? No physical efficiency test. A basic medical fitness examination is conducted at counselling to confirm fitness for hospital duty.

Can I appear for NORCET multiple times? Yes. NORCET has no attempt limit. Candidates within the age limit can appear each year.

Is coaching necessary for NORCET? Not required. Standard nursing textbooks combined with NORCET-focused question banks and previous year papers are sufficient. Online coaching platforms (Rau's Nursing, Unacademy Nursing, Career Power) offer structured programmes if self-study is not working after 2 to 3 months.

Can final-year B.Sc Nursing students apply for NORCET 2026? Final-year candidates may apply provisionally in cycles where the notification permits it. The nursing degree and State Nursing Council registration must be produced by the counselling stage. Check the 2026 notification for exact clause.

What is the difference between Nursing Officer and Staff Nurse? Effectively the same role. Nursing Officer is the formal designation adopted after the 7th CPC 2016 pay revision. Staff Nurse Grade II was the older designation. Duties, pay, and career progression are identical.

Sources

• AIIMS examinations portal: aiimsexams.ac.in
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi: aiims.edu
• Indian Nursing Council: indiannursingcouncil.org
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: mohfw.gov.in
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