Top 10 Medical Entrance Exams in India

The Medical field remains the first choice among the students when it comes to career. Lakhs of aspirants dream of MBBS and BDS degree every year and the demand for the course is bound to increase with the demand for doctors. With more than 10 lakhs of students aspiring for a medical seat through entrance exam in prestigious institutes across the country, we here list the top Medical entrance exams which are conducted every year at National level in India. The medical aspirants are not limited to MBBS and BDS but also include Nursing, Paramedical, Ayurveda and other related medical fields too.

The total number of medical colleges offering MBBS seat across the country is 529 (including both Government and Private) and the total seats are around 70,978. The common exam to get admission amongst these colleges is NEET 2019. Apart from NEET, there’s AIIMS and JIPMER which conducts its own examination to offer admission into various UG courses.

Have a look at some of the top Medical Entrance Exams in Medical, Dental, Nursing, Veterinary and other related areas are listed below.

1. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – NEET

• Started in the year 2013 and formerly known as All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is no doubt the gateway for MBBS and BDS course. The exam is conducted National Testing Agency (From 2019) prior to which, it was administered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This is the single exam to provide seats for more 70,000 medical seats across the country. In the year 2013, it replaced all individual MBBS exams conducted by states or colleges themselves.

• NEET is tough to crack and it is very strict in its exam procedures. The examination is held across the country in Offline mode. The exam paper will be given in English/Hindi plus one regional language of student’s choice. The syllabus for the exam mainly consists of Class XI and Class XII concepts.

• The NEET examination will be conducted once in a year and the exam paper will consist of MCQs. Each correct answer will be given 4 marks. There will be negative marking, so each wrong answer will result in -1 mark.

• Candidates who qualify NEET will be given NEET All India Rank, NEET Qualifying Status, NEET AIR for 15% AIQ (All India Quota) seats. The student is free to choose seat under All India quota or State quota provided they are eligible for counselling.

• Medical Counselling Committee of the Directorate General of Health Services will conduct Counselling for NEET (NEET Counselling page) All India quota and for admissions in other than All India Quota, the counselling will be done according to the policies of the respective State Government and/or authorities of the Medical /Dental colleges /Institution /University concerned.

2. All India Institutes of Medical Sciences – AIIMS

• The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are a group of autonomous public medical colleges. These institutes provide higher education in the medical field. The first AIIMS was established in the year 1956. Now there are 11 AIIMS institutes established in total with 12 more under development. These institutes have been declared as Institutes of National Importance by an Act of Parliament

• AIIMS is a prestigious examination conducted across the country. More than 3 lakh students registered for the exam to compete for 12000 seats. It’s highly competitive.

• The exam is conducted in Online mode once in a year and the questions in the exam will be of MCQ type. There is negative marking. Each correct answer fetches the candidate 1 mark while each incorrect answer results in -1/3 mark

• A list of eligible candidates will be released by AIIMS who can participate in the AIIMS Counselling process. Based on the candidate’s choice and availability of seat the student will be allotted the seat.

3. Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research – JIPMER

• Established in 1823, The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) is one of the oldest institution which comes under the direct administrative control of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It is an Institute of National Importance.

• More than 1.84 lakh students registered for the exam this year. JIPMER has 2 campus – JIPMER Puducherry and JIPMER Karaikal and the total seat offered for admission are 200.

• JIPMER exam is conducted once in a year in Online mode. The questions asked in the exam is based on the syllabus of State Board Higher Secondary and CBSE (XI & XII Standard). There is negative marking. Each correct answer will be awarded 4 marks and each incorrect answer will result in -1 mark.

• JIPMER, Puducherry will look after the counselling procedure (jipmer counselling page) for eligible candidates based on merit and category of the student.

4. Armed Forces Medical College – AFMC Medical Examination

• Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) is a premier medical institute of India which is acknowledged as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for education and research. It was established in the year 1948 after World War II. The Graduate Wing of AFMC was established in 1962 to provide a sustainable and steady intake of medical officers for the Indian Armed Forces. The college was awarded highest ever CGPA of 3.51 in 2018.

• AFMC provides admission for MBBS, Nursing, Postgraduate, Super speciality, PG diploma and Paramedical courses. And to study MBBS in this college, students will have qualify NEET and must also meet eligibility criteria set by the exam board.

