M.Sc. Nursing at AIIMS — Detailed Information

1. What is M.Sc. Nursing?

M.Sc. Nursing (Master of Science in Nursing) is a 2-year postgraduate nursing programme. At AIIMS, it is designed to develop advanced clinical nursing competence along with skills in education, nursing management, leadership and research. The 2026 prospectus specifies the duration as 2 years, with the academic session commencing in August.

AIIMS states that after completing the programme, a student should be able to:

Apply nursing and allied-science concepts, theories and principles in a nursing specialty.
Demonstrate advanced competence in nursing and allied health practice.
Work effectively as a nursing educator and manager.
Demonstrate leadership and initiate changes in healthcare delivery.
Conduct nursing research and interpret/use research findings.
Continue professional learning and advancement.

2. M.Sc. Nursing Specializations

AIIMS New Delhi lists the following M.Sc. Nursing specialties for the 2026 session:

Cardiological / CTVS Nursing
Oncological Nursing
Neurosciences Nursing
Nephrological Nursing
Critical Care Nursing
Paediatric Nursing
Psychiatric Nursing
Obstetrical & Gynaecological Nursing
Community Health Nursing
Trauma & Emergency Nursing

Other AIIMS campuses offer somewhat different combinations. For example, the 2026 prospectus includes Forensic Nursing, Orthopaedic Nursing, Emergency & Trauma Nursing, Nephro-urology Nursing, etc., depending on the institute.

What these specialties generally mean

Specialty	Main focus
Critical Care Nursing	ICU, critically ill patients, ventilators, emergency management
Cardiological/CTVS Nursing	Cardiac patients, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular care
Oncology Nursing	Cancer care, chemotherapy, radiation-related nursing care, symptom management
Neurosciences Nursing	Stroke, neurological disorders, neurosurgery and rehabilitation
Nephrological Nursing	Kidney disease, dialysis and renal transplantation-related care
Paediatric Nursing	Infants, children and adolescents
Psychiatric Nursing	Mental-health disorders and psychiatric care
OBG Nursing	Pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and gynaecological conditions
Community Health Nursing	Public health, community programmes and preventive care
Trauma & Emergency Nursing	Trauma, emergency assessment and acute care

3. Eligibility for M.Sc. Nursing

For the general AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing programme, the 2026 prospectus requires:

Educational qualification

You should have one of the following:

B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing
B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Certificate)
Post-Basic B.Sc. Nursing
B.Sc. Nursing — 4-year course

The degree must be from a recognized university/institution, and the educational institution must be recognized by the State Nursing Council.

Minimum marks

Category	Minimum aggregate
General/UR	60%
OBC (NCL)	60%
EWS	60%
SC	55%
ST	55%

Nursing registration

You must be registered as:

RN, RM — Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife

with a State Nursing Council.

Selected candidates can submit the Nursing/Midwifery registration certificate at the time of seat allocation/joining, according to the prospectus.

4. Is work experience required?

For the general M.Sc. Nursing specialties, the eligibility section does not specify one year of work experience.

However, there is an important exception:

AIIMS Raipur — M.Sc. Nursing in Forensic Science

The prospectus specifically requires:

Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife/equivalent.
B.Sc. Nursing/B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing/B.Sc. Post-Basic Nursing.
Minimum 55% aggregate.
Qualification from an institution recognized by the Indian Nursing Council.
At least 1 year of work experience after B.Sc. Nursing/B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing.
For Post-Basic Nursing, 1 year of work experience before or after the course.

So, don’t assume work experience is required for every M.Sc. Nursing specialty.

5. Can final-year B.Sc. Nursing students apply?

Yes, subject to the conditions in the prospectus.

Candidates who are due to appear in the qualifying examination, or have appeared and are awaiting results, may apply. However, they must provide proof of passing the qualifying examination, including required tenure/internship, on or before 31 July 2026, with the required percentage. Otherwise, their entrance-examination performance will not be considered.

Selected candidates must also provide proof that their nursing college was recognized when documents are verified.

6. Entrance Examination

This is one of the most important parts.

AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing entrance pattern — 2026

Feature	Details
Exam	AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing Entrance Examination
Duration	90 minutes
Questions	90 MCQs
Maximum marks	90
Language	English
Exam location	Delhi/NCR/Delhi as specified by AIIMS prospectus
Negative marking	Yes
Correct answer	+1
Incorrect answer	−1/3
Unanswered	0

The prospectus explicitly states that AIIMS has not prescribed a syllabus for the examination.

Negative marking

This is important for preparation:

Correct = +1
Wrong = −1/3
Unanswered = 0
Multiple responses are negatively marked.

Therefore, random guessing can reduce your score.

7. Minimum qualifying cutoff

The prospectus states that the minimum cutoff is:

50th percentile

in the competitive entrance examination for eligibility.

However, 50th percentile should not be considered a safe admission score. Admission is competitive and seat allocation depends on merit, category, choices and available seats.

