PGIMER Chandigarh Nursing Officer 2026: Exam Pattern & Syllabus

Use this detailed guide with the main syllabus

This guide explains CBT marking and offers practical revision advice. If you need the full subject list first, read the main PGIMER syllabus guide. Check the official notice for your recruitment before using an earlier exam pattern.

Main PGIMER syllabus guide · Try six public practice questions · PGIMER coaching and current course details

PGIMER Nursing Officer examination pattern

Use this guide alongside the PGIMER syllabus and preparation overview. The reference pattern below will help you plan practice sessions. Confirm the final rules in the official notice for your recruitment.

How the CBT is organised

• The Computer Based Test is held online in English.
• There are 100 objective multiple choice questions for 100 marks.
• The duration is 100 minutes, giving an average of one minute per question.
• Each correct answer earns 1 mark. Each wrong answer loses 0.25 marks. An unanswered question scores 0.
• Selection is based on CBT merit and document verification. There is no interview for these Group B posts.

Minimum qualifying marks

The reference pattern specifies 40 marks out of 100 for General and EWS candidates, and 35 for SC, ST and OBC candidates. For PwBD candidates, the minimum follows the applicable parent category. Reserved category candidates applying for an unreserved position must meet the 40% standard.

Reaching the qualifying mark does not guarantee selection. Candidates must also be shortlisted for document verification.

How shortlisting works

The reference shortlisting ratio is three candidates for each advertised vacancy in a category, with candidates tied at the boundary also included. For example, 66 OBC vacancies would give a base shortlist of 3 × 66 = 198 candidates, plus any applicable ties. Being called for document verification is not the same as being selected.

Calculate your practice score

Score = correct answers × 1 − wrong answers × 0.25. Unanswered questions add no marks and carry no penalty.

Avoid guessing without a reason. Read the options carefully and use what you know to rule out unlikely answers. Always follow the marking rules printed on your actual examination instructions.

What happens if scores are tied?

The reference rules apply these checks in order:

1. More wrong answers or negative marks result in a lower rank.
2. The older candidate ranks higher.
3. A higher percentage in 10+2 gives priority.
4. A higher percentage in Class 10 gives priority.

PGIMER Nursing Officer syllabus: preparation topics

B.1 What the official syllabus means for your preparation

PGIMER bases the syllabus on the prescribed nursing qualification. It does not provide a fixed allocation of questions for each topic.

Practical meaning : The exam is purely based on Nursing curriculum taught in B.Sc Nursing / Post Basic B.Sc Nursing / GNM (General Nursing & Midwifery) courses. There is no separate portion for General Knowledge, Reasoning or English (unless corrigendum is issued later specifying otherwise). Candidates should check PGIMER’s website for any addendum before the exam.

B.2 Probable Coverage by Topic (Based on a Typical Nursing Curriculum)

Use the nursing subjects below as a revision checklist. They follow the core nursing curriculum and are preparation guidance, not an official allocation of questions by topic.

1. The Basics of Nursing

Documentation & nursing process

Monitoring of vital signs

Infection control & asepsis

Personal hygiene and comfort measures

Positioning, movement and body mechanics

Wound Care and Dressing Techniques

Giving medicines (how to give, calculating doses, safety)

Specimen collection

2. Anatomy & Physiology

Structure and function of body systems (eg cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, neurological, musculoskeletal, endocrine, renal, reproductive)

Homeostatic processes

3. Medical-Surgical Nursing (Adult Health Nursing)

Disorders nursing management: cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, renal, endocrine e.g. diabetes, neurological, musculoskeletal

Nursing care before and after surgery

Oncology Nursing Fundamentals

Emergency & critical care nursing (ICU/CCU principles, triage)

Fluid and electrolyte balance

4. Midwifery (Obstetrics & Gynaecology Nursing)

Antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care

Normal Labour and Delivery Process

Conditions of high-risk pregnancy

Methods of birth control

Gynaecological diseases & nursing care

5. Child Nursing (Paediatric Nursing)

Growth & development milestones

National Immunisation Program: immunisation schedule

Nutritional diseases in children

Common paediatric diseases and nursing management

Neonatal care

6. Community Health Nursing

National health programmes, including NHM, RCH and programmes for TB, leprosy and malaria

Primary Health Care Strategy (PHCS)

General epidemiology

Environmental sanitation and health education

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services;

7. Mental Health / Psychiatric Nursing

Psychiatric Disorders (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia)

Techniques of Therapeutic Communication

Crisis response

Psychopharmacology 101

8. Nursing Foundation, Management & Ethics

Nursing theories and models

Management of Ward/Unit

Ethics in nursing, patient rights and legal aspects

Quality assurance and patient safety

9. Nursing Research & Biostatistics

The basic research process

Methods of Sampling

Presentation & Analysis of Data

10. Supporting nursing subjects

Microbiology (infection control related)

Pharmacology (drug categories, calculating dosage, negative effects)

Pathology (fundamental disease mechanisms)

Nutrition & Dietetics

PGIMER preparation strategy and practice tests

Practise PGIMER previous papers and mock tests to identify weak topics before your next revision session.

Make each practice session useful

• Revise core nursing subjects using your B.Sc. Nursing or GNM textbooks and class notes.
• Work through PGIMER previous papers and review the explanations after each attempt. Papers from AIIMS or ESIC can offer extra practice, but check their exam rules separately.
• Use a 100 question, 100 minute session to practise the reference timing. Follow the current notice if your exam uses a different scheme.
• Review wrong answers to understand whether you missed a concept, misread the question or guessed too quickly.

Before the exam, check www.pgimer.edu.in for any notice that changes the syllabus or examination rules.