• The total number of seats available for admission is 150 (115 – boys, 30 – girls and 5 – NEET(UG ) qualified foreign students). On successful completion of MBBS Course, the medical cadets will join either of the 3 forces i.e., Army, Navy or Air Force as Commissioned Officers

• The shortlisted candidates based on NEET scores and other criteria will be called for Screening at AFMC, Pune where they will be given tests – ToELR, PAT, Interview and Medical examination. ToELR is an Online exam. There will be negative marking. 2 marks will be awarded for the correct answer and -0.5 marks will be deducted for incorrect answer.

5. Christian Medical College Vellore – CMC Vellore MBBS Examination

• Established in 1900, Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC Vellore) is a private, educational and research institute. It is also one of the oldest institutions of India. The college has accomplished significant achievements in India like performing the first successful open heart surgery in India (1961) and many such other accomplishments. The university was ranked second among medical colleges in India in 2019 by India Today and Outlook India.

• The college provides UG, Diploma and PG courses along with distance education course. NEET scores will be considered for admission.

• Admission will be based on NEET scores and other eligibility criteria. Candidates must submit their NEET scores and register themselves, after which selected candidates will be called for counselling, where they have to undergo a Medical fitness check-up. Admissions will be based on the Medical fitness clearance conducted by the Medical Board, CMC, Vellore.

6. All India Pre Veterinary Test – AIPVT

• All India Pre Veterinary Test (AIPVT) is conducted by the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) to provide admissions into B.V.SC. and A.H programs at UG and PG level. The examination is conducted once in a year.

• Candidates who are seeking admission under 15% All India Quota must compulsorily attend NEET and secure required marks in order get a seat under the 15% quota.

• The exam will be conducted in Offline mode, with questions of MCQ type. There will be negative marking. Each correct answer will be given 4 marks where incorrect answer results in the deduction of -1 mark each.

• The VCI will prepare the All India Merit list along with the State-wise merit list for counselling where candidates wanting admission under 15% All India quota will have to attend the counselling held by VCI and the rest students under State quota will have to attend counselling conducted by their State authorities/councils.

7. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) MBBS Examination

• Aligarh Muslim University is a public university which offers admission to various courses in Medical, Engineering, Arts, Law, Management and so many other fields. They provide more than 300 courses at UG, PG and Doctoral level. The MBBS and BDS courses are also available at AMU.

• NEET scores will be considered for MBBS/BDS admission at AMU. Followed by a medical fitness test conducted by the university.

• Candidates who wish to study in AMU must register themselves on the website with NEET scores based on which the university will shortlist the candidates. The candidates thus shortlisted will have to undergo Medical Fitness examination. The students who qualify will be provided admission at AMU after document verification.

8. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) MBBS Admission

• Banaras Hindu University is an internationally reputed University established in 1916 by Madan Mohan Malaviya and Annie Besant. It is the largest residential university in Asia. BHU was internationally ranked 801-1000 in the QS World University Rankings of 2018.

• NEET scores will be considered for MBBS/BDS admission at BHU. MBBS aspirants will have to register themselves on the BHU website and must provide their NEET scores.

• A Merit list/Seat allotment list will be released after the registration where the names of shortlisted candidates will be called for Counselling.

• Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will conduct the counselling and admission process for BHU. There will be 3 rounds of counselling (including mop-up round).

9. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Nursing Examination

• Banaras Hindu University is an internationally reputed University established in 1916 by Madan Mohan Malaviya and Annie Besant. It is the largest residential university in Asia. BHU was internationally ranked 801-1000 in the QS World University Rankings of 2018.

• BHU Nursing exam is a National level entrance exam conducted by BHU to provide admissions for B.Sc. Nursing/B.Pharm (Ay) course.

• The examination will be conducted in Pen & Paper mode (Offline mode). There will be no negative marking. The questions will be of MCQ type and 4 marks will be awarded for each correct answer.

• BHU provides 60 seats for Nursing course. The candidates who qualify the exam will be called for counselling and subsequent admission process.

10. Manipal Academy of Higher Education MBBS Admission

• Manipal Academy of Higher Education offers MBBS program at KMC Manipal and KMC Mangalore. The course offered at KMC is recognised by the General Medical Council of Great Britain and the Malaysian Medical Council.

• NEET scores will be considered for MBBS admission at KMC. MBBS aspirants will have to register themselves on the KMC website and must provide their NEET scores.

• A Merit list will be released after the registration where the names of shortlisted candidates will be called for Counselling.

• Admission to the course will be made through centralised common counselling conducted by DGHS.