8. How is admission decided?

Admission is based on performance in the entrance examination. Other AIIMS campuses participating in the common process use the same entrance examination, and admission is based on merit-cum-choice.

The seat-allocation process works broadly as follows:

Entrance examination.
Merit/percentile preparation.
Seat-allocation rounds.
Candidate chooses institution/specialty according to available options.
Seat is allotted according to merit + eligibility + category + seat availability.
Medical examination.
Document verification.
Payment of required fees.
Joining.

The first and second seat-allocation rounds call candidates according to the prescribed merit/category procedure; the final open round allows candidates meeting the 50th-percentile requirement to participate.

9. Tie-breaking

If two candidates obtain equal marks, AIIMS uses:

Candidate with less negative marks gets preference.
If still unresolved, the older candidate gets preference.

This makes accuracy particularly important.

10. Number of seats at AIIMS New Delhi

For August 2026, AIIMS New Delhi has 34 sanctioned M.Sc. Nursing seats, plus 12 additional seats for AIIMS New Delhi in-service Nursing Officers/Nursing Tutors. The in-service seats are not transferable to the open category.

AIIMS New Delhi — 34 seats

Specialty	Total seats
Cardiological/CTVS Nursing	4
Oncological Nursing	4
Neurosciences Nursing	4
Nephrological Nursing	4
Critical Care Nursing	4
Paediatrics Nursing	4
Psychiatric Nursing	4
Obstetrical & Gynaecological Nursing	2
Community Health Nursing	2
Trauma & Emergency Nursing	2
Total	34

The prospectus notes that the number of seats can change before/at seat allocation.

11. Seats at other AIIMS

The major 2026 seat positions include:

AIIMS	M.Sc. Nursing seats
New Delhi	34
Jodhpur	33
Bhopal	26
Bhubaneswar	25
Kalyani	24
Raipur	22
Bathinda	18
Mangalagiri	14
Deoghar	13
Patna	12
Nagpur	10
Gorakhpur	10
Bilaspur	8

These numbers are from the August 2026 seat tables in the prospectus and can be amended before final allocation. For example, Jodhpur has 33 seats, Kalyani 24, Deoghar 13, and Bathinda 18.

12. Reservation

At AIIMS New Delhi, the prospectus gives the following reservation framework:

OBC: 27%
SC: 15%
ST: 7.5%
EWS: 10%
PwBD: 5% horizontal reservation for Indian Nationals.

For OBC-NCL/EWS candidates, the certificate must meet the Central Government requirements; a state-only certificate may not be accepted for the reserved category.

13. 2026 Important Dates

For the August 2026 session, the prospectus gives:

Event	Date
Registration started	25 March 2026
Registration closed	24 April 2026, 5 PM
Final accepted/rejected status	30 April 2026
Correction of deficiencies	30 April–3 May 2026
M.Sc. Nursing admit card	15 June 2026 tentative
M.Sc. Nursing entrance exam	20 June 2026
Result	Date to be declared
Seat allocation	Dates to be declared

Important: Since today is August 2026, these 2026 application/examination dates have already passed. If you’re planning for the next AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing session, you should use the next prospectus rather than assuming these dates will repeat exactly.

14. Application fee

For the 2026 AIIMS application:

Category	Application fee
General/UR	₹2,000
OBC-NCL	₹2,000
SC	₹1,600
ST	₹1,600
EWS	₹1,600
PwBD	Exempted

Transaction charges are additional where applicable. Payment is through credit card, debit card or net banking.

15. Fees after admission

For AIIMS New Delhi, the prospectus lists:

Registration fee: ₹25
Tuition fee for M.Sc./M.Sc. Nursing: ₹700
Pot money: ₹480
Caution money: ₹100
Hostel security: ₹1,000
National Medical Library facility, if desired: additional ₹50
Nursing students residing in hostel have compulsory mess charges of ₹700/month, subject to revision.

The prospectus also warns that fees and charges can be revised by the institute.

16. Stipend

A major advantage of AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing is the stipend.

For the 2026 prospectus, the listed stipend is generally:

₹15,000 per month

for M.Sc. Nursing at several AIIMS campuses, including New Delhi, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Gorakhpur, Nagpur, Mangalagiri, Deoghar, Bibinagar, Bathinda, Kalyani and Bhopal, subject to the specific institute’s provisions.

For example, AIIMS Jodhpur explicitly states ₹15,000/month.

17. Hostel

Hostel availability varies between AIIMS campuses.

The 2026 prospectus lists hostel availability for M.Sc. Nursing at many AIIMS, while some campuses state that it is subject to availability. For example, AIIMS Delhi lists hostel availability as Yes for M.Sc. Nursing, whereas Jodhpur lists it as “as per availability.”

So hostel should not be assumed to be guaranteed at every campus.

18. Penalty for leaving the course

This is an important point before accepting a seat.

