The Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi to recruit Nursing Officers for AIIMS institutions. Read the full guide.

Who can apply for NORCET?

B.Sc / B.Sc (Hons) / Post-Basic B.Sc Nursing graduates, or GNM diploma holders with 2 years’ experience in a 50+ bed hospital — registered as Nurse & Midwife, and aged 18–30 with category relaxations. Details.

Does NORCET have negative marking?

Yes: −⅓ mark for each wrong answer, +1 for a correct one, and 0 for unattempted. How to use it to your advantage.

When is the next NORCET?

AIIMS has recently held NORCET about twice a year. Dates are announced in each notification on aiimsexams.ac.in.

Can GNM diploma holders apply?

Yes, with registration as Nurse & Midwife and at least 2 years’ experience in a hospital of 50 or more beds after GNM.

How long should I prepare?

Most students plan 4–6 months, but it depends on where you start. Take a diagnostic to find out — then plan around your weak areas. Preparation strategy.

NORCET exam pattern, marking scheme and negative marking

Based on recent notifications — confirm on aiimsexams.ac.in

Prelims and Mains at a glance

NORCET Prelims and Mains compared
	Stage I — Prelims	Stage II — Mains
Questions	100 MCQs	160 MCQs
Duration	90 minutes	180 minutes
Content	Nursing (about 90%) + GK & Aptitude (about 10%)	Nursing (about 90%) + GK & Aptitude (about 10%), more application-level
Marking	+1 / −⅓ / 0	+1 / −⅓ / 0
Role	Qualifying (screening)	Decides your rank
Time per question	about 54 seconds	about 68 seconds

Qualifying marks in Prelims — Set per category in the notice — recent cycles have used minimum qualifying percentages along the lines of 50% UR/EWS, 45% OBC and 40% SC/ST. Only those who qualify, up to the number the notice allows, are called for Mains.

Ties — Broken by rules in the notice — for example, fewer wrong answers or age.

How negative marking really works

A wrong answer costs ⅓ mark. So three wrong answers cancel one right answer.

A blind guess between four options: ¼ × (+1) + ¾ × (−⅓) = 0 on average. It adds risk without adding expected marks.
Rule out one option, then guess: ⅓ × (+1) + ⅔ × (−⅓) = +1/9 mark on average per question.
Rule out two options, then guess: ½ × (+1) + ½ × (−⅓) = +⅓ mark on average — strongly positive.

So the rule is: never guess blind; guess when you can confidently rule out at least one option. This is a statistical average — not a guarantee on any single question.

How Nursing Vidyarthi mirrors this

Our mocks use exactly this marking. Your result shows how many marks negative marking cost you, and the dashboard tells you if you’re answering too fast and guessing in a topic.

Practise NORCET questions free

NORCET marking, timed mocks and practice that adapts to your weak topics.

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NORCET questions

All questions

What is NORCET?
The Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi to recruit Nursing Officers for AIIMS institutions. Read the full guide.
Who can apply for NORCET?
B.Sc / B.Sc (Hons) / Post-Basic B.Sc Nursing graduates, or GNM diploma holders with 2 years’ experience in a 50+ bed hospital — registered as Nurse & Midwife, and aged 18–30 with category relaxations. Details.
Does NORCET have negative marking?
Yes: −⅓ mark for each wrong answer, +1 for a correct one, and 0 for unattempted. How to use it to your advantage.
When is the next NORCET?
AIIMS has recently held NORCET about twice a year. Dates are announced in each notification on aiimsexams.ac.in.
Can GNM diploma holders apply?
Yes, with registration as Nurse & Midwife and at least 2 years’ experience in a hospital of 50 or more beds after GNM.
How long should I prepare?
Most students plan 4–6 months, but it depends on where you start. Take a diagnostic to find out — then plan around your weak areas. Preparation strategy.