Key dates
The notification (Notice No. 103/2026) was released on July 24, 2026, with the online application process opening the same day through the official AIIMS examination portal, aiimsexams.ac.in. Applications close August 13, 2026, at 5 pm. The Preliminary examination is tentatively scheduled for September 12, 2026, with the Mains examination expected around September 30, 2026 — candidates should confirm exact dates via their admit card closer to the exam, since exam scheduling can shift slightly from the tentative calendar.

What NORCET actually is
Rather than requiring candidates to sit separate exams for each AIIMS institute, NORCET works as a single common eligibility test — clear it once, and candidates become eligible for Nursing Officer recruitment across AIIMS New Delhi and other participating AIIMS institutes nationwide, along with select other central government healthcare organisations.

Eligibility
Candidates must be between 18 and 30 years of age as on August 13, 2026, with age relaxation available for reserved categories as per standard Government of India norms. On the qualification side, candidates need a B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, B.Sc. Nursing, or Post-Basic B.Sc. Nursing degree, and must be registered as a nurse and midwife with their State Nursing Council or the Indian Nursing Council. Candidates holding a General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) diploma are also eligible, provided they're similarly registered and have at least two years of work experience in a hospital with a minimum of 50 beds.

Post and pay
Selected candidates will be appointed as Nursing Officer (Group B) at Level 7 of the pay matrix — pre-revised Pay Band-2 of ₹9,300-34,800 with Grade Pay ₹4,600 — under the 7th Central Pay Commission structure.

Selection process
The recruitment runs through two computer-based stages: NORCET Preliminary and NORCET Mains, followed by document verification and a medical examination. Stage I is qualifying in nature only — candidates must clear the required cut-off to move to Stage II, but final selection and merit ranking is based entirely on Stage II performance.

Vacancy expectations
The exact number of vacancies will be notified separately by each participating AIIMS institute, but based on recent cycles — NORCET 10 alone accounted for roughly 2,551 to 2,779 Nursing Officer posts — this year's intake is expected to run into the thousands once all participating institutes finalise their numbers.

What candidates should do now
With just under three weeks to the application deadline, eligible nurses should prioritise getting their registration documents, degree certificates and experience letters (where applicable) in order before starting the online form, and check the official AIIMS portal regularly for the detailed information brochure covering exact exam pattern and syllabus, which is typically released alongside or shortly after the main notification.