The discontinuation penalty varies by institute. Examples from the 2026 prospectus:

AIIMS Delhi — ₹5,000
AIIMS Jodhpur — ₹1,00,000
AIIMS Rishikesh — ₹50,000
AIIMS Patna — ₹1,00,000
Several other AIIMS — ₹5,000

AIIMS Bhopal has a particularly important condition: for M.Sc. Nursing students leaving after the open-round counselling/admission closure, the penalty is at least ₹1 lakh or the stipend drawn until leaving, whichever is greater.

19. Medical examination

After selection, candidates must undergo a medical examination by a medical board appointed by the respective institute.

If the medical board declares the candidate medically unfit, admission will not be granted, and the next candidate in merit may be considered.

20. Documents you should keep ready

For document verification, the prospectus lists documents including:

AIIMS admit card
Class 10/Matriculation certificate showing date of birth
Nursing degree/provisional certificate
Detailed mark sheets
Migration certificate
State Nursing Council registration certificate
NOC if employed with Central/State Government or PSU
Disability certificate, if applicable
Tenure completion certificate where required
Internship completion certificate where applicable
Appropriate SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS certificate, if applicable.

21. What is the M.Sc. Nursing curriculum like?

One important point: AIIMS explicitly says that it has not prescribed a syllabus for the entrance examination.

For the degree programme itself, the emphasis is on advanced specialty nursing, education, management, leadership and research. The stated programme outcomes make it clear that this is not simply an extension of B.Sc. Nursing clinical training; it prepares students for higher-level professional responsibilities.

In practical terms, during an M.Sc. Nursing programme you can expect a combination of:

Advanced specialty nursing
Clinical practice
Nursing education
Nursing administration/management
Nursing research
Research methodology
Dissertation/thesis work
Teaching-related activities
Clinical and academic assignments

The exact curriculum and clinical rotation structure depends on the specialty and AIIMS campus.

22. Career opportunities after M.Sc. Nursing

After M.Sc. Nursing, common career directions include:

Clinical

Clinical Nurse Specialist
Senior/advanced practice nursing roles
Specialty department nurse
ICU/Critical Care nurse
Oncology nurse
Cardiac/CTVS nurse
Neuroscience nurse
Paediatric nurse
Psychiatric nurse

Teaching

Nursing Tutor
Assistant Professor/Lecturer, subject to applicable institutional/regulatory requirements
Clinical instructor
Nursing education roles

Administration

Nursing administration
Nursing supervisor/manager
Quality and patient-safety roles
Hospital administration-related nursing positions

Research

Nursing research
Clinical research
Research assistant/coordinator
Academic research
Further progression toward Ph.D. in Nursing

The AIIMS programme itself specifically emphasizes the roles of educator, manager, leader and nursing researcher.

23. How difficult is AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing?

It is a highly competitive entrance examination, mainly because the number of seats is limited.

For example, AIIMS New Delhi has only 34 regular M.Sc. Nursing seats, distributed among 10 specialties.

The exam has only 90 questions in 90 minutes, so you have approximately 1 minute per question. Since there is −1/3 negative marking, preparation should emphasize both knowledge and accuracy.

24. How should you prepare?

Because AIIMS says no specific entrance syllabus has been prescribed, a sensible preparation strategy is to build a strong foundation from your B.Sc. Nursing curriculum.

Priority areas

1. Fundamentals of Nursing

Nursing process
Basic procedures
Infection control
Patient safety
Nursing theories

2. Medical-Surgical Nursing

Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Neurological
Renal
Gastrointestinal
Endocrine
Oncology
Critical care

3. Community Health Nursing

Epidemiology
National health programmes
Primary healthcare
Community diagnosis
Biostatistics

4. Child Health Nursing

5. Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing

6. Obstetric & Gynaecological Nursing

7. Nursing Education

Teaching methods
Evaluation
Curriculum
Educational technology

8. Nursing Research

Research designs
Sampling
Data collection
Basic statistics
Evidence-based practice

9. Nursing Administration

Management principles
Leadership
Staffing
Supervision
Hospital organization

Exam practice

Because the paper is 90 MCQs/90 minutes with −1/3 marking, practice should focus on:

Timed MCQ sets
Previous-style AIIMS questions
Rapid recall
Eliminating wrong options
Avoiding unnecessary guesses
Full-length 90-question mock tests

Most Important

AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing 2026 = 2-year postgraduate nursing programme + entrance examination + specialty training + research/education/management preparation.

The key eligibility requirements are B.Sc. Nursing/B.Sc. Hons. Nursing/Post-Basic Nursing + 60% for General/OBC/EWS or 55% for SC/ST + RN/RM registration.

The entrance exam is 90 MCQs, 90 marks, 90 minutes, English, with −1/3 negative marking, and AIIMS has not prescribed a specific syllabus.

If your goal is AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing preparation, I can also give you a complete subject-wise syllabus/important topics, 6-month study plan, recommended books, previous-year-question strategy, and expected score/rank strategy specifically for AